Good News, Spring | featured news

U.S. builders broke ground in March on homes as a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.04 million — the fastest pace in nearly five years — on a surge in apartment construction. The gain signals further strength in the housing market ahead of the spring-buying season.

Inflation may have peaked after surging in the spring.

Early reports from retailers show that Americans took a a breather from their March shopping spree in April, partly because Easter came earlier. But the spring selling season is ending up respectable, an encouraging sign for the economy....

The economy sank at a pace of 0.7 percent in the spring, a better-than-expected performance that provided more evidence that the recession was ending.