Commerce Department

Orders for long-lasting factory goods fell by the largest amount in three years last month, mostly because demand for commercial aircraft plunged. But companies also ordered less machinery and other equipment, a sign manufacturing output may slow.

Americans stepped up spending on retail goods in February, evidence that a stronger job market is boosting the economy. Consumers bought more autos, clothes and appliances. They also paid higher prices for gas. Retail sales increased 1.1 percent last month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. It was the biggest gain since September.

Chinese New Year kicked off on Monday, and the celebration of the new lunar cycle will effect you than you might think. When the country that manufactures so much of what we buy goes on vacation for two weeks, U.S. retail can hardly act like it's business as usual.

This week, President Obama announced that he's nominating Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as U.S. Ambassador to China. There are several short-list contenders to replace Locke at Commerce, but the question is: Who would best be able to help Obama double U.S. exports in the next five years?

Nearly 60 million foreigners visited the U.S. in 2010. Where did they go? The most popular destinations included New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. The Big Apple is particularly appealing, drawing a record 48.7 million big-spending foreign travelers.

U.S. shoppers piled up the presents under their Christmas trees, but retailers were still a bit disappointed. The Commerce Department's official tally shows what many suspected: Consumers did most of their holiday buying early this year.

The Obama administration has called for a "privacy bill of rights" to protect consumer privacy on the Internet. The Commerce Department released an 88-page report that also proposed a Privacy Policy Office to coordinate online privacy issues, The Wall Street Journal said. Consumer concern about...

The Commerce Department reports that U.S. corporate profits have hit historic highs, so why isn't the GOP -- the party of business -- celebrating? After all, those profits are coming not from revenue growth -- which would benefit workers and executives -- but from cost cutting.

The third-quarter earnings season got off to a reasonably positive start for retailers, with department stores hoping colder weather heats up holiday sales, even as shoppers continue to prefer discounts and generally hold back on spending.

Consumer outlays increased at the best pace in about four years -- providing some hope that the expansion can continue. The rise from the second-quarter rate of 1.7% was in line with economists' expectations. Soaring imports were a big drag on the growth report.