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The fate of a consumer financial protection agency was thrown in doubt Friday, as the Senate Banking Committee chief said he planned to push a bill forward without Republican support.

When the Senate grudgingly reconfirmed Ben Bernanke as Fed chairman two days before his term expired, he was only a stand-in for the man 30 senators were really mad at. “I knew that he would continue the legacy of Alan Greenspan, and I was right,” said an angry Jim Bunning, a conservative Republican from Kentucky who voted no. Fumed Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Senate’s only (admitted) socialist: “He said it publicly — I want to follow in the footsteps of Alan Greenspan. Alan Greenspan’s philosophy is a disaster.” Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said Bernanke “helped set the fire that destroyed our economy.” Only helped, that is — and we all know whom he helped.

It’s no wonder unemployed workers are getting discouraged: It’s never taken longer to find a new job.

The government’s monthly job report on Friday showed that the disastrous labor situation plaguing the nation’s economy is moderating. But the report also underlines an unsettling reality: 8.4 million jobs have been vaporized since the recession began, and digging out won’t be easy.

Good news for Zhu Zhu fans: The fuzzy electronic hamsters have quickly multiplied from just four last year to more than 40 new ones that will hit stores by summer.

Question: I’m 34 and have yet to begin saving for retirement. I’m considering participating in my company’s 401(k) plan, but I’m unsure whether to do so since my employer doesn’t match my contribution. What do you advise? –Nikia, New York, New York

Ira and Hope Moskowitz, both 44, have lived within a 10-mile radius of Philadelphia their whole lives. City kids, they met in junior high, got married in Philly in 1989, and settled in nearby Cherry Hill, N.J., where Hope manages a hair salon and Ira headed up software administration for a mortgage-servicing firm.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into problems with the braking system of Toyota’s Prius hybrid.

Stocks tumbled early Thursday after a rise in weekly jobless claims sent an alarm ahead of the big monthly employment report.

As bad as the government’s jobs readings numbers have been during the Great Recession, we’ll soon find out the real situation likely was worse.