Stock futures point to higher open after payrolls data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures were poised to open higher Friday as a slight disappointment in the January payroll report was offset by a strong upward revision for jobs in December. Employment grew modestly in January, with 157,000 added in the month, slightly below expectations for 160,000. Still, the December report was revised upward to 196,000 from 155,000, supporting views the...

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Few surprises in Super Bowl ads

NEW YORK (AP) — So much for surprises.The majority of the 30-plus Super Bowl advertisers have been releasing their spots in the days leading up to the game. So it's unlikely there'll be lots of action off the football field to make viewers drop their jaws on Sunday.Advertising fans already can catch a glimpse of "Spider-Man" actor Willem Dafoe in a Mercedes-Benz ad. They can watch a baby Clydesdale...

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Refining margins boost 4Q profit at Exxon Mobil

DALLAS (AP) — Exxon Mobil Corp. said Friday that fourth-quarter earnings rose 6 percent to $ 9.95 billion with help from higher refining profit margins.The company still makes most of its money by producing oil and gas, but that end of the business was less profitable than a year ago because of lower prices and production. Exxon made up the difference in the refining business.The nation’s biggest...

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Hillary: Secretary of empowerment

Girls hug U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a 2010 tour of a shelter run for sex trafficking victims in Cambodia.STORY HIGHLIGHTSDonna Brazile: Clinton stepping down as Secretary of State. Maybe she'll run for presidentShe says as secretary she expanded foreign policy to include effect on regular people She says she was first secretary of state to focus on empowering women and girlsBrazile:...

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Woman shot to death on Lake Shore Drive ramp

A woman was found shot dead in a van riddled with bullets...

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Suicide bomber kills guard at U.S. embassy in Turkey

ANKARA (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed a Turkish security guard at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, blowing the door off a side entrance and sending smoke and debris flying into the street. Ankara Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said the attacker was inside U.S. property when the explosives were detonated. The blast sent masonry spewing out of the wall of the side entrance, but there...

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Stock futures flat as earnings roll in; data on tap

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were poised for a modestly lower open on Thursday as economic data continued to paint a mixed picture of the economy and as investors sifted through a host of corporate earnings reports. Data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to 368,000 last week, bouncing off five-year lows in the prior week and exceeding...

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2 NFL seasons since agreement, still no HGH tests

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Baltimore Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones is among those NFL players who want the league and the union to finally agree on a way to do blood testing for human growth hormone."I hope guys wouldn't be cheating. That's why you do all this extra work and extra training. Unfortunately, there are probably a few guys, a handful maybe, that are on it. It's unfortunate. It takes away from...

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Venus Can Have’Comet-Like’ Atmosphere

The planet Venus sometimes looks less like a planet and more like a comet, scientists say.Scientists with the European Space Agency have discovered that a part of the upper atmosphere of Venus — its ionosphere — acts surprisingly different depending on daily changes in the sun’s weather. The side of Venus’ ionosphere that faces away from the sun can billow outward like the tail of a comet, while the...

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BlackBerry must remember strengths

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBlackBerry sales have slumped in the U.S. but is still strong in emerging marketsNew models launched should remember why they are popular in developing worldIn places like Brazil and South Africa, the 10 is the update to their current phonein Sub-Saharan Africa there is expected to be 175 million new customers in the next 3 yearsWatch Jim Clancy on CNN International's "The Brief" at...

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