Postal rates rise for stamps, other stuff

WASHINGTON (AP) - An extra penny for your thoughts.

Mailing a letter costs a penny more this week, with the price of a first-class stamp rising to 42 cents Monday.

But folks who planned ahead and bought Forever stamps for 41 cents each can still use them without extra postage.

Investors wonder at Cablevision motive for Newsday buy

NEW YORK - Tribune Co.'s $650 million sale of Newsday is an important step toward alleviating its debt burden - for this year.

Now the Chicago company needs to move on its next big asset sales, including the Chicago Cubs baseball team and Wrigley Field, to meet its obligations to creditors.

Stocks up as oil prices drop

NEW YORK - Wall Street rallied Monday as oil prices fell back and alleviated some of investors' concerns about accelerating inflation. The Dow Jones industrials gained 130 points.

Business Briefs

Ex-CVS execs accused of buying votes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Two former vice presidents of the CVS pharmacy chain bought the votes of a corrupt state senator and worked to keep their relationship secret, a federal prosecutor alleged Monday during opening statements in the executives' trial.

Work life: Life in Orange County colors retailer's venture

Daphne Joubran came a long way to follow a dream - 3,000 miles to be exact.

The 33-year-old moved from image-conscious Orange County, Calif., to Northampton two years ago to pursue a clinical psychology degree at Smith College. Her goals: earn a degree, become an author and help young girls deal with body image.

Sunderland store in familiar hands

SUNDERLAND - People who missed having a convenience store at 101 North St. are in luck. The site that housed Sam's Convenience Store, which closed about nine months ago, once again will have a convenience store, said Glenn Hamill, who plans to lease the storefront from the owners of Sam's, K. Brothers LLC, of Southington, Conn.

Cablevision close to buying Newsday

NEW YORK - Cablevision Systems Corp. is close to buying the Long Island newspaper Newsday from Tribune Co. for $650 million, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.

Shipbreakers pay for shot at federal ships

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The air tastes like pennies at this gritty port at the southern tip of Texas, where ships' final voyages end and steel is reborn.

Area Property Deed Transfers

Here are area property transfers for the week ending May 2, 2008.

Amherst

Linda Cooper to Linda Cooper Tr., Ronald Cooper Tr., Cooper Family Revocable Living Trust, 20 Arbor Way, $1.

Florence C. Ricciuti to Florence C. Ricciuti Revocable Trust, Florence C. Ricciuti, Tr., Rita Witman Tr., 1360 Bay Rd., $100.

Stocks drop as AIG cites cash woes and oil surges

NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street ended the week with a big decline as investors grappled with two of the biggest threats to the economy: fallout from turmoil in the credit market and surging energy prices. All three major indexes suffered losses for the week.