Empty Apartments
The national apartment vacancy rate has reached a 20-year high. This is partly due to the slowing economy, but mostly because Mark Sanford and Steve McNair are no longer paying their mistresses' rent.



Ruth Free
A federal judge is giving Ruth Madoff her passport back, allowing her to travel freely. As of now, she has just enough money to get from Midtown to East 96th Street.



Stimulus Waste
A new report shows many states are not using the stimulus money as intended. Ohio is using it to build useless government offices, Florida is using it to widen unused roads, and California is using it to keep LaToya Jackson away from all her brother's memorial services.



Alcoa's Bet
Aluminum giant Alcoa is betting on a big rebound for the company... mostly because soon the only way to make money in America will be getting the nickel for recycling soda cans.



Hu Goes Home
Chinese President Hu Jintao has left the G-8 summit in Italy because of the growing violence in the Xinjiang region. If he hurries, Jintao is hoping he might get a chance to torture some protesters personally.