A federal court has ruled that Tyson Foods Inc. violated federal labor standards for not paying production line employees for the time it takes them to put on and remove protective and sanitary gear.

About 30,000 fewer people floated in the Illinois River watershed in 2007 compared with two years earlier, a professor testified Tuesday, suggesting that decades of chicken manure pollution may have made one of the state's top recreational areas less attractive to the public.

Stocks rallied to their highest closes since November Monday following encouraging economic reports from the U.S. and abroad and following news that auto sales got a boost from the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Stocks rallied Monday after a pair of encouraging reports on the manufacturing sector, plus strong bank earnings out of Europe and expectations for strong auto sales. The S&P briefly topped 1,000, a level it hasn't seen since November.

Stocks got a quick pop at the open Monday after some strong bank earnings out of Europe and expectations that auto sales will show a boost from the "Cash for Clunkers" program. But the rally quickly fizzled.

Stock index futures indicated a strong opening for Wall Street Monday, helped by European markets that hit a broader-index high for the year on better-than-expected bank earnings.

European hog farming is being transformed by an agricultural powerhouse operating in far-flung outposts.

Futures indicated a positive open for U.S. stocks on Monday helped by strong gains in Asia and anticipation that this week's bank stress test results will be relatively benign.

Futures indicated a positive open for U.S. stocks on Monday helped by strong gains in Asia and anticipation that this week's bank stress test results will be relatively benign.

Futures indicated a positive open for U.S. stocks on Monday helped by strong gains in Asia and anticipation that this week's bank stress test results will be relatively benign.

The U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery, faces a potentially grave new threat: swine flu.