WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve (search), responding to solid growth in the economy after a brief slowdown early in the year, is expected to keep raising interest rates. The Fed’s credit tightening campaign will keep mortgage rates (search) and other consumer interest rates rising as well but at a pace …

WASHINGTON – Information about President Bush’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. BASIC BIO — John R. Bolton (search) was born November 20, 1948 in Baltimore. — He’s 56. — Bolton graduated from Yale in 1970; He earned a Yale law degree in 1974. — He is now …

OKLAHOMA CITY – “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood (search) was presented with a replica of highway signs posted outside her hometown of Checotah. The signs read: “Checotah, Home of Carrie Underwood, American Idol 2005.” “These signs reflect the great pride that we Oklahomans have for Carrie,” Gov. Brad Henry said. …

SACRAMENTO – Concert tickets for major acts are costly, but $100,000 to see the Rolling Stones (search)? If you’re a fan of the legendary rock band and Arnold Schwarzenegger (search), that’s the price to join the California governor in a luxury box at the Stones’ Aug. 21 show in Boston. …

NEW YORK – Communications satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. (search) has agreed to acquire PanAmSat Holding Corp. (PA) for $3.2 billion, creating the world’s largest commercial satellite fleet, the companies said on Monday. Intelsat will pay $25 a share for PanAmSat, a roughly 25 percent premium over the stock’s closing price …

Insurance is going to cost you more on a second home, and there’s a simple reason: You’re not there as much. You should check out our Homeowners Insurance section for a more extensive discussion of savvy insurance shopping. But here are several tips on how to trim your second-home bill …

NEW YORK – Tiffany & Co Inc. (TIF) Wednesday said quarterly profit rose a better-than-expected 53 percent as consumers snapped up more expensive jewelry in both U.S. and international stores. The jewelry retailer, which raised prices on diamond and platinum jewelry at the end of the first quarter to combat …

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A man’s affair with another man constitutes adultery and is grounds for divorce, a British Columbia Supreme Court judge ruled. In granting the divorce Tuesday, Justice Nicole J. Garson (search) said she was persuaded that she had the authority to make a change in the legal …

Plastic surgery is all the rage — but it’s rife with risk. What you should know if you’re considering going under the knife. 1. “I’m actually a dentist.” Plastic surgery is a booming field. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 8.7 million cosmetic surgery procedures were …

Our roundup of stealth office products will help you survive in a workplace full of thieves, slackers, backstabbers and spies — real or imagined. THE SIGNS ARE ALL THERE. Your stapler was moved a quarter-inch. Your chair’s lumbar support has been monkeyed with. The clincher: Last night you counted 13 …