Meanwhile, shares of homebuilders plummet as buyers are scarce and mortgage financing gets harder to obtain.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","2. Toy recalls","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_02_toy.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Jose Luis Magana", "AP", "199", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "2. Toy recalls
Spate of toy and other recalls for safety reasons raise a question about potential backlash against \"Made in China\" products.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","3. Oil prices ","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_03_oil.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Paul Sakuma", "AP", "204", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "3. Oil prices
Crude oil prices march closer and closer to $100 a barrel, keeping gasoline pump prices high.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","4. iPhone launch","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_04_iphone.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "M. Spencer Green", "AP", "202", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "4. iPhone launch
Apple Inc., aided by introduction of iPhone and updated iPod players, sees profits and its share price soar.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","5. The Fed","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_05_fed.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Chip Somodevilla", "Getty Images", "298", "194", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "5. The Fed
Chairman Ben Bernanke and his Federal Reserve policymaking colleagues cut the overnight borrowing rate twice in the second half of the year to keep the economy from falling into a recession, even as inflation fears persist.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","6. Wall Street","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_06_wallst.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Mario Tama", "Getty Images", "198", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "6. Wall Street
Dow Jones Industrial Average tops 14,000 for first time, then pulls back as credit crisis intensifies.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","7. Falling dollar","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_07_dollar.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Marcus Yam", "AP", "209", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "7. Falling dollar
Markets and Bush administration mostly nonchalant as the dollar falls to record lows against the euro and other currencies.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","8. Media consolidation","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_08_media.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Mark Lennihan", "AP", "199", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "8. Media consolidation
Media consolidation picks up steam: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. agrees to pay $5 billion for Dow Jones, parent of the Wall Street Journal. Tribune Co. to be acquired for $8.2 billion by Sam Zell and an ESOP, who will then sell Chicago Cubs. And Thomson Corp. to take over news and data content competitor Reuters PLC in $18.4 billion cash and stock deal.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","9. CEO ousters","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_09_ceo.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Seth Wenig", "AP", "297", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "9. CEO ousters
Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O’Neal ousted with $161 million golden parachute after nation’s largest brokerage firm takes $7.9 billion in charges related to mortgage meltdown. Citigroup CEO Charles Prince soon follows him out the door after bank says billions in new charges must be taken.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("","10. Food recalls","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/071212/071212_bizyear_10_food.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Teh Eng Koon", "AFP - Getty Images", "298", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i-1].body = "10. Food recalls
Food recalls multiply as e-coli and other health risks found in hamburger meat, spinach and other products.";
bizyrender_071217_toptenstories[i++] = new Array("biz_topstories2007","VOTE","","","","", "lv2", "", "", "", "", "", "", "40", "1", "", "", "", "", "");
// END editorial data