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NEW YORK — The stock market ended its worst August since 2001 with meager gains Tuesday after minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting showed officials’ increasing concern about the economy.

Stock indexes gave up most of their gains in mid-afternoon after the release of minutes from the Fed’s Aug. 10 meeting. Fed officials said during their discussions that they recognized that the economy might need further stimulus beyond the purchases of government debt the central bank announced that day. Some of the officials acknowledged that economy had softened more than they had anticipated.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The president’s signature foreclosure rescue plan is losing its punch, according to a federal report released Friday.

Only 36,695 troubled homeowners received long-term mortgage modifications in July under the Obama administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP. This brings the total to 434,717 borrowers who have successfully made it out of the trial phase.

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A month ago, 51,205 delinquent borrowers were given long-term assistance.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — More children are crowding into classrooms in Modesto, Calif. Parents are paying extra to send their kids to full-day kindergarten in Queen Creek, Ariz. And the school buses stopped rolling in one St. Louis area school district.

These are but a few of the unwelcome changes greeting children as they start the school year. Tight fiscal times are forcing school districts to lay off teachers, enlarge class sizes, cut programs and charge for services that were once free.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — KFC’s Double Down, an uber-fried bacon-and-cheese mega-sandwich with chicken instead of bread, has not been a big hit with fast foodies.

The Double Down created a news feeding frenzy when KFC, owned by Yum Brands Inc., launched the sandwich on April 12. The company has sold 10 million of the sandwiches, according to KFC spokesman Rick Maynard. But in the company’s earnings call Wednesday, Chief Financial Officer Rich Carucci referred to sales of the sandwich as “immaterial.”

Full Story at money.cnn.com

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) — While bailed-out Wall Street is back on its feet and making profits, Main Street banks have gotten little to no boost from taxpayer bailouts, a watchdog panel said Wednesday.

The Troubled Asset Relief Program’s help has made little difference for small banks, according to the latest report by the Congressional Oversight Panel. The panel also warned that taxpayers could remain on the hook for small bank bailouts for years to come.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com)) — BP said Monday it has spent $350 million so far on cleanup and other costs associated with the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

That includes expenses related to cleaning up the oil, protecting wetlands and beaches, efforts to seal the leaking oil well, assistance to Gulf states, as well as liability settlements.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — More than 80% of U.S. school districts are expected to eliminate jobs and more than half will likely freeze hiring during the upcoming school year, an education organization said Tuesday.

Based on a survey of school administrators from 49 states, a total of 275,000 education jobs are expected to be cut in 2011, according to the American Association of School Administrators.

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NEW YORK – BP brands itself a friend of the environment, an energy company that goes “beyond petroleum.”

That image, worth billions of dollars, is being sullied by the company’s inability to contain a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the expanding oil slick threatens marshlands and wildlife along the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, BP faces perhaps the biggest public relations challenge an oil company has experienced in the U.S. since the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska in 1989.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — From California produce to New England seafood, the ash cloud from the Iceland volcano is taking its toll on U.S. businesses. Air traffic to and from Europe has been disrupted for days, and that is keeping goods grounded.

On Saturday, Boston-based Black Pearl Seafood was supposed to import 25 tons of fresh fish from a London warehouse, fish with a wholesale value of $320,000.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

Starting Monday, the jobless will no longer be able to apply for federal unemployment benefits or the COBRA health insurance subsidy.

Federal unemployment benefits kick in after the basic state-funded 26 weeks of coverage expire. During the downturn, Congress has approved up to an additional 73 weeks, which it funds.

These federal benefit weeks are divided into tiers, and the jobless must apply each time they move into a new tier.

Full Story atmoney.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — After two straight profitable quarters, AIG is expected to report a substantial loss for the fourth quarter when the troubled insurer announces its latest financial results Friday morning.

The company has previously said it expected to take a financial hit of about $5 billion for restructuring costs in the fourth quarter. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters estimate AIG will report a loss of $1.5 billion for the quarter on revenue of $23.3 billion.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — More than 1 million people could lose their jobless benefits and health insurance subsidy in March if Congress doesn’t act fast.

When it returns from the President’s Day recess on Monday, the Senate will have one week to extend the deadlines to apply for federal unemployment benefits and the COBRA health insurance subsidy. Currently, the jobless have until Feb. 28 to sign up.