Reuters – At least nine out 10 banks are likely to accept a 50 percent discount on their Greek debt holdings, the managing director of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) was quoted as saying by a German newspaper.

AP – GOOD SIGNS: A surprising rebound in the Institute of Supply Management’s national manufacturing index prolonged a weeklong rally in the stock market. Rising auto sales also helped lift stock indexes.

AP – Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Tim Robbins and Forest Whitaker were among the stars on hand to honor Morgan Freeman as he received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.

AP – The massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rain forest won approval from Brazil’s environmental protection agency on Wednesday, clearing the way for construction of a project fiercely opposed by environmentalists, indigenous activists and celebrities including film director James Cameron and rock star Sting.

U.S. News & World Report – Good news for fund investors: Annual fees for stock funds are falling, according to a new study from the Investment Company Institute (ICI)

What will the next 20 years of research bring? Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, discusses the institute’s vision

What will the next 20 years of research bring?

AP – SERVICE FIRMS ACCELERATE: The service sector expanded at the fastest pace in more than 5 years, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The private trade group’s report covers sectors that employ 90 percent of U.S. workers, including retail, health care and financial services.

AP – IMPROVED CONFIDENCE: A survey by the ZEW Institute suggests German investor confidence is rising, as ZEW’s index was up to 15.4 points for January from 4.3 in December.

AP – A spokeswoman for the Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence says former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole has been released from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.