Economists say the legislative impasse over extending a payroll tax cut and other provisions could reduce consumer spending, slow growth and disrupt the health care sector.

Attention lottery players in Georgia: No one has stepped up to claim the $77 million jackpot that expires on Monday. The state's lottery offices will be closed starting tomorrow for the Christmas holiday. But the lucky winner can claim the prize at the lottery kiosk at Atlanta's main airport.

For the fourth year in a row, a couple dressed in elf hats drove around Detroit handing out $100 bills to strangers — $12,000 worth. Many thought those crisp Benjamins were a joke, some burst into tears.

The state of Hawaii is in danger of losing millions of dollars in Race to the Top funds due to its "unsatisfactory" performance.

Add another costly settlement to Bank of America's multi-billion dollar tally of woes tied to the 2008 acquisition of mortgage giant Countrywide. The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that the North Carolina-based bank will pay $335 million to settle allegations of discriminatory lending.

Americans make more charitable donations than people of any other country, and this is the time of year they dig the deepest. In Little Rock, Arkansas, that means the anti-poverty charity, Heifer International, is going full throttle. Contributors purchase living things, which are donated to struggling families in 52 countries.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is campaigning hard in New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Jan.10. The former Mass. Governor has seven events scheduled Thursday. He's been focusing on New Hampshire's primary rather than the Iowa caucuses.