Growing Deficits Threaten Pensions
The funds that pay pension and health benefits to police officers, teachers and millions of other public employees across the country are facing a shortfall that could soon run into trillions of dollars. <p><a href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?a=27fv4y"><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?i=27fv4y" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~r/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml/~4/287817964" height="1" width="1"/>

Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive Up World Metal Prices
Chile's worst drought in five decades and power rationing from South Africa to China mean the price of aluminum, gold, copper and platinum will keep climbing as the lights go out in the world's biggest mines. <p><a href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?a=Acp266"><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?i=Acp266" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~r/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml/~4/287817965" height="1" width="1"/>

Let's Make It Cool to Save
A coalition of consumer advocates, public policy groups and academics wants to attack our country's dependence on debt by creating a national campaign much like the one used to curb smoking. <p><a href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?a=ux3lW8"><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?i=ux3lW8" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~r/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml/~4/287518014" height="1" width="1"/>

Union Influence Sways Montgomery Budget Talks
As Montgomery County's elected officials prepare this week to raise taxes and trim services to close a projected $300 million budget shortfall, most are reluctant to roll back raises negotiated by powerful union leaders.<br clear="all"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/business;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=201115319681" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/business;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=201115319681" border="0" vspace="5"></a> <p><a href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?a=TZ0AMz"><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?i=TZ0AMz" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~r/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml/~4/287868389" height="1" width="1"/>

Thefts Rise With Copper Prices
CHICAGO, May 8 -- Dave Fusselman figures he has seen a lot of different items come through his family's third-generation scrap metal business in Moberly, Mo. But an attempted sale last fall broke new ground. <p><a href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?a=lX8Nwq"><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~a/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml?i=lX8Nwq" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/~r/wp-dyn/rss/business/index_xml/~4/287817967" height="1" width="1"/>