Market Swings Cost State Pension $1.7 Billion

The pension plan for state employees has lost $1.7 billion in recent weeks because of upheavals on Wall Street. The overall value of the pension plan fell from about $11.4 billion on July 1 to about $9.7 billion this week.Volatility in the financial markets has taken even larger tolls in some other states, including California, which has lost some $18 billion over the same period.From the Associated Press