The price of oil is rising on news that U.S. consumer confidence is at the highest level since February.

Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street after some gloomy economic data from Europe.

The average U.S. rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage touched its record low this week and the rate on 15-year mortgage hit a new record.

More leading universities are offering free online courses through the fast-growing education platform Coursera.

According to AAA, the average price of $3.87 per gallon is up 16 cents from a month ago and 24 cents from a year ago.

Higher gas prices account for much of the increase in consumer spending for August.

A sharp rise in gasoline costs drove up wholesale prices last month by the most in more than three years. But outside energy and food, price gains were mild.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage held steady this week, staying slightly above the lowest level on record.

Congressional investigators say Social Security is so overwhelmed by disability claims that some officials are awarding benefits without adequately reviewing applications, potentially adding to the program's financial problems as it edges closer to the brink of insolvency.

The Federal Reserve says it will spend $40 billion a month to buy mortgage-backed securities for long as necessary to stimulate the still-weak economy and reduce high unemployment.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped to a seasonally adjusted 382,000 last week, the highest level in two months.

U.S. Fidelis was the nation's largest seller of vehicle service contracts before it ceased operations and the business filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

More than 50 gas stations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are jacking up prices to more than $8 a gallon to protest what they say are unfair pricing practices by Lukoil North America.

The price of gasoline is seeing the biggest gain in two weeks Tuesday. But relief should be in sight by the time autumn arrives.

U.S. employers posted fewer jobs in July than in June, the latest evidence that hiring is weak.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in July. But that was only because more people gave up looking for work.

The jobs outlook in the U.S. brightened a bit Thursday just before President Barack Obama was to make his case for re-election to the American people.

Servers at Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and other eateries are suing the restaurants' parent company, claiming they were cheated out of overtime pay and not allowed to clock-in until customers arrived.

AAA reports gas prices up 27 cents a gallon in Kansas over the past month. And while AAA expects the price to gradually come down some, it just makes sense to try and get the best buy at the pump.

McDonald's Corp., the fast food chain that brought the beef hamburger to the world, is opening its first company-operated vegetarian-only restaurants.

Americans have been buying a lot of pickups -- and that helped fuel a big overall jump in U.S. auto sales last month.

Chrysler says its U.S. sales rose 14 percent last month as the Ram pickup truck had its best August in five years.

Donald Lawson says the first thing he bought after winning the third-largest Powerball jackpot ever was a pack of bubble gum.

Chairman Ben Bernanke made clear Friday that the Federal Reserve will do more to boost the economy because of high U.S. unemployment and an economic recovery that remains "far from satisfactory."

If you are always looking for the best deal when shopping and you own a smartphone, there's no reason not to combine the two.