PENNSYLVANIA

Stocks fell 1 percent on Friday, extending earlier losses as a downgrade by Fitch Ratings of Spain's credit rating reignited worries about euro-zone debt issues.

Stocks fell on Friday as data showed consumer spending was unexpectedly flat last month and growth of U.S. Midwest business activity slowed more than expected.

Consumer spending was unexpectedly flat in April after six straight months of gains, but growing consumer confidence in the economic outlook suggested consumption will remain strong this quarter.

Federal Reserve Bank directors say a Senate plan to kick bankers off the boards of regional Fed banks is an overreaction to one headline-grabbing incident and could harm the U.S. central bank.

Johnson & Johnson

Last month's recall of Johnson & Johnson's liquid children's medicines provides just the latest evidence of what U.S. health regulators say are systemic quality problems at the healthcare company and its McNeil consumer unit.

Entrepreneur Mike Dougherty envisions a day when people will listen to their car radio via a wireless Internet connection and be able to make song requests with the help of a hands-free device as they drive along the freeway.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes touched a five-month high in April amid a late rush to take advantage of a homebuyer tax credit, but a jump in houses on the market pointed to a slow recovery.

Wall Street was set for a lower open on Friday as concerns over the euro-zone debt crisis and U.S. financial reform fractured investor confidence in risky assets.

In a setback for the Obama administration, Senate Democrats failed to muster enough votes on Wednesday to end debate on the biggest overhaul of financial regulation since the 1930s, delaying a vote on passage.

One in every seven U.S. households with a mortgage ended the first quarter behind on payments or in foreclosure, although a peak in unemployment could mean repayment stress is easing, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

Stocks dropped on Wednesday after Germany's decision to ban naked short-selling of certain financial instruments and comments from its chancellor on the safety of the euro rattled investors.

The number of U.S. workers filing for jobless benefits fell only slightly last week, suggesting the unemployment rate will remain elevated even as recovery in the labor market becomes entrenched.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, following the best three-day run in 10 months as lackluster jobless data underscored difficulties facing the labor market and offset optimism after a multibillion-dollar tech deal.

The story of how Pennsylvania's capital city Harrisburg has lurched toward the precipice of financial ruin is a cuckoo tale involving one man's vision of creating a hub for museum lovers, a possible FBI investigation, and a $45,000 tomahawk that may or may not have been owned by Chief Crazy Horse.

The top securities regulator said no single event had been found to explain Thursday's mysterious market plunge, but the shocking drop was unacceptable and additional safeguards were coming.

The top securities regulator said no single event had been found to explain Thursday's mysterious market plunge, but the shocking drop was unacceptable and additional safeguards were coming.

Fat finger has company.The initial theory that an errant trader caused Thursday's mysterious stock market plunge isn't the only dubious hypothesis making the rounds.

(Reuters) - U.S. inspectors found thick dust and contaminated ingredients at the Johnson & Johnson plant that produces Children's Tylenol and dozens of other products that were recalled last week.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter as consumers increased spending at the fastest pace in three years, the strongest sign yet a sustainable recovery may be taking hold.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter as consumers increased spending at the fastest pace in three years, the strongest sign yet a sustainable recovery may be taking hold.