Shoppers Out Seeking Deals, Though Sales Have Crept Earlier

By BERNARD CONDON and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, AP Business Writers Parking lots were full and shopping bags were plentiful in some places Saturday as holiday gift-seekers were out looking for bargains, even as the competition among retailers to offer earlier deals and snag customers first has pulled sales forward. At the Woodbury Common outlets north of New…

Looming Deadlines, Much Unfinished Business Await Congress

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The crush of unfinished business facing lawmakers when they return to the Capitol would be daunting even if Washington were functioning at peak efficiency. It’s an agenda whose core items — tax cuts, a potential government shutdown, lots of leftover spending bills — could unravel just as easily…