In Manhattan, rents in Midtown’s less well-heeled office buildings have fallen more than 23 percent in the past year, to $48.74 a square foot a year. Read more..

By J. ALEX TARQUINIO - The New York Times

Preliminary studies of a blockbuster drug from Roche’s Genentech unit are strong enough to speed its approval for brain cancer, federal cancer experts said. Read more..

By ANDREW POLLACK - The New York Times

The new restrictions on executive compensation and dividend payouts has made aid from the Troubled Asset Relief Fund less palatable to bank managers. Read more..

By ERIC DASH - The New York Times

Facing shrinking markets at home, Japanese companies must expand foreign sales or face longer-term decline. Read more..

By HIROKO TABUCHI - The New York Times

The legislation, which authorizes the F.D.A. to approve or reject tobacco products and ingredients, is expected to be approved by the House, but could meet resistance in the Senate. Read more..

By DUFF WILSON - The New York Times

Dividend-paying stocks or funds have long been a favored investment strategy for retirees, but other approaches may be less risky. Read more..

By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD - The New York Times

An improved personal reminder system collects your every utterance and idea and holds them for posterity. Read more..

By DAVID POGUE - The New York Times

In a slow but steady revival, a former steel-making city gives its historical buildings new life as models of energy efficiency. Read more..

By CHRISTINE H. O'TOOLE - The New York Times

The government is seeking to avoid court chaos by persuading at least some creditors to agree to a plan that would cleave General Motors into two pieces. Read more..

By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and JONATHAN D. GLATER - The New York Times

The battle for the minds, and throats, of consumers who drink lower-calorie beverages has intensified with a new low-calorie line from Glacéau Vitaminwater. Read more..

By STUART ELLIOTT - The New York Times