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Stock prices Tuesday had their biggest one-day gain in five years. Prices jumped after the Federal Reserve decided to cut a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point. Fed policymakers said they remain concerned about the slowing U.S. economy and suggested that they may cut rates again.

A worldwide shortage of helium causes a spike in prices, rationing, and calls to the Bureau of Land Management, which runs the Federal Helium Reserve. It stockpiles helium for use by NASA and the military. There's enough to keep characters afloat for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

A 4-year-old boy has died from swine flu in Santa Barbara County, one week after a 5-year-old died girl from the sickness in San Diego County.

On Monday, the San Diego County Grand Jury issued a report saying the costs of staying at City Hall rather than building a new civic center were exaggerated by the city and that the city can have a safe and functional city hall without spending almost 300 million.

With a looming recession, the Federal Reserve has taken an unusually active roll in trying to prevent a total collapse. Ken Kuttner, a former Fed staff economist, discusses the role the Fed is playing in the current economic turmoil.

Fort Myers, Fla., has some of the nation's busiest foreclosure courts, which have earned a nickname: "rocket docket." Lee County courts have been hearing as many as 200 foreclosure cases each day. And judges are unapologetic about clearing the backlog.

A California nurses' union has threatened a one-day strike at 34 hospitals, accusing the providers of poor swine flu preparedness.

According to public health officials, 1 in 10 Asian Americans is infected with hepatitis B, the leading cause of liver cancer. One-third of San Francisco's population is of Asian descent, so the city has launched an aggressive campaign to stem infections.

Oil prices are rising at same time that the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates, leaving the markets wondering which way the economy is headed. America's economic health may rest on the ability of the housing market to stabilize or rebound.

The Treasury Department on Sunday proposed a three-part rescue plan to bolster housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The plan aims to calm jittery investors while enabling the two government-chartered companies to remain public.