U.S. spends $2.5 million for census Super Bowl ads

WASHINGTON - Washington is spending $2.5 million to create buzz for the census by advertising during the Super Bowl. The Census Bureau is hoping to exploit the strong ratings from the annual attraction, aiming to get more participation from people who now seem disinclined to mail back a government questionnaire or answer the door. Census officials call it a good investment, saying the front-end costs of purchasing the ads can be quickly recouped if they succeed in encouraging people to mail back their census forms. A recent poll found nearly 1 in 5 residents said they may not fill them out, mostly because they were unfamiliar with the census or weren't interested. The government relies on the census not only to learn about Americans and their lives but also to parcel out federal dollars and, as required by the Constitution, to determine the number of U.S. House seats representing each state.

- Associated Press

Stocks pull out of slump but end week lower

NEW YORK - A battered stock market recovered from a sharp drop in late trading Friday but still posted its fourth straight weekly drop. The Dow Jones industrials, down nearly 170 points in afternoon trading, clawed their way back to finish with a gain of 10. But more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange.

- Associated Press