WASHINGTON - Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and lack of evidence to date of wrongdoing close to the Oval Office.

VISTA, Calif. - The lawyer for a California heavy metal singer accused of trying to hire someone to kill his estranged wife says the singer's mind has been ravaged by steroid use.

TORONTO - Some of the most active companies traded Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange:

TORONTO - The Toronto Stock Exchange surged ahead Friday, encouraged by gains from the U.S. markets, after data showed the world's largest economy may be in recovery.

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar headed lower Friday after Statistics Canada reported that consumer prices rose last month at the slowest rate it's seen in more than three years.

MONTREAL - Industry Canada needs to make it clear if it's going to uphold its own rules on the sale of new wireless carrier Mobilicity, says the CEO of small competitor Wind Mobile.

The price of oil rose to near US$96 a barrel on Friday ahead of the release of Conference Board's index of leading indicators for the U.S. economy.

CHICAGO - Grains futures were mixed Friday on the Chicago Board of Trade.

TORONTO - The Ontario Securities Commission approved an insider trading settlement Friday with a former analyst at BMO Nesbitt Burns who bought shares of five companies he knew were in the midst of takeover deals.

TORONTO - The Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO) and its U.S. subsidiary have agreed to beef up efforts to combat money laundering after American authorities found its operations in Chicago lacking.