Mariner Energy, Inc. shares dropped more than 4 percent Thursday following news that one of its production platforms exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Delta Air Lines will spruce up its fleet of 16 Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which fly mostly long-hauls from Tokyo, with more luxurious seats, added space and personal TVs.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to shutter the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system.

Burger King Holdings Inc. said Thursday that it is selling itself to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26 billion.

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday unveiled a new tablet PC named Galaxy Tab as the latest device meant to rival Apple Inc.'s popular iPad.

Productivity in the spring fell by the largest amount in nearly four years while labor costs rose, signals that companies may have reached the limits of squeezing more work out of fewer workers.

The number of people requesting unemployment benefits declined for the second straight week, suggesting that the slowing economy isn't prompting widespread job cuts.

A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits.

The nation's retailers are reporting surprisingly solid gains for August, helped by aggressive discounting, even as unusually hot weather and job worries kept a lid on back-to-school buying.

The unemployment rate rose in nearly half of the nation's 372 largest metro areas in July, as the pace of hiring slowed from earlier this year.

Baby carrot farmers are launching a campaign that pitches the little, orange, crunchy snacks as daring, fun and naughty - just like junk food.

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced a new line of iPods on Wednesday, including a Nano model that has a touch screen and lacks buttons.

Oil giant BP says it has spent more than $5 million a week on advertising since the Gulf Coast oil spill - more than three times the amount it spent on ads during the same period last year.

LifeHonor, an Internet-based video production company in Huxley, Iowa, provides personalized Internet broadcasting of funeral and memorial services.

The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in 20 years as substantially fewer undocumented workers are crossing the border in search of jobs, an independent research group says.

Electronic cigarettes that look like the real thing and but don't contain tobacco are gaining steam despite calls for a ban of the battery-powered devices.

Amazon.com Inc. is talking with major media companies about offering unlimited views of older TV shows and movies online, as it struggles to stay relevant to consumers flocking to Apple Inc.'s iTunes a la carte store and Netflix Inc.'s all-you-can-eat subscription plan.

International food prices have risen to their highest level in two years, fueled in part by a drought in Russia that lifted the cost of wheat, a U.N. agency said Wednesday.

Not even skinny jeans for $20 are pulling Americans into stores.