Existing home sales tank in NovemberWASHINGTON — Home sales plunged sharply in November, as buyers faced rising prices and new regulations that might have delayed some closings.The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that sales of existing homes collapsed 10.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.76 million. It was the weakest pace in 19 months.The setback follows solid gains in real estate for much of 2015. Sales of existing homes are on track to rise roughly 5 percent for the entire year.

Economy grew at 2% rate over summerWASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a slightly slower pace over the summer than the government had previously estimated. Most economists foresee a slight acceleration in the current quarter and stronger growth in the first half of 2016.The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, expanded at a 2 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter.That was a bit lower than its previous estimate of 2.1 percent, a result of less restocking by businesses than previously estimated.

FAA fines Boeing $12M for violationsWASHINGTON — Boeing has agreed to pay $12 million for failing to meet a deadline to submit service instructions that would enable airlines to reduce the risk of fuel tank explosions on hundreds of planes, among other violations, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday.Boeing must also take a series of actions to improve the safety certification of its planes and its aircraft production quality control, the FAA said in a statement.The settlement is the second largest for regulatory violations in the history of the FAA.

Ford recalls cars to fix headlight problemDEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is recalling about 313,000 older large cars in North America because the headlights can go dark and cause a crash.The recall covers some Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis from the 2003 to 2005 model years. It came after U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation into the problem that found 15 crashes and one injury.The company says solder joints in the lighting control module can crack and cut off power to the headlights.

Hillshire will pay $4M to settle claimsDALLAS — Hillshire Brands will pay $4 million to settle federal claims that black employees at a North Texas food plant were exposed to dangerous work conditions and subjected to discrimination and a hostile work environment.The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier found that black workers at the Sara Lee plant in Paris, Texas, were exposed to asbestos and other toxins. They also were targets of racial slurs and graffiti.Sara Lee ended its Paris operations in 2011 and part of the company later became Hillshire Brands, which in turn was bought by Tyson Foods.