Take a look at the Federal Reserve’s latest snapshot of the region’s economy.

The Boston region shows expansion overall yet “some choppiness” from company to company, according to today’s report.

For those out of work, the news from the Fed isn’t great: Hiring is holding steady.

It may be a little early to start bracing for higher heating oil prices — it’s around 90 degress out there now – but there’s a forecast out today nonetheless.

The federal government’s report is good news for New Englanders because a painful run-up in prices is not expected. Prices are expected to top out at $3.13 when it’s really cold outside.

Put that number up against the latest state survey of heating oil dealers, released June 22, which found an average price of $2.77.

The most notorious casualty of the subprime mortgage meltdown, Lehman Bros., takes all the heat for the debacle in the new animated film “Despicable Me.”

When the villainous character Gru needs a loan for one of his nefarious plans, he goes to the Bank of Evil and below its nameplate reads: Formerly Lehman Bros.

The Federal Reserve released its so-called Beige Book on regional economic conditions today.

The Boston area, like the nation as a whole, is experiencing modest growth as businesses and consumers continue to fight their way out of the Great Recession.

Click here to read the Fed’s take on the economy.

Hub author Ben Mezrich says he’s scheduled to deliver his next manuscript to his publisher on July 1.

At a party Thursday, Mezrich described the new book as an “Ocean’s 11″ type of story that hit the news a while back and then quickly went off everyone’s radar screen. He added that one of the main actors in the tale brought the story to him.

Mezrich, who didn’t seem too concerned about his impending deadline, was more concerned about bloggers finding out what the book was about because he was still doing research.

He said a trailer will be out very soon for “The Social Network,” the film starring Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake that was based on Mezrich’s book about Facebook’s founding.

The movie is set to open Oct. 1 and Mezrich said everyone hopes it will be in Oscar contention, perhaps for a stellar performance by Timberlake.

Also, a screenplay Mezrich wrote for his book “Ugly Americans” is on hold, depending upon how well “Wall Street 2″ performs at the box office. And how much appetite moviegoers have for tales of corporate greed.

There are multiple reports, including this story from the AP, that Ford Motor Co. will announce plans today to kill its Mercury brand. An announcement is expected around 4 p.m.

The 71-year-old brand has suffered an identity crisis and poor sales in recent years.

The Herald checked in with Massachusetts dealers last week after reports first surfaced of Ford’s plan.

Facebook hasn’t been making too many friends on its privacy controls lately, and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been on a media blitz to highlight changes it’s been making in response to criticism.

But a Hub tech security firm, Sophos, says it sees “suspicious body language” in the Facebook’s updates. The bottom-line analysis by a Sophos blogger is that the level of privacy for users hasn’t actually changed. 

Google marks the 30-year anniversary of Pac-Man with a customized version of the game on its home page.

You can play the game, which makes the Google logo interactive, and even get beyond the first screen. But how high can you score (without your boss noticing)?

Forget Edward or Jacob, “Twilight” star Nikki Reed is on Team Staples now.

The actress is sinking her teeth into the Framingham-based company’s 3rd annual national school supply drive this summer.

Reed will help encourage teens to drop off donated school supplies at local Staples stores from July 4 through Sept. 18. Staples customers can also make $1 donations in stores. The chain is donating $125,000 worth of school supplies to the program.

The 22-year-old Reed, who emerged in 2003 with the film “Thirteen,” plays Rosalie in the “Twilight” saga. She will appear in a PSA about the school supply drive on TV and radio stations nationwide starting in July.

Staples’ previous celebrity support came from Jordin Sparks and Ciara, who helped raise more than $750,000 in the program’s first two years.

Wyc Grousbeck, CEO of the Boston Celtics, will deliver the commencement address on Saturday morning to Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School graduate students.

And Grousbeck — who holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, a law degree from Michigan and an MBA from Stanford Business School – will receive another degree later this weekend.

He will pick up an honorary Ph.D. in commercial science at Suffolk’s College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School undergraduate commencement exercises on Sunday at the Bank of America Pavilion.

In between the two graduations, of course, the Celtics will be going for a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals at the Garden against Orlando.