Orange County prosecutors say four people have been convicted of crimes relating to a $154 million medical fraud scheme in which hundreds of healthy patients underwent unnecessary surgeries to fraudulently bill insurance companies.

President Barack Obama plans to make a public case this week for his strategy for dealing with the looming fiscal cliff, traveling to the Philadelphia suburbs Friday as he pressures Republicans to allow tax increases on the wealthy while extending tax cuts for families earning $250,000 or less.

Although some of the major lenders cut thousands of jobs, other firms brought in more employees during the third quarter for a positive net gain.

A report issued Monday by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's administration warned of higher taxes, program cuts, lower business growth and steeper borrowing costs because of the state's financial obligations toward the two large public-sector pension plans.