AP Business NewsBrief at 10:49 p.m. EST

Stock volatility is back, a sign of an aging bull?news://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

Stock market volatility is back, a signal to some experts that the powerful rally that started in early March may be coming to an end. The Dow Jones industrial average rose or fell more than 100 points in seven of the past 12 trading days, capped by a 205-point advance on Thursday that left the index almost 53 percent higher than its closing level on March 9.

House health care overhaul faces Senate stone wallnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate. Speaking from the Rose Garden about 14 hours after the late Saturday vote, Obama urged senators to be like runners on a relay team and "take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people."

AP IMPACT: Framed for child porn — by a PC virusnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

Of all the sinister things that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography. Heinous pictures and videos can be deposited on computers by viruses — the malicious programs better known for swiping your credit card numbers. In this twist, it's your reputation that's stolen.

Carrey's 'Christmas Carol' wraps up $31M weekendnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jim Carrey's Scrooge collected holiday donations from movie fans with his new take on "A Christmas Carol," which took in $31 million to open as the weekend's top movie. The Disney animated version of the Charles Dickens classic knocked the King of Pop out of the No. 1 spot as "Michael Jackson's This Is It" slipped to second place with $14 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Northrop sells advisory services unit for $1.65Bnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Northrop Grumman said Sunday it agreed to sell its advisory services business TASC Inc. to private equity firm General Atlantic LLC and affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. for $1.65 billion in cash. The No. 2 defense contractor says it will use the proceeds to fund a new $1.1 billion increase to its stock buyback program. At the end of the third quarter, the company had about $280 million remaining on its $2.5 billion share repurchase plan.

Investors look to consumer for clues to recoverynews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Investors will get some guidance about the economy this week from data issued not by the government, but by big retailers in the form of third-quarter earnings reports. The financial markets are still trying to get a sense of whether consumers, while worried about unemployment, are nonetheless willing to spend, especially as the holiday season approaches. Retailers' earnings reports and outlooks for the future should give them clues about the economic recovery. Investors will also get a first look at on consumer sentiment during November.

Jobless: 10 percent is tougher than it used to benews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

WASHINGTON (AP) — It hurts more to be unemployed now than the last time the jobless rate hit 10 percent. Americans have more than triple the debt they had in 1982, and less than half the savings. They spend 10 weeks longer off the job. And a bigger share of them have no health insurance, leaving them one medical emergency away from financial ruin.

Holiday airfares close to last year but climbingnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

If holiday travelers on the same plane compare what they paid to fly, they're likely to find quite a spread, depending on when they bought their tickets. Fares for travel around the holidays have been rising since late summer. Christmas fares are now running 4 percent below a year ago, and the gap is likely to disappear soon.

Software cos. eye key patent case in Supreme Courtnews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the technology industry looking on, the Supreme Court on Monday will explore what types of inventions should be eligible for a patent in a pivotal case that could undermine such legal protections for software. A ruling that sides with the Patent Office could bar patents on processes and methods of doing business, such as online shopping techniques, medical diagnostic tests and procedures for executing trades on Wall Street. And it might even undercut patents on software.

Chinese premier pledges funds, aid to Africanews://newsclip.ap.org/[e-mail]

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) — China's premier on Sunday pledged $10 billion in new low interest loans to African nations over three years, offering the beleaguered continent sorely needed cash while dismissing criticism that Beijing's motives in Africa are far from altruistic. Wen Jiabao's promise at the start of a two-day China-Africa summit was warmly received by African leaders and officials, most of whose nations confront a miasma of despair further accentuated by a global financial crisis that is only now showing signs of abating.

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