A strong start to the U.S. shopping season and fresh proposals for a far-reaching solution to Europe’s debt crisis sent stocks sharply higher today. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 300 points in afternoon trading, making up more than half of the ground it lost last week.Initial

- UTILITY APOLOGIZES FOR ERROR IN RADIATION DATA. The operator of Japan's stricken nuclear plant reports that radioactivity in water in the Unit 2 reactor tested 10 million times higher than normal, forcing the evacuation of workers and delaying efforts to bring the complex under control. But hours later it says the number is inaccurate and apologizes. Tokyo Electric Power Co. says it is unsure wh...