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Today’s headlines
5 local stocks hit low
The carnage on Wall Street has left stock in some Tampa Bay area companies at or near 52-week lows.

IRS eases early retiree tax rules
The federal government has relaxed tax rules that penalize thousands of early retirees whose savings have been slammed by the bear market but stopped short of providing the same help to millions of older retirees who complain that they suffer from much the same problem.

Stocks plunge for sixth week
Earnings warnings, the dock strike and the Iraq situation keep investors nervous, analysts say.

Business today
PORT TALKS CONTINUE: Dockworkers and management met for a second day Friday with a federal mediator in an effort to reach a new contract. Business groups pushed for government intervention and met with officials at the White House, but at the end of the day, an administration official said the White House position remained unchanged: President Bush is closely monitoring the situation and urges both sides to work with federal mediators. Household names in American manufacturing may run out of parts and be forced to shut down their assembly lines in the next few days, said Darren McKinney, spokesman for the National Association of Manufacturers. The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping companies and terminal operators, locked out the 10,500-member longshoremen's union Sunday, claiming the dockworkers had engaged in a slowdown. The main issue is whether jobs created by new technology will be unionized.