The Salvation Army is offering emergency financial aid over the next four weeks to Long Islanders who have lost jobs since September. The grants - which are being funded by local Wal-Mart and Target department stores - can reach up to $1,500 per household and must be used toward rent, utilities or mortgage payments.

For the past two weeks, more than 50 companies that use Advantage Payroll Services in Freeport have been calling to “show their displeasure” about the federal minimum wage, which rises 70 cents to $7.25 an hour Friday.

The Long Island Council of Churches has more funds and food than ever to give out and record numbers of clients, but the people who need the help might not get it due to shortages in operational money.

The families who owned and operated Fortunoff before its sale to private equity firms have purchased all the intellectual property of the now-bankrupt company and are researching ways to relaunch the brand, family members said Tuesday.

DEAR CARRIE: We are at odds with the company over what exactly constitutes a day off. If we work from 4 p.m. on Saturday to 1 a.m. on Sunday, the company considers Sunday our day off. We disagree because we would have worked part of the day. But the company expects employees to report to work on Monday, the day after their so-called day off. Our workweek runs from Saturday to Friday, with no two consecutive days off. If employees were given two back-to-back days off, then we would agree that Sunday should be considered a day off. In essence we are working every day. Who’s interpretation is right? — Days-off Dispute

More than 50 high school educators who teach financial literacy looked to hone their skills Tuesday at the Financial Education for a New Generation workshop co-sponsored in Westbury by the Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union.

The Watergate Hotel, made famous by the
scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon, is heads to
the auction block Tuesday morning.

The recipe for Colonel Sanders’ fried chicken is locked in a Kentucky safe, but that didn’t stop Ron Douglas from trying to unravel one of America’s most closely guarded secrets.

With Bernard Madoff packed off to prison in North Carolina, the next big concern for his cheated investors is the outcome of a crucial legal fight that could impact how much money they might recover.

Gazelle, an electronics trade-in site, and Costco have unveiled a partnership through which Costco members can trade in their used iPods and other gadgets for a store cash card.