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Consumer sentiment inched up in early September, but Americans remained gloomy about the future with a gauge of expectations falling to the lowest level since 1980, a survey released on Friday showed.

Strong auto production drove factory output higher for a second straight month in August. But manufacturing was otherwise weak last month, a troubling sign for the economy.

The annual number of children who die before they reach age five worldwide fell to 7.6 million in 2010 from more than 12 million in 1990, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said.

A fiery rescue in Utah was caught on tape Monday. A car hit a motorcycle in Logan. The bike slid under the car, trapping the rider under the car as flames burst out. Grad student Chris Garff, who shoots video of lectures and school events for Utah State University, happened to be there when it happened, and began getting the scene on video.

The struggling U.S. housing market is expected to fall a little further as it searches for a bottom, but home prices are seen ticking up modestly in 2012, according to a Reuters poll released on Friday.

Companies in July advertised the most jobs in three years, and layoffs declined – a bit of hope for a weak economy. Still, many employers are in no rush to fill openings. The Labor Department said Wednesday that employers increased their postings to 3.23 million from 3.17 million in June. That is the largest number of openings since August 2008. Typically, it takes anywhere from one to three months to fill an opening.

A new government report shows fewer U.S. adults are smoking, and those who light up are smoking fewer cigarettes daily. But the trend is weaker than the government had hoped....

U.S. service firms, which employ 90 percent of the work force, grew at a slightly faster pace in August. But the sector remains weak, adding to concerns that the economy is at risk.

Retail sales at major chain stores beat analysts' expectations, rising 4.4% year-over-year in August, according to Thomson Reuters' tally of 23 retailers. Discounters, including Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp., did well as East Coasters stocked up before Hurricane Irene.

General Motors says its U.S. sales rose 18 percent in August as fuel-efficient vehicles helped offset economic uncertainty and bad weather. Other automakers may not fare as well.