This photo, taken Monday, Jan. 11, 2010, shows Yoshi Inaba, president of Toyota Motor North America and chairman of Toyota Motor Sales USA, right, and Jim Lentz, head of Toyota’s North American sales division, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

AP – Weakness in Western energy-producing states helped raise the average U.S. county’s economic stress in December to its highest point since the recession began in December 2007, according to The Associated Press’ monthly analysis of conditions in more than 3,100 U.S. counties.