NEW YORK

Shares of AOL (NYSE: AOL), the No. 7 website, rose slightly after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results and promised to pass on $1 billion in patent payments to shareholders.

The U.S. trade deficit widened to $51.8 billion in March, up from a revised February figure of $45.4 billion, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported Thursday.

Art buffs witnessed breathtaking sales Wednesday with Roy Lichtenstein's famous masterpiece - the 'Sleeping Girl' - fetching a record-breaking $45 million at Sotheby's auction in New York.

Tuesday afternoon, as the 51 beauties of the Miss USA pageant, which takes place in Las Vegas on June 3, balanced themselves in high heels through a bumpy cruise on the Hudson river. The sightseeing trip was equal parts publicity junket and charity event: People were invited to make a $100 donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the privilege of hanging out in a boat full of beauty queens.

The Federal Aviation Administration is being urged to implement stronger oversight of air safety after officials found several safety rules violations on the part of air traffic controllers in New York.

Accusations that John Travolta sexually assaulted two masseurs in January have resuscitated chatter about his heavily debated sexuality. The actor's camp has denied the claims made by two unnamed men and he is expected to file a counter suit.

The 51 beauties of the Miss USA pageant balanced themselves in high heels through a rocky cruise of the Hudson river, for a charity sightseeing trip. The event was part of a full-day media blitz in advance of the June 3 competition.

Beyonce has sure been enjoying being a new mom to her first child, Blue Ivy Carter, with husband Jay-Z. Although, Blue Ivy is only four months old, could Beyonce already have more babies on the brain?

Legendary hairstylist responsible for pioneering the bob haircut, Vidal Sassoon, died in his home Wednesday at age 84, prompting the fashion and beauty world to mourn the death of the man known as the Founder of Hairdressing.

The Beastie Boys were slapped with a lawsuit of the eve of the death of band member Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA, adding insult to the devastating injury of losing the musician at the age of 47.

Emma Stone did not make it through the 2012 Met Gala at the Costume Institute on Monday unscathed. The adorable redhead (now strawberry blonde) suffered a wardrobe malfunction after the event. She got a huge hole in her red, flowered Lanvin dress!

Anti-austerity momentum in Greece continued to weigh down markets with the prospect of the country defaulting or leaving the euro. Spain?s Ibex 35 Index lost 3 percent, led by bank stocks, while its 10-year yields rose more than 6 percent over banking-sector concerns.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), the largest and most profitable U.S. bank, will launch a reloadable prepaid card in its 5,541 branches this summer, aiming to attract new customers and recoup fees it has lost under recent regulatory changes.

The Industrial and Commerce Bank of China (Hong Kong: 1398; Shanghai: 601398), the world's largest bank, is set to buy an 80 percent stake in Bank of East Asia (BEA) USA, based in New York.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is recalling 27,000 model year 1998 to 2003 Windstar vans which suffer from a problem which can cause the rear axle of the vehicle to fracture, increasing the risk of crash, a notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday.

Here are the complete betting odds for Week 1 of the 2012 NFL Season.

Stacy Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 50. He's just one of a growing list of NFL players who died too young.

The Rangers take on the Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Capitals host the Rangers Wednesday night as the two teams face of in Game 6 of their playoff series.

Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M), the national retailer that counts department stores brands Macy's and Bloomingdale's in its portfolio, reported earnings Wednesday that exceeded expectations, but still disappointed Wall Street, which was looking for higher guidance from the company on future earnings.

Is President Barack Obama going to endorse gay marriage during an interview Wednesday? All signs point to yes, as a crescendo of events in recent days and months have made it nearly impossible for him to keep avoiding a clarification of his views until after the election.