(CNN) - The box office will go down as a bust for 2011. With only a few days left until the New Year, ticket sales in the U.S. are running about $500 million dollars behind last year. That's according to the New York Times.
Experts blame the drop on the poor economy, too many family flicks and not enough star power. Ticket revenue is expected to be about ten billion dollars. That's a 4 1/2% drop from last year.
Sears says it will close 100 to 120 Sears and kmart stores. The CEO says the company is trying to reduce expenses after disappointing sales for big-ticket items this year. The locations of the store closures have not been announced yet.
Several businesses use rewards programs these days to attract customers, now airports are adopting the strategy. USA Today reports more than 30 airports across the country have joined the "Thanks Again" program.
It awards fliers airline miles for parking, shopping or dining at the airports. All you have to do is register a credit card, and rack up points for every dollar you spend. Participating airlines include Delta, American, United/Continental, US Airways and Alaska.
The wealth gap between congress and voters is growing. That's according to the Washington Post. Researchers studied financial records between 1984 to 2009.
They found the median net worth of a member of the U.S. House more than doubled, from $280-thousand to $725-thousand in inflation-adjusted dollars.
