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• Higher US Bond Yields Could Impede Economic Recovery

  Housing sector most vulnerable if yields keep rising

• RPT-Pentagon expands probe of troubled components on fighter jet-sources

  *Navy official wants to check company's quality practices. WASHINGTON, Feb 1- The Pentagon is inspecting other components of the F-35 fighter jet in addition to the faulty fuel lines blamed for the grounding of the Marine Corps version of the warplane, two sources familiar with the program said on Friday.

• TREASURIES-Bonds slip as stock gains hurt bid for safe-haven debt

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S.

• Minn. businessman banned from leaving Mongolia

  MINNEAPOLIS-- An American businessman who says he is being prevented from leaving Mongolia, where he is considered a potential witness in a corruption case, has asked for help from the congressional delegation in his home state of Minnesota. He referred questions to his father in Minnesota, William Kapla, who provided a copy of his son's letter to Sens.

• Letter to Senate Judiciary critical of ATF nominee

  MINNEAPOLIS-- A former head of the Minneapolis FBI office sent federal lawmakers a letter Thursday sharply criticizing President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, calling B. Todd Jones an ineffective leader who consistently declined to prosecute violent gang, drug and gun crimes.

• Minn. gov plans trade mission to Scandinavia

  ST. PAUL, Minn.-- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is planning a trade mission to Germany, Sweden and Norway in June.

• US STOCKS-Market treads water before Friday's employment data

  *Facebook shares pare losses, Qualcomm up. NEW YORK, Jan 31- U.S. stocks were little changed on Thursday as investors were cautious after a mixed bag of economic data, while stellar earnings from chipmaker Qualcomm helped the Nasdaq index to edge higher. The S&P 500 is on track to post its best month since October 2011 and its best January since 1997..

• NFLPA appeals decision in NFL collusion case

  MINNEAPOLIS-- The NFL Players Association has appealed a judge's recent rejection of the union's claim that the league colluded to set a secret salary cap in 2010.. The NFLPA filed the appeal on Wednesday to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

• West U.S. Plains wheat stays starved for moisture

  Midwest rains lift Mississippi River water level. Plains states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Nebraska is expected to continue struggling through the worst drought in over 50 years into early February and perhaps longer, an agricultural meteorologist said on Thursday.

• US STOCKS-Wall Street dips on profit taking, Friday data eyed

  *Facebook shares fall after earnings, Qualcomm up. NEW YORK, Jan 31- U.S. stocks edged lower on Thursday as investors took profit after a mixed bag of economic data, while stellar earnings from Qualcomm helped buoy the Nasdaq. Even with the retreat, the S&P 500 is on track to post its best month since October 2011 and its best start to a year since 1997..

• Ameriprise 4Q profit and revenue climbs

  MINNEAPOLIS-- Ameriprise Financial Inc. said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter net income jumped 74 percent amid strong gains in its financial advice and wealth management business. Net income was $388 million, or $1.80 per share, for the October-December quarter compared with $223 million, or 95 cents a share, in the fourth quarter of 2011..

• Medtronic buys stake in Chinese med tech company

  MINNEAPOLIS-- Medtronic Inc. has acquired a stake in a Chinese maker of surgical instruments for $46.5 million, the latest bid by the world's largest medical device maker to expand in a fast-growing market.

• Minn. $500 tax rebate plan proves hard sell

  ST. PAUL, Minn.-- The up-to- $500 tax rebate for every Minnesota homeowner under Gov. Some don't like that it treats every property the same, whether a person's property tax bill is $550 or $5,500. Homeowners charged less than $500 in property taxes would get a rebate equal to what they owe.

• UPDATE 2-Northrop beats Street but sees lower results in 2013

  *Northrop forecasts lower sales, profit in 2013. *4th- qtr operating profit $2.14/ shr vs Street view $1.74.

• UPDATE 1-Northrop Grumman Q4 EPS up despite drop in sales

  *Q4 EPS rose to $2.14 from $2.09 year earlier. Fourth-quarter earnings from continuing operations rose to $2.14 per diluted share from $2.09 a year earlier, far exceeding analyst forecasts.

• In parallel immigration push, bill focuses on high-skilled workers

  WASHINGTON, Jan 29- U.S. senators introduced a new proposal on Tuesday to make life easier for highly skilled immigrants and their employers to nourish America's high-technology industries as Congress begins the long process of tackling immigration reform.

• Pentair's 1Q outlook disappoints, shares slip

  MINNEAPOLIS-- Pentair Ltd. on Tuesday posted a wider fourth-quarter loss due to costs from its recently completed tie-up with the flow-control business of Tyco International. Tyco and Pentair announced the $4.5 billion deal in March as part of Tyco's plan to split into three separate companies.

• UPDATE 3-CP Railway sees big profit boost in 2013 after tough Q4

  TORONTO, Jan 29- Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd said on Tuesday its aggressive efficiency push would pay off in a 40 percent increase in earnings this year, sending its shares to an all-time high even after it reported a sharp drop in profit on charges related to the restructuring.

• Bergman elected to lead Minn. Newspaper Assoc.

  BLOOMINGTON, Minn.-- Rollin Bergman, owner of Page 1 Publications, is the new president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Bergman is the 133rd president of the group, which represents nearly 350 newspapers across Minnesota. In 1991, he and his wife, Julie, formed Page 1 Publications, a group of community newspapers in northwestern Minnesota.

• Police push for background checks on gun purchases

  The message from sheriffs and police chiefs gathered at the White House reflected the political reality in Congress that the assault weapons ban in particular is likely to have a hard time winning broad support. The president appeared to recognize the challenge of getting everything he wants from Congress as well, participants in the meeting said.