Shares of several auto suppliers fell Wednesday as investors fretted about just how long the slump in the U.S. economy will last and its possible impact on vehicle production.

An analyst downgraded the auto parts sector Wednesday and cut an array of individual stocks, saying uncertainty remains about the health of the U.S. economy and the auto market.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections is borrowing more than $14 million to start an energy and water savings program that it expects will generate $1.3 million a year in savings by installing better equipment, drilling new wells and using other conservation tools.

A defendant who helped authorities crack a New Orleans City Hall kickback scheme was sentenced to six months in federal prison Wednesday by a federal judge who turned down prosecutors' request that the man be allowed to remain free.

U.S. automaker Chrysler LLC has filed a lawsuit in a Michigan court alleging supplier Johnson Controls Inc. <JCI.N> charged inflated prices for batteries, and is seeking more than $15 million in damages, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

(Reuters) - U.S. automaker Chrysler LLC has filed a lawsuit in a Michigan court alleging supplier Johnson Controls Inc. <JCI.N> charged inflated prices for batteries, and is seeking more than $15 million in damages, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.