PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia transit system's largest union went on strike early today, bringing the city's bus, subway and trolley operations to a halt a day after the World Series shifted to New York.

The strike by Transport Workers Union Local 234 will all but cripple a transit system that averages more than 928,0000 trips each weekday. The union represents more than 5,000 drivers, operators and mechanics of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

The union had threatened to go on strike during the World Series. But over the weekend Gov. Ed Rendell ordered the union and SEPTA to remain at the bargaining table or risk consequences.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are moving to ban the use of computer laptops and other personal electronic devices in airline cockpits to prevent another incident like the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles.Sen. Byron Dorgan, chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said in an interview that his staff is working on a bill that he expects to introduce in about a week.He said he was surprised to learn after the Oct. 21 incident that the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't specifically prohibit pilots from using laptops, DVD players, MP3 players and other devices during flight except below 10,000 feet while the plane is taking off or landing.

NEW YORK — Johnson & Johnson says it will trim layers of management and set other restructuring moves in order to save up to $900 million next year.The New Brunswick, N.J., company says the job cuts will affect 6 to 7 percent of its global work force of roughly 118,700 workers.The company is booking a restructuring charge of up to $1.3 billion pretax in the fourth quarter and confirms its adjusted profit guidance for 2009.Johnson & Johnson says it will also simplify its business structure in order to achieve savings.The company, the world's most diversified health-products maker, saw its revenue fall 5 percent in the third quarter as intensifying generic competition slashed sales of about a half-dozen of its prescription drugs.

Oil prices fell to near $77 a barrel today, affected by sagging equity markets and the dollar's gains on the euro.By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for December delivery was down 97 cents to $77.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Earlier today, it rose as high as $78.46 as investors welcomed new U.S. manufacturing and construction figures as positive signs of an economic recovery. On Monday, the contract rose $1.13 to settle at $78.13.Crude investors were earlier encouraged by signs of strength in the U.S. economy, which could help boost oil demand.

NEW YORK — Viacom posted a 15 percent jump in third-quarter profit today as a stronger film slate from its Paramount Pictures movie studio helped offset continuing declines in advertising and DVD sales.The media conglomerate controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone owns a wide range of media properties including the MTV and BET cable networks and the "Rock Band" video-game franchise.The release of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," helped Paramount earn $69 million during the third quarter, reversing a $19 million operating loss from a year ago. Overall, the company said it earned $463 million, or 76 cents per share, up from $401 million, or 65 cents per share, a year ago.