The outlook: Economic activity in the crucial non-financial service sector was either steady or improving across the country through the end of August, according to the “Beige Book” survey released by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. What happened: The overall economy expanded at the same “modest pace” seen in earlier reports this year, the survey said. While there was continued uncertainty over U.S. trade policy with China, a majority of business owners “remain optimistic about the near-term outlook,” the Fed found. Manufacturing and agriculture were the two weak spots in the late summer. Reports on consumer ... (full story)