U.S. retail sales rose at a solid pace last month, providing crucial support to the economy at a time when other drivers of growth have faded. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose 0.4 percent in June, the ...

Tagged with: America Commerce Department retail spending

Consumer spending increased 0.4 percent in May, a modest gain that suggests Americans remain confident enough about the economy’s outlook to keep shopping. The Commerce Department said that incomes rose 0.5 percent and inflation remained tame, increasing just 1.5 percent ...

Tagged with: Commerce Department consumer economy Increase May spending

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith used the annual State of the Judiciary Address to call for "creative solutions" to assist the state's public defender system. She also called for using "resources more efficiently" in a difficult budget environment. Her comments came a day after Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed budget called for a roughly $1 million increase to the Office of the State Public Defender, including money to hire 12 additional staff members. Public defender officials said it would be the first staff increase to the system in years.

Tagged with: budget Chief Justice Laura Denver Stith Jay Nixon Missouri Supreme Court new hires public defender spending State of the Judiciary Address