The head of the nation's largest public employee union plans to step down, setting up a heated contest to guide a political powerhouse that has been among the biggest spenders in Democratic campaigns.

President Barack Obama's campaign-style drive for another batch of economic stimulus spending is facing defeat yet again at the hands of Republicans in the Senate.

Drugstore operator Walgreen Co. said Thursday that its sales grew in October, but the results were weaker than expected and the company acknowledged a dispute with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Inc. is hurting its results.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 2011 seasonal hiring is expected to mirror 2010, with 29 percent of retailers planning to hire extra help.