Business

Americans are buying cars at the fastest pace in years and automakers are bringing out new vehicles that get rave reviews for safety and fuel economy.

Some analysts say the post-recession period may represent a new age for the industry, and that's made us a touch nostalgic for the days when the Detroit Three made more cars than they could sell and overseas companies thought American consumers were suckers for anything with a European name and styling.

In that vein, the Los Angeles Times asked the editors at auto information company Edmunds.com to put together a list of the 10 worst cars ever sold in America. The Times also asked David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' automotive test center, to weigh in. And then we gave our online readers a chance to vote on a vehicle to add to the worst 10 list. That vehicle replaces a 1917 Chevrolet that only the folks at Edmunds seem to remember.

In the world of marketing, word of mouth is still king.

It can make or break your business. This is especially true with the advent of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, where people can instantly share their thoughts and feelings with hundreds and sometimes thousands of friends.

LOS ANGELES -- Cruise ships and large commercial vessels will be barred from releasing sewage within three miles of the California coast under a rule signed Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

DENVER -- Federal officials say Union Pacific Railroad has agreed to a $1.5 million settlement involving alleged oil and coal spills in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

PANGUITCH -- It was the simple beauty of the sagebrush hills and the first-rate fishing that drew Vince Salvato here 15 years ago. "All I wanted was a quiet, pristine place with clean air," he said, sipping sarsaparilla inside Bronco Bobbi's curio shop in this tiny town in southern Utah. "That's why I came here."

But the tranquility has been broken by the day-and-night rumble of trucks ferrying coal from a strip mine near Bryce Canyon National Park to a power plant three hours to the north.

The gritty fuel helps satisfy the huge appetite for power more than 500 miles away in Los Angeles. But it is now stoking controversy at both ends of the transmission lines over energy policy, environmental damage and how much consumers should pay to kick the coal habit.

DETROIT -- Two top Ford executives who helped lead the company's comeback from financial disaster are retiring.

Lewis Booth, chief financial officer, and Derrick Kuzak, product development chief, will retire on April 1. Both were once leading candidates to replace CEO Alan Mulally, 66, who said Thursday he has no plans to retire.

Also Thursday, Ford's board appointed former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. as a company director.

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks are opening higher, after Greek leaders agreed to cost-cutting measures aimed at preventing the country from defaulting on its debt next month.