Auto aid effort collapses _ December reprieve? WASHINGTON (AP) -- The $25 billion rescue plan for the auto industry, desperately sought by Detroit's beleaguered Big Three, collapsed Thursday as Congress drew the line at one more bailout and Democrats said they wouldn't even consider it until the companies produced a convincing plan for rebuilding their once-mighty industry.... New York Times Co. slashes dividend by 74 percent NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Times Co. is slashing its quarterly dividend by 74 percent to preserve cash as the advertising slump worsens.... Stocks tumble for second day; Treasurys surge NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks plunged for a second straight day Thursday, falling to levels not seen in at least five years, as financial and energy stocks tumbled while demand for the safety of government debt spiked.... Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac halting foreclosures WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are suspending foreclosures for about 16,000 households during the holiday season.... Activists say tobacco settlement is being wasted In 2006, Alaska desperately needed cash to complete a museum featuring a mummified bison and other natural wonders of the frozen north. So the state dipped into its share of the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement.... Fuld replacement named at Lehman Brothers NEW YORK (AP) -- A restructuring expert overseeing the liquidation of Lehman Brothers will replace Richard Fuld as chief executive on Dec. 31, Lehman lawyer Harvey Miller said Thursday.... Citi shares sink despite Saudi prince's investment NEW YORK (AP) -- Citigroup Inc. shares tumbled below $5 a share Thursday to their lowest level in more than 15 years, a sign that a Saudi prince's decision to boost his stake in the bank has failed to galvanize confidence among increasingly anxious investors.... Oil at 3-year lows; gas below $2 in 23 states COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Oil prices on Thursday hit levels not seen in more than three years and retail gasoline prices are now below $2 across nearly half of the country on dour economic reports suggesting a painful economic pullback.... Congress rushes to extend jobless benefits WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress raced to approve legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the December holidays and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits are running out.... Investors swarm Treasurys on carmaker fears NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors flooded into government debt again on Thursday, launching the 30-year Treasury bond to a huge one-day gain as worries mounted about an auto industry collapse....