Retail sales were lagging long before the government shutdown, but the hit that the economy took from the closure didn't help things at all. Now, the National Retail Federation, the industry's top trade group, said that shoppers this year planned to reduce spending on presents and holiday preparations.

Four times in the last five years, the Pentagon's inspector general has found that Boeing Co. collected excessive or unjustified payments on U.S. defense contracts. In the latest of four audits since 2008, the watchdog office said the Chicago company charged the Army for new helicopter parts while installing used ones.

According to one report, the manufacturing sector expanded in September at its fastest pace since early 2011, an indication that economic growth is picking up in the second half of the year. The Institute for Supply Management's closely watched purchasing managers index increased to 56.2 last month, from 55.7 in August, the group said.

Regardless of having registered a phone line with the Federal Trade Commission as a telemarketer-free zone, a growing number of consumers are saying that some businesses are ignoring their stated preference and calling anyway.

A group of 17 American retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Macy's Inc., have signed on to a five-year agreement to help improve safety at garment factories in Bangladesh.

China's economic picture darkened in June as exports posted their biggest monthly drop since the recession. The unexpectedly weak June data, reported by Chinese officials, suggests that the world's second-largest economy is still facing sluggish demand for its goods and could slow further than government and private forecasts.

California retailers may be liable for large money awards if they falsely advertise that their products are on sale.