Shares of Alpha Natural Resources dropped sharply Wednesday after the coal producer warned that the slowing economy could trim as much as $95 million from its expected 2008 profit.

Christmastime and the new year send television into overdrive with specials and holiday-themed episodes. What stands out? Here's a look at noteworthy programs and a countdown to the most special of all specials.

CINCINNATI — It spread like a cold virus through a day care center.

In Nov. 28 obituaries for Cornell University astrophysicist Edwin E. Salpeter, The Associated Press erroneously labeled his 1951 "Salpeter process" describing how helium changes to carbon as the "Salpeter-Bethe equation." That equation, by Salpeter and Cornell colleague Hans Bethe and also developed in 1951, instead describes bound states of a pair of interacting particles in quantum field theory.

The U.S. government was finally releasing $400 million on Wednesday to support Mexico's police and soldiers in their fight against drug cartels.

Extendicare, the large health-care chain that owns the Richmond nursing home where the staff was videotaped abusing and neglecting an 84-year-old Alzheimer's patient, has big plans to profit from the aging of the Baby Boomers.

The one that didn't get away held an unlikely surprise for a Texas man. The blue-stoned class ring of Joe Richardson, engraved with his name, turned up inside an 8-pound bass 21 years after he lost it while fishing on Lake Sam Rayburn.

President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday named a third former Democratic presidential rival to his administration with his formal announcement of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his nominee for commerce secretary.