NEW YORK — Bank of America's move to pay back $45 billion in federal bailout money ratchets up pressure on rivals Wells Fargo and Citigroup to get out from under the government's thumb. But don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

That's because many banks, including Citi and Wells Fargo, still face big losses on loans as people fall behind on bills — losses that could further erode their capital and put them in danger.

Moreover, the government may be reluctant to let them repay until they're confident that no further assistance will be needed. If the economy were to seriously weaken again, the government could be forced to inject more money into big banks.

COMCAST DEAL LEADS TO CALLS FOR REVIEW

NEW YORK — The marriage of Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable and broadband provider, with NBC Universal, a Hollywood powerhouse, presents the Obama administration with its first big chance to weigh in on the issue of media consolidation.

The deal, announced yesterday at NBC Universal's Rockefeller Center headquarters in midtown Manhattan, had politicians and consumer activists calling for an intense review in light of the perceived market domination the new entity will wield when it comes to ownership and distribution of movies, TV shows and cable networks that get piped into the home.

RETAIL SALES DECLINE MAY SPUR DISCOUNTS

NEW YORK — A decline in sales at the nation's retailers in November after two consecutive months of gains is a warning sign for the holiday shopping season and for an economy in the early stages of a fragile recovery.

Many merchants may be forced to discount more than they planned to get financially strapped holiday shoppers to buy after last weekend's bargain buying surge didn't offset weak spending for the rest of the month.

The 0.3 percent decline comes on top of a freefall last November. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of all economic activity.