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Hopes that America's factories will help drive the economic recovery drew support Monday from news that manufacturing activity grew for a sixth straight month in January, to its strongest point since 2004.

Andy Owen never thought he'd go into business for himself. "I was dragged in kicking and screaming," he said. "I like working for other people." Things changed when he was laid off from his job at a Michigan school district in June 2008 amid the nation's worst recession in decades. He quickly found that he was unable to land another job that paid enough to afford child care for the baby he and his wife were expecting.

Toyota Motor Corp. is facing a multi-billion-dollar hit to its brand image and reputation for high quality in the wake of its disastrous recall and sales halt of an unprecedented 2.3 million vehicles over eight models.