Over the years, the city has made a name for itself by hosting a handful of large conventions and a bevy of small and midsize gatherings.  But as companies and other organizations tighten their belts, the number of conventions held nationwide is expected to shrink in the months ahead.

Republican Sen. John McCain has been unable to achieve the same Indiana fund-raising edge on his Democratic opponent that President George W. Bush did in past elections. Bush rang up an Indiana fund-raising advantage of $1.7 million over Sen. John Kerry in 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And his popularity in Indiana allowed him to spend those dollars to help him campaign in other states while easily winning Indiana's electoral votes. But this election, Sen. Barack Obama had outraised Republican John McCain by $360,000 through the end of August, when McCain's decision to take public campaign funds forced him to stop raising funds directly for himself. Obama did not take public funds, and so has continued to raise money.

The big debt payments on the $1.1 billion midfield terminal at Indianapolis International Airport start coming due in January--just as a recession hits and the battered airline industry cuts capacity. Despite the likely prospect of fewer passengers than projected in the next year or two, airport managers say they don't anticipate problems shouldering the roughly $40 million a year in debt burden over the next 30 years for the new facility.

In this year's election cycle, the policy watchword is "change." But amid the partisan debate, another type of change is revolutionizing the way candidates track voters and spread messages. Communication tools like text messaging, social networking and YouTube are increasingly integral to successful politics.

The Indiana Pacers are ratcheting up sales and marketing initiatives while cutting costs elsewhere in an effort to simultaneously ride out the economic storm and boost attendance. The team has little hope of being profitable this year-or even breaking even, said Pacers President Jim Morris, but he added that within three years the franchise's financial status should be much improved.

The Steak n Shake Co. has dropped plans to build 20 new restaurants, is cutting overhead expenses by about $20 million, and closed 14 locations. The Indianapolis-based restaurant chain found $16 million in tax savings dating back to 2006 and is working on a new, simple menu built around burgers, fries and milkshakes--all part of a turnaround plan orchestrated by the chain's new CEO, Sardar Biglari.

A year of computer snafus boiled over Oct. 13 when the St. Francis system declared WellPoint Inc. in breach of its contract because of habitually late payments.

Charter Homes recruited and paid buyers to take out inflated mortgages on dozens of central Indiana homes it built, promising to manage the properties as rentals and make payments for the owners, current and former Charter business partners say.

Area not-for-profits are beginning to feel the sting of the year-old credit crunch, which has escalated into a full-blown financial crisis that's battered investors and likely pushed the nation into recession.

Conner Prairie wants to pay homage to early aviator John Wise with a balloon ride that recalls his August 1859 trip from Lafayette at the helm of a gas-filled balloon bound for New York City with the nation's first air-mail delivery. An ill wind blew him Wisecourse, ending his flight in Crawfordsville, but he still earned a place in history--and a U.S. Postal Service-issued stamp honoring his pioneering effort.

Fueled by its line of gas-sipping economy cars, Honda is expanding in Indiana as car manufacturers almost everywhere else are shrinking. And the 2,000 jobs the Japanese automaker is promising in Greensburg by 2010 could be just the beginning.

Eli Lilly and Co. has written a $6.5 billion IOU to acquire the cancer drugs of ImClone Systems Inc. Cancer drugs are now the best-selling class of drugs in the world and one of the fastest growing.

The downturn in the housing market isn't tough just on people trying to sell their homes. It's also tough on the people who want to help those people sell their homes--real estate agents. Locally, their ranks have thinned as more and more leave the field to search for better prospects.

Most of Indiana's 100 House districts are strongly Democratic or strongly Republican. That means control of the House of Representatives will come down to a handful of battleground districts--probably fewer than a dozen, political experts say.

After the unexpected death of insurance magnate J. Patrick Rooney, two organizations he led until the day he died are scrambling to figure out who will lead them into the future.

The woman chosen as president and CEO of the city's Super Bowl host committee isn't exactly a household name, but those who hired her think she'll make Indianapolis the best host city ever. Allison Melangton, 46, is the first paid member of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, and is expected to throw planning and organization into overdrive over the next 30 days.

Local companies that rely on credit have seen their borrowing power shrink and in some cases disappear as a deep freeze in the nation's credit markets drives fears of a broad economic slowdown. A handful of businesses, including a Greenwood security firm and an Indianapolis contractor, already have shut down after credit dried up, and others are on the ropes as troubled banks seek to limit their loan exposure.

Pathway Productions, one of the city's highest-profile video production firms, has a new owner, a new CEO and a new plan to blaze a trail to prosperity. Michael Husain, who founded the company from his basement in 1996, earlier this year quietly sold a majority stake to Mays Chemical Co. President William Mays, who in turn named Jerald Harkness the new CEO.

Thanks to hefty 35-percent gross returns on its $60 million first fund, locally based Centerfield Capital Partners LP has raised nearly twice as much for its second. This month, the venture capital firm closed on $116 million from a variety of investors. As before, Centerfield's 50 limited partners include major Hoosier institutions. But this time, numerous big banks, insurance companies and pension funds from outside state lines were also investors.