PepsiCo Inc. plans to cut the sodium found in each serving of its key brands by one-fourth in five years, the company announced Monday, as the industry deals with pressure from the government and health-conscious shoppers who want more options.
The maker of Frito-Lay chips and Pepsi drinks announced several nutrition goals Monday at the [...]

Over the past 18 months, Washington has taken extraordinary steps to keep home loans available and affordable. That caused a tentative housing recovery last year. Home sales reversed their four-year descent, while prices stabilized.
One big reason: The government seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, massive companies that purchase home loans, package them [...]

Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan Mulally made $17.9 million last year, about 1 percent more than the year before, as the company struggled through the worst U.S. auto sales market in decades, according to a calculation by The Associated Press based on government filings.
Mulally took a 30 percent pay cut last February, [...]

China’s state-controlled media intensified criticism of Google on Monday, accusing the U.S. company of playing politics by threatening to shut down its China-based search engine.
Chinese news reports say Google Inc. is on the verge of making good on a threat to shutter its China site, Google.cn, because Beijing forces the Internet giant to censor [...]

Stock prices fell in early trading Monday as investors worry about Greece’s ability to repay debt and the potential consequences for the global economic recovery.
Reaction to the U.S. government’s passage of sweeping health care reform over the weekend will also be closely watched. The reform could have a far-reaching impact ranging from health insurers [...]

The amount of time people spend on the computer while watching TV is going up sharply.
The Nielsen Co. said Monday that people who multitask this way spent an average of three and a half hours doing so in December. That’s up sharply from the two hours, 29 minutes that Nielsen reported only six months [...]

Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan Mulally made $17.9 million last year, about 1 percent more than the year before, as the company struggled through the worst U.S. auto sales market in decades, according to a calculation by The Associated Press based on government filings.
Mulally took a 30 percent pay cut last February, [...]

The Obama administration’s pay czar is launching a review of compensation for 25 top executives at all financial firms that received federal bailout money, according to three people familiar with the plan.
Kenneth Feinberg can seek to renegotiate any pay deemed not in the public’s interest but can’t forcibly recoup funds, government and banking industry [...]

Police agree with regulators that driver error caused the crash of a Toyota Prius in the New York suburbs.
Capt. Anthony Marraccini said Monday there was no mechanical or electrical failure in the car.
He said Monday that the gas pedal was depressed all the way at the point of impact and that there was [...]

The Senate Banking Committee has approved Democratic legislation overhauling Wall Street regulations on a party-line vote. The bill now goes to the Senate, where its prospects remain in doubt.
The committee vote Monday was 13-10.
The bill was written by Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut. It would give the government unprecedented [...]