US economy stalled in Q1; Fed expected to pause on rates

The US Commerce Department said Wednesday that the world's largest economy expanded at an annual pace of just 0.2 percent in the January-March period, after 2.2 percent in the final quarter of 2014. The fresh data made it more likely that the Federal Reserve, slated to announce an update to monetary policy later Wednesday, will maintain plans to raise interest rates on pause for a little longer to be sure the downturn was an aberration and that the economy will resume solid growth in the cu