Ken Stanford

U.S. consumer sentiment slipped in March from the previous month, as Americans said they were less likely to buy cars and homes because of slightly higher interest rates.

President Barack Obama is considering allowing shipments of new air defense systems to the Syrian opposition, a U.S. official said Friday, as Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia's king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts.

After two days of declines, stocks were moving higher in midday trading Friday following news that U.S. consumer spending rose the most in three months in February. Tech stocks were recovering after a week of losses with help from Microsoft.

Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday extended federal recognition to the marriages of about 300 same-sex couples that took place in Michigan before a federal appeals court put those unions on hold.

For years, the U.S. government's auto safety watchdog sent form letters to worried owners of the Chevrolet Cobalt and other General Motors small cars, saying it didn't have enough information about problems with unexpected stalling to establish a trend or open an investigation. The data tell a different story.

"Mutts on Main," the downtown Gainesville doggy event planned for Saturday, has been postponed.

Americans spent slightly more in February but the gain still left consumer spending growing at a modest pace, held back by severe winter weather.