NEW YORK

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, putting the S&P 500 on track for a second straight advance after sources said the International Monetary Fund wants to boost its lending facility as the Eurozone battles a long-running debt crisis.

Wikipedia initiated a blackout Wednesday, Jan. 18, in protest of the anti-piracy bills SOPA and PIPA. SOPA and PIPA are two Congressional bills meant to halt the illegal copying and sharing of movies and music on the Internet, among other aims. However, major Internet organizations -- such as Wikipedia, Reddit and Boing Boing -- claim the bills will hinder their operations.

Bank of New York Mellon said on Wednesday that fourth-quarter earnings fell 26 percent after the world's No. 1 custody bank reported lower forex volume and took a restructuring charge as part of a large-scale plan to make its operations more efficient.

A list of facts about the top 10 movies that you might or might not have known.

As if the rumors surrounding Beyonce's baby, Blue Ivy Carter, were not enough, the latest news suggests the supposedly exclusive interview the singer gave to a magazine in the UK is a fake. According to Beyonce's representative, the interview published in Star UK is completely made-up. The first exclusive interview has since been carried by several publications. Access Hollywood reported the singer's representative as rejecting reports of the interview.

Resolving what is regarded as one of the biggest fashion feuds, both the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council (BFC) have agreed to reschedule their show dates.

The companies that are expected to see active trade on Wednesday are: Goldman Sachs Group, eBay, U.S. Bancorp, Bank of New York Mellon, Charles Schwab Corp, State Street Corp, F5 Networks, Xilinx, Amphenol and Fastenal Co.

The top aftermarket NYSE gainers on Tuesday were: Overseas Shipholding Group, Bank of New York Mellon, Heckmann Corp, Hovnanian Enterprises, Analog Devices, Barnes & Noble, Nexen, Fairchild Semiconductor International, Louisiana-Pacific Corp and Boyd Gaming Corp.

I'm retiring. I'm moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff.

The co-founder of Pinkberry frozen yogurt has been charged with assault for attacking a homeless panhandler with a tire iron after the man flashed a provocative tattoo at him, authorities said on Tuesday.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, under increasing pressure to release his tax returns now, continued to resist that timetable on Tuesday and said he probably would not make them public until April.

United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew called out Mayor Michael Bloomberg Tuesday, claiming his proposal for evaluation of teachers was beyond the law and an overreach of his authority as the city's chief executive.

Rick Perry took a big bite out of Bret Baier's bait during Monday's South Carolina debate when he claimed that Turkey was run by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists.

As Wall Street waits for Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) -- the fifth-largest U.S. bank by assets and one of the most powerful banking institutions in the world -- to report fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday, the question most analysts seem to have is not whether the earnings release will be underwhelming, but just how bad the hit will be.

On Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the state's budget of $132.5 billion for the coming year. In his address from Albany, he asked legislators and officials to reduce spending on service programs and merge various government programs.

The Indianapolis Colts fired head coach Jim Caldwell on Tuesday, which could have an impact on whether star quarterback Peyton Manning returns to the team next season.

The Yankees should have an improved pitching staff in 2012.

The Brooklyn resident who was convicted of killing four people last February pleaded guilty Tuesday to slashing a subway passenger following his violent killing spree.

A survey by IBM, the No. 2 global computer services company, found consumers use technology for purchases, particularly social networks.

Rick Santorum thinks he has a solid shot at winning the Iowa caucuses. The former Pennsylvania Senator expressed hope the official vote tally in the Hawkeye State, set for release by the end of the week, will show him overcoming an 8-vote loss to Mitt Romney to be dubbed the eventual winner.

A preliminary report on the plane propeller accident involving Lauren Scruggs has been released from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The report indicates that the pilot tried to stop Scruggs from walking into the plane propeller that led to serious injuries to her shoulder, face and left hand.