WASHINGTON — A Social Security tax cut that economists say should help the economy this year is off to a slow start. Consumers increased their spending last month at the weakest pace since June, even with the extra money in ...

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MIAMI — Blair Critch tried to go back to work as a teacher after her two boys were old enough for day care, but she didn’t earn enough to make it worth the cost. Shortly after, she stumbled on a ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in January, the latest evidence that the housing market is struggling to rise above depressed levels. The National Association of Realtors says its index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes ...

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Martin Foil’s company sells yarn that winds up in clothes from the Gap, Ralph Lauren and American Apparel, and business is growing. He’s buying new machines and hopes to hire as many as 200 workers this year. When he decided ...

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Congress is on break while the federal government faces the possibility of a shutdown in less than a week if tea party conservative Republicans can’t find common ground at least temporarily with enough mostly liberal Democrats left over from the ...

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WASHINGTON — Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac has posted a loss of $1.7 billion for the October-December quarter of last year, and a $19.8 billion loss for all of 2010. The government-controlled mortgage buyer is also asking for an additional $500 ...

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Through the recession and recovery, Maryland’s economy has been bolstered by other industries as manufacturing has waned, a trend that still gives many economic watchers cause for optimism. Health care continued to expand during the recession, adding 7,900 jobs in ...

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Jeanette Toney moved into a new house in Glen Burnie last spring. By the end of summer, her job moved to South Carolina. The 63-year-old grandmother, who worked for a textile manufacturer, has come up empty so far in her ...

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BETHESDA — Walking into the Velovoom workout studio feels a little like walking into a dance club — the lighting is low, the music is pounding and people are moving with it. And owner Marc Caputo said he thinks this ...

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NEW YORK — The era of falling clothing prices is ending. Clothing prices have dropped for a decade as tame inflation and cheap overseas labor helped hold down costs. Retailers and clothing makers cut frills and experimented with fabric blends ...

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