The Federal Reserve, as expected, announced Wednesday it will keep interest rates near zero "for an extended period" to help support an uneven economic recovery. Sounding a somewhat upbeat tone, the Fed said "that economic recovery has continued…

Ben Bernanke's chances of winning a second term as Federal Reserve chairman are looking up Monday after a White House push over the weekend to reverse rising populist sentiment against his confirmation. "He's going to have bipartisan support in…