Rising unemployment and sharp drops in tax revenue are forcing states to face service cuts, hiring freezes, tax increases, or all of these.

In Syracuse, Gov. David A. Paterson took questions from 15 people in the second town meeting he has held in a week to discuss the state’s financial crisis.

Hotels and resorts are rolling back cancellation penalties, slashing booking deposits and promoting money-back guarantees to encourage hesitant clients.

The new administration’s top priority should be to put in place emergency plans for the financial markets and the broader economy.

How difficult is it for people with limited income to eat a healthful diet?

Top commanders believe the financial meltdown will have a serious impact on future Pentagon spending.

Even before the crisis on Wall Street, little appetite for growth in military spending was anticipated, at a time when the Pentagon’s annual base budget has reached $500 billion.

Senator John McCain’s tax and spending proposals would create larger annual budget deficits than those of Senator Barack Obama, analysts say.

With wedding costs spiraling up everywhere and the tremors of a shaky economy threatening to rattle even the best-laid plans, more couples may have to become more resourceful.

There’s one possible silver lining to the global financial crisis. It may offer something of a last-minute holiday gift to travelers with hotels cutting rates and the dollar on the rise.