New jobless claims plunged last week and retail sales improved in April. Quick, someone go drop a pin at Republican National Committee headquarters.

Amazon.com hopes a bigger version of its Kindle eBook reader can be a hit, even though it will cost almost $500. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made the announcement while looking upwards, presumably also expecting pigs to fly.

Verizon shareholders will vote today on the CEO's pay package. This is the company that turned down the iPhone. The vote is expected to approve a total salary of $14,000 a year, with bathroom privileges down the street at a Shell station.