“I am deeply sorry that were giving cause for concern to customers,” Toyoda said in an interview yesterday with Japans NHK television network in Davos, Switzerland, posted to U.S. broadcaster ABC News Web site. “Were preparing to explain the facts to our customers as soon as we can so that we can remove that anxiety.”
The worlds largest automaker, founded by Toyodas grandfather in 1937, has discussed its strategy with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman. He didnt have details on - - - - >

Mandatory calorie posting led to a 6 percent reduction in calories per transaction at Starbucks New York City stores, according to the study, published on the universitys Web site yesterday. Congress is considering making the disclosure a national requirement after some states introduced similar laws aimed at curbing obesity.
“Calorie posting causes consumers to not only substitute products within stores, but also to substitute across stores,” the authors said. “Consumers who were routinely purchasing coffee and donuts at Dunkin Donuts may have switched to buying coffee at - - - - >

Sales this time of year are vital to retailers, of course. But theyre not nearly enough to drive the economy. Even if holiday sales exceed expectations, the broader recovery is expected to remain weak - for the rest of the year and beyond.
Heres why holiday purchases wont save the day:
- They make up a surprisingly small share of the economy. Last year, gift sales were estimated to account for less than 13 percent of the fourth quarters gross domestic product. And Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Economy.com, thinks theyll account for about the same share of this quarters GDP - - - - >

Household purchases rose 0.7 percent for a second month and incomes climbed 0.5 percent, the most since May, according to the median estimate of 60 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before a Commerce Department report Dec. 23. Combined sales of new and existing homes last month may have reached the highest level since May 2007, other figures may show.
Government efforts to push down interest rates and spur lending, combined with discounts by merchants such as Best Buy Co., may encourage consumers to keep buying in coming - - - - >

There have been at least three injuries to babies, including bumps, bruises and a head injury. Dorel Juvenile Group Inc., of Columbus, Ind., received 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the products.
In announcing the recall, the government said consumers should immediately stop using the seats carrying handle. The bolts that attach the handle to the seat can loosen, causing the handle to possibly separate and creating a fall hazard for babies.
The recall involves Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney branded infant car seat carriers with certain model numbers. They were sold at department - - - - >

Legislation to establish President Barack Obamas proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency cleared a key hurdle this week. But its already been watered down from what Obama proposed and will likely become even weaker when it comes up against higher hurdles on the House floor and in the Senate. It may even die along the way.
Banks flatly oppose a new consumer agency, arguing their current regulators can handle the task. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has weighed in with a $2 million ad campaign against the plan. And some industry claims, particularly those from bankers back home, have proved persuasive with - - - - >

“This idea that more regulation is the answer just doesnt reflect the reality of the financial world,” said Bert Ely, head of the Ely & Co. bank consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia. New instability will emerge as firms seek “end runs” around the proposed rules, and the speech “may have reflected a real lack of understanding in human nature,” he said.
Speaking at Federal Hall in lower Manhattan today, Obama said Wall Street firms must accept “common-sense” regulations to avoid another market meltdown and asked his listeners - - - - >

Minutes of the central banks closed door deliberations, held Aug. 11-12, also showed Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues striking a much more hopeful note about the economys prospects compared with an assessment made in late June. Many Fed officials saw “smaller downside risks,” the documents stated.
Fed officials expected the pace of the recovery to “pick up” in 2010, but there was a range of views - and considerable uncertainty - about the likely strength of the upturn because of concerns about how consumers will behave.
After being pounded by the recession, consumer spending finally appeared to be leveling out, - - - - >

The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment decreased to 63.2 in August, the lowest level since March. European and Asian stocks fell today as Japans economy grew less than economists estimated. Tropical Storm Claudette came ashore in Florida earlier today without affecting major U.S. oil and gas installations.
“Optimism on the economy has faded,” Sentje Diek, an energy analyst at HSH Nordbank AG, said by phone from Hamburg. “The markets reacted badly to the consumer sentiment report.”
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Oil dropped 4.3 percent after the Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment decreased to 63.2 from 66 in July. Oil also slumped as the dollar gained against the euro, reducing the appeal of commodities to investors looking for an inflation hedge.
“Consumers are worried about the economy, and thats raising concerns about demand,” said Phil Flynn, vice president of research at PFGBest, a Chicago-based brokerage. “Just a few days ago people were worried about inflation. Thats no longer the case.”
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