Stocks drop as economy put brakes

Worries about the economy have slowed a January stock rally. After a month of impressive gains that brought the Dow within 200 points of a record, the markets have paused this week. Stocks started the day lower Wednesday after a report showed that the U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter. That decline extended after the Federal Reserve said that it would continue to try to boost growth through a bond-buying program designed to keep borrowing costs down.

By: By Steve Rothwell, Associated Press, The Jamestown Sun