AFP - The dollar climbed against leading currencies on Thursday amid investor caution after a Wall Street slump and ahead of congressional testimony by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, dealers said.

AP - Stocks moved higher in choppy trading Thursday as a deal for Dow Chemical Co. to acquire rival Rohm and Haas Co. boosted investor confidence but could not fully offset continued worries about the health of financial companies.

Reuters - The Dow and the S&P 500 turned negative on Thursday as the price of oil jumped more than $5 and financial stocks fell on worries about more credit losses.

AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told Congress Thursday that new regulatory powers are needed to insulate the national economy from damage if a big Wall Street firm collapses.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Thursday that financial market turbulence persists and that government officials are focused on helping the financial system regain stability.

AFP - Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke urged Congress Thursday to require stricter regulation of Wall Street firms in the wake of the near-collapse of Bear Stearns earlier this year.

AP - Shoppers, enticed by heavy discounts and armed with rebate checks, spent freely in June, helping to lift retailers' sales. The outlook for the back-to-school season remains tough, though, as consumers confront high gas and food prices, a slumping housing market and tighter credit.

Reuters - Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would start building its Prius hybrid in the United States in 2010 and suspend production of slow-selling big trucks for three months in a sharp reversal of strategy forced by slumping sales and high gas prices.

AP - Laurel Ranticelli considered driving 40 miles round-trip to take education classes at the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst. Then she realized she could take the same courses from her computer at home and save on fuel costs.

Reuters - Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis has offered a gloomy outlook for U.S. consumer and business sentiment, saying some people may feel as if the economy is in recession for the next year.