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AFP - The storied American consumer braved blizzards and economic headwinds to shop in February, unexpectedly pushing up retail sales for the second straight month, official data showed Friday.

AFP - US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has warned the European Commission its plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity groups could spark a transatlantic row, a paper reported Thursday.

AP - The Kroger Co. is sacrificing some profits to court financially strapped shoppers who are buying more groceries at lower prices, counting on them to keep coming back when better economic days finally arrive

AFP - Cisco Systems on Tuesday unveiled super-fast Internet hardware that promises to boost US competitiveness and bolster economic recovery by moving mountains of data at astounding speeds.

Reuters - Most U.S. business economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates within six months by between a quarter and a half percentage point, according to a survey released on Monday.

AP - Regulators on Friday shuttered banks in Florida, Illinois, Maryland and Utah, boosting to 26 the number of bank failures in the U.S. so far this year following the 140 brought down in 2009 by mounting loan defaults and the recession.

Reuters - China's central bank pledged on Saturday to keep the yuan's exchange rate basically stable in 2010 and said it would be flexible in implementing its fairly loose pro-growth monetary policy.

AP - Despite doubts among many lawmakers that it will create many jobs, the House on Thursday passed legislation giving companies that hire the jobless a temporary payroll tax break. The measure passed 217-201 on a mostly party-line vote.

Reuters - China will seek to heal social rifts and spur home-driven growth with more public welfare and rural spending even as the government tightens its belt after a burst of feverish spending, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday.

AFP - US employment woes come under the microscope Friday as the government estimates how many Americans are unemployed, with hopes of an economic recovery hinging on the outcome.