en Local 15 BERLIN -- The 16-nation euro currency will survive the debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Thurs­day, and a senior central banker said the European Union would be willing to increase its euro750 billion ($1 trillion) bail­out fund if necessary. SEATTLE -- If you're in the market for a new flat-panel TV, it's a good time to buy. SHANGHAI -- Ford Motor is adding 100 new dealerships in China this year, raising its total number of outlets to 340, as it courts new car buyers in provin­cial cities. TOKYO -- Toyota's second quarter profit more than quad­rupled despite lingering worries about the safety of its cars after massive recalls that are still dogging its sales in the U.S. WASHINGTON -- The num­ber of people who signed con­tracts to buy homes fell in Sep­tember after two months of gains. WASHINGTON -- Consumer borrowing in­creased in September for the first time since Jan­uary even though the category that includes cred­it cards dropped for a record 25th straight month. The rise in credit came from the category that in­cludes student loans. Rental car companies are protesting a proposed fee, saying it would put too much of Montgomery Regional Airport's financial burden on their customers. NEW YORK -- Shares of Adobe soared in heavy trading Thursday on a report that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed a possible buyout of the company. WASHINGTON -- Consumer borrowing fell again in August as consumers cut back on credit card use for the 24th consecutive month. WASHINGTON -- The federal deficit for the just-finished 2010 budget year was a little under $1.3 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office estimated Thursday. ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- General Motors and the United Auto Workers have reached a cost-cutting deal that could help accomplish what once seemed impossible: Making a profit on small cars built in the United States. The 2009 failure of Colonial Bank removed about 25 percent of all bank deposits in the Montgomery market, according to an FDIC report. WASHINGTON -- Companies are laying off fewer workers and advertising more job openings, two encouraging signs that arrived a day before the government issues the September jobs report. September sales of the Hyundai So­nata were up a staggering 161 percent from the same month last year, and one of the main reasons was that dealers had them to sell them. Millbrook's Ashton Park offers a unique combination of low main­tenance and spacious living in the heart of popular Millbrook. Locat­ed behind the Food Outlet on Ala­bama 14, the neighborhood now has at least four homes and dozens of lots on the market. SEOUL, South Korea -- The top executive at Kia Motors has resigned after the company re­called more than 100,000 vehi­cles worldwide over defective wiring, officials for the auto­maker said Tuesday. NEW YORK -- Burger King is introducing nine new break­fast items, including blueberry biscuits and pancake platters, and planning a major breakfast marketing blitz -- all with an eye toward eating up some of McDonald's morning business. ST. LOUIS -- Boeing Co. is slimming down its military air­craft business and cutting work­ers as the U.S. tightens defense spending and profit margins shrink. The just-completed Air Force IT Conference has helped make 2010 a very good year so far for the folks at the Montgomery Convention and Visitors Bu­reau. Q: I followed my broker's advice, and started saving a few years ago for my children's college with 529 plans. They have done nothing but go down in value since I started them, and I feel as though I am wasting my money. Am I doing the right thing? Q: I followed my broker's advice, and started saving a few years ago for my children's college with 529 plans. They have done nothing but go down in value since I started them, and I feel as though I am wasting my money. Am I doing the right thing? Real estate insiders braced for the numbers, knowing they would be ugly. Real estate insiders braced for the numbers, knowing they would be ugly. To some, Cheryl Upchurch is an economic survivalist. To some, Cheryl Upchurch is an economic survivalist. When Joe Scott looks across his used car dealership, he sees more empty parking spaces than he does cars. When Joe Scott looks across his used car dealership, he sees more empty parking spaces than he does cars. WASHINGTON -- Layoffs are back, and that's bad news for the fragile economic recovery. A travel consultant told the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday that they could improve the city's economy "one car at a time." NEW YORK -- Would you buy stock in a com­pany that has hemorrhaged tens of billions of dol­lars for years and run through three bosses in quick succession just because it's turned a profit for a few months? WASHINGTON -- Mazda Motor Corp. is recalling more than 300,000 Mazda3 and Mazda5 vehicles in North America to fix problems with the power-steering system that could lead to a crash, a problem the automaker addressed in Ja­pan a year ago. A construction group in Alabama fears that a dwindling supply of trained labor could extend a building slump brought on by the lingering recession. DETROIT -- General Motors is recalling more than 243,000 large crossovers because of potential damage to the second-row seat belts that can cause the belt to feel properly latched when it isn't. WASHINGTON -- New gov­ernment data offered a mixed picture of the economic recov­ery Tuesday, as U.S. manufac­turing activity grew in July at the fastest pace in nearly a year while the outlook for the hous­ing market remained dim. The candidates for governor told members of the state's tour­ism industry Tuesday they want to boost business on Alabama's Gulf Coast with new state park facilities that draw conventions and jobs to the beach.