Virgin America turned its first profit since the San Francisco-based low-cost airline started three years ago. Also, the hotel industry is still facing tough times.

The U.S. hemp industry says it's grown to $360 million in annual sales. But according to the Hemp Industries Association, that growth is hampered because American farmers aren't allowed to grow the plant.

San Francisco-based Gap surprised analysts with better-than-expected sales last month. Also, this week state voters soundly defeated a measure to repeal corporate tax breaks enacted by the Legislature during the depths of the recession.

The election may be very good news for local businesses with Jerry Brown as governor and Gavin Newsom as lieutenant governor. So says the nonpartisan business group, the Bay Area Council.

As San Francisco gets ready to celebrate the Giants' World Series victory with tomorrow's ticker tape parade, many local businesses are enjoying an early holiday rush.

The Bay Area economy will not recover from this recession until at least 2015. That's according to a new forecast released today by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

According to a real estate tracking service called Foreclosure Radar, foreclosure sales are down 42 percent in Arizona, California and Nevada -- the states hardest hit by the real estate crisis.

Bay Area transportation officials hope to speed the adoption of electric vehicles with $14 million in grants. Also, green tech jobs appear to be among the reasons Silicon Valley is leading the rest of California in consumer confidence.

Wells Fargo today admitted to paperwork errors in thousands of foreclosure cases. Also, California state government reformers were given a $20 million boost today.

PayPal has announced big plans to give payment giants like Visa and MasterCard a run for their money.