Generous final acts, and then cold killings

A paradoxical portrait emerges of a man who helped others before opening fire. 'I can't believe he would do this'

Accusations and denials

The allegations

THE LIST / U.S. HEADWINDS

National Bank Financial offers these reasons why the U.S. is condemned to 10 years of slow economic growth:

Easy money trumps inflation fears at Fed

Decision to leave key interest rate near zero shows central bank more concerned with spurring growth than pricking asset bubbles

IT'S A BIG DAY FOR ...

... Sergio Marchionne

GOP wins to send shock waves through Congress

Republicans take governor's races in N.J., Virginia; Bloomberg re-elected as mayor

IT'S A BIG DAY FOR ...

... Detroit The Detroit Three auto makers today report their sales for October. Can they sell cars without offering cash for clunkers, the U.S. government-sponsored rebates for trade-ins by American consumers? September sales fell sharply after the incentives ended in August.

Democrats scrambling to avert off-year defeats

Republicans hope gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia will launch their comeback from political wilderness

Chrysler's revival to lean heavily on Fiat

Italian car maker expected to shift compact models to North American production

ENERGY / GAZPROM'S MAN IN HOUSTON

There's not much in John Hattenberger's corner office on the 25th floor of the Bank of America tower to indicate that he's Gazprom's man in America's oil and gas capital.

THE U.S. SCENE

U.S. consumer spending dropped 0.5 per cent in September, the first decline in five months and the biggest drop in nine months, the Commerce Department reported yesterday. That reflects the end of the government's popular cash-for-clunkers auto rebate program, and suggests Americans are still holding back on big-ticket items. But earnings reports this week from major consumer products companies show they're still spending on basics.

YouTube star goes from broken strings to missing bag

Airline damaged singer's guitar, now loses his luggage as he travels to deliver speech on customer service

GREAT RECESSION ENDS, NOW WHAT?

While most major economies struggle, the U.S. surges ahead with growth of 3.5 per cent. But after the cheap money and stimulus cash runs out, will consumers keep spending?

MONEY GAMES

Field of dreams / Tallying World Series salaries, and the top CEOs

Market makers

Investor confidence in Barack Obama and his economic team dropped during the past three months despite the soaring U.S. stock market, an October poll of Bloomberg customers globally showed. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, was chosen more often than any other as the best assessor of the markets.

Terror suspects' rights bolstered at military trials

Some terrorist suspects will face trial in controversial military tribunals under a new law signed yesterday by President Barack Obama. Although revised military tribunals outlaw evidence extracted by torture and some types of hearsay, rights groups said it was a fatally flawed system that needed closing down.

THERE'S TROUBLE AT THE MALL

As U.S. home market regains its footing, the commercial sector starts to totter

U.S. refiners may shun oil sands costs

GLOBAL ENERGY REPORTER

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT

Office Christmas parties are expected to be tame affairs this year

The 'Mickey Mouse' mastermind: Canadian charged in plot against Danish newspaper

A former Pakistani cadet and medical student who got Canadian citizenship then settled in Chicago, Tahawar Hussain Rana was known as an immigration consultant and abattoir operator.