Finance

BRUSSELS — The 17 finance ministers of the countries that use the euro converged on EU headquarters Tuesday in a desperate bid to save their currency — and to protect Europe, the United States, Asia and the rest of the global economy from a debt-induced financial tsunami.

NEW YORK — Stocks are opening mixed as investors weigh worries about Europe against an increase in U.S. retail spending.

ROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned Saturday after parliament’s lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms, ending a 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing the country back from the brink of economic crisis.

NEW YORK — U.S. stock futures edged higher ahead Tuesday of a key confidence vote in Italy, the next step in Europe’s unfolding debt crisis.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama heads to France on Wednesday evening for a summit of world leaders, but before he does he’ll make another push for passage of a piece of his jobs bill.

ATHENS, Greece — Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will try to win over irate European leaders later Wednesday, hours after persuading his cabinet to back a hugely-controversial referendum on the debt-crippled country’s latest rescue package.

LAYTON -- With years of revenue losses in the U.S. economy, small and large counties across the country appear to be settling into a "new normal" of revenue, staffing and service delivery, according to a recent national survey.

"Coping with the New Normal: An Economic Status Survey of Counties" is the seventh survey in a series of biannual surveys conducted by the National Association of Counties to capture information about counties struggling with the current fiscal situation.