UNITED STATES

Shares of U.S. banks of all sizes and specialties rose Friday over 3 percent, handily beating the performance of the wider stock market, which itself was in a head-first rally following a week of disappointing news. But there was one big exception to the equity party: megabank JPMorgan Chase and Co. (NYSE:JPM), which looked poised to underperform its peers in late-afternoon trading.

The U.S. women's basketball team looks to stay undefeated at the 2012 Olympics when they take on the Czech Republic on Friday. The two teams are set to square off at 5:15 p.m. ET in London.

According to a new report Michael Phelps could move into the broadcast booth as an announcer for NBC after his retirement following the 2012 London Games. It'd probably be a ratings bonanza for the network and his record number of medals bring an instant credibility.

If we could just educate the next generation on how to eliminate poverty or war, we could then use that savings from our federal budget to fund more education for the following generations.

The financial markets were in a full-throttle rally Friday as stocks, bonds, commodities and foreign currencies all rose, following a week of sell-offs amid various policy and economic disappointments.

The last thing many fliers want to do when they reach their destination is wait by the baggage carousel for their luggage to arrive. Now, if they're flying American Airlines, they don't have to.

The Republican congressman defended animal fighting -- twice! -- revisited birther conspiracies and declared his preferences for ATM's with English-only options.

The Merchants Payments Coalition (MPC), which represents retailers, says the fees levied on American supermarkets, stores and gas stations by Visa and MasterCard are up to three times more than in other parts of the world, inflating prices for U.S. consumers.

Watch highlights of the United States' victory over New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games.

Perhaps the all-time greatest performer at the Games is participating in his last individual event at the Olympics.

Even though Gabby Douglas helped the U.S. bring home a Gold medal, the 16-year-old African-American's achievements did not stop some people from criticizing the gymnastic star. The reason for the criticism? Her hairdo.

A first glance, Friday's better-than-expected U.S. jobs report might have offered a glimmer of hope after four straight months of dismal jobs numbers. But devil is in the details.

Samsung has confirmed that its Galaxy Note 2 will be unveiled this month. A representative from the company told Reuters that the device will be announced at a Samsung Mobile Unpacked event on August 29, similar to the way the Samsung Galaxy S3 was unveiled.

Another month of inadequate job growth allows prospective Republician Party Mitt Romney to double down on the tactic that has so far defined his presidential campaign: keep the focus on President Barack Obama.

Despite a recent uptick in use, intrauterine devices (IUDs) are still far from popular, with use by American women lagging well behind birth control pills and condoms.

The U.S. government's report Friday that 163,000 jobs were created last month, far more than expected, sparked a risk-on sentiment among investors.

Watch live coverage as the U.S. women's soccer team takes on New Zealand in the Olympic quarterfinals, plus read a full preview.

U.S. stock index futures point to a higher opening Friday ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nonfarm payrolls report and unemployment report.

China's services activity growth recovered in July to the fastest pace in nine months after the slowdown in June, according to the HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released Friday.

Tucows, a provider of domain names and other Internet services, announced Thursday that its mobile phone service, Ting, has made the new Samsung Galaxy S3 available for pre-order on its website.

Monsoon rains will not be enough to save the country from its first drought in three years, the weather office said on Thursday as it forecast that the El Nino weather pattern should reduce rains again in the second half of the June to September season.