Mark Koba

If Congress can't agree on a deficit-reduction plan soon, vacationers heading to the country's national parks this spring and summer could find reduced staffs, shorter visiting hours and even closings.

The flu virus has shown up in 41 states with 29 of them reporting high or severe levels of sickness, to date. The outbreak, which is one of the worst in decades, threatens to lower productivity and slow the U.S. economy.