A few days ago, Rupert Murdoch began posting comments on the microblog service. Twitter and News Corp. have both confirmed the comments are Murdoch's.

A Los Angeles woman is one of many Civic Hybrid owners who claim their vehicle does not get as many miles to the gallon as promised. Heather Peters is suing Honda in small claims court. Meanwhile, drivers in Nigeria have taken to the streets in several cities after the government took away a critical gas subsidy.

The new year brings an increase in the minimum wage in a number of places around the country, including Washington state, which now boasts the nation's highest statewide rate: $9.04 an hour. But the increase has rekindled an old debate over whether minimum wages make sense — especially at a time of high unemployment.

A giant steel plant would bring thousands of jobs to a rural area in eastern India. But local farmers have been opposing the project for years in a battle that symbolizes the friction that often occurs in India's fast-growing economy.

In almost one-third of private home loan modifications, big banks are now slashing what homeowners owe. It's overdue housekeeping for America's economy, says one investor: Banks clear their balance sheets, investors get a predictable stream of income, and homeowners stay homeowners.

Automakers will report U.S. sales for 2011 on Wednesday. When final figures are calculated, sales of new cars and trucks are expected to reach 12.7 million, up from 11.5 million in 2010 and 10.4 million in 2009, the worst year since 1982. For 2012, analysts expect sales to top 13.6 million.

Thousands of gallons of brine were injected daily into a Youngstown, Ohio, well that opened in 2010. It might take a year for the wastewater-related rumblings in the earth to dissipate, an expert says.