U.S. Federal Reserve officials saw “little or no growth” in four of their 12 regional districts and only modest growth in the others in recent weeks amid a rapidly spreading health crisis and the impact of a recession that has devastated some businesses and families even as many others thrive. In the Philadelphia region and much of the Midewest “activity began to slow in early November as COVID-19 cases surged,” the U.S. central bank said on Wednesday in its latest “Beige Book” compendium of anecdotes from businesses across its 12 reserve districts. While some sectors like manufacturing did well, signs of stress ... (full story)