Today's news round-up

A mix of not-so-bad and not-so-good:

"Markets Heading Up for a 3rd Day"

"Retail Sales Drop Not as Bad as Feared "

"Initial Jobless Claims Increase Again "

"Net Worth of Families Declines Sharply"

"G.E.’s Debt Rating Is Cut by S.& P." That's General Electric, not General Motors.

"BMW and VW Reflect Difficulties Facing Carmakers"

That's all for now.