COMMERCIAL bank credit to the private sector has increased by 6.2 per cent in the December quarter over the previous quarter, with 7.3 per cent of the loans going to businesses.

Posted Feb. 22, 2012, at 5:46 a.m. EASTPORT, Maine — Congressman Mike Michaud is in Eastport, where he’ll be touring a new lobster storage facility. Michaud said the Lighthouse Lobster and Bait was built on the former Consea factory site that previously operated as sardine cannery.

Don't expect "short covering" to add any more zing to the stock market's recent rally. Major U.S. stock indexes are up more than 20% from their early-October lows. A mix of improving economic data combined with a second Greek bailout has contributed to the market's recent run.