Americans put on their layers, their boots, their gloves and shopped anyway.  Economists are worried about what the weather’s doing to the economy, yet there was a vivid sign today that Americans were out there buying after all.  The government said retail sales bounced back in February, up three tenths percent.  It was a decent months for cars and trucks, furniture, and clothes. 

Plus, foreclosure filings in the U.S. hit a seven-year low in February, according to a monthly report from RealtyTrac. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still problems – the newest of which is so-called “zombie properties,” properties vacated by the homeowner, lingering for years without being repossessed or resold, attracting vandals and blight.