Obama Wins a Second Term

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204349404578101520589031776.html?KEYWORDS=taxes His victory makes Mr. Obama the first president since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 to succeed with a higher unemployment rate on Election Day than on his inauguration day four years earlier. U.S. unemployment now stands at 7.9%, compared with 7.8% when Mr. Obama took office.

Economy Still Stuck in Low Gear

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/business/economy/second-quarter-growth-revised-up-to-1-7-percent-rate.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25_20120830 On the first day of class, I mentioned that the latest figures for the second quarter of 2012 was 1.5. This figure has been revised to 1.7 as of 8/29/12.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Unemployment Line Longer Than It Looks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303684004577509060305001518.html?mod=WSJ_hppMIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond Here is a statistic for the politically inclined: No incumbent president has won re-election with an unemployment rate above 7.2% since the Great Depression.

Sweltering Heat May Wreak Havoc on Corn Crops

http://news.yahoo.com/sweltering-heat-may-wreak-havoc-corn-crops-003021947--abc-news-topstories.html Experts say consumers could end up feeling the pinch in their pocketbook. As much as 75 percent of the products in your grocery store use corn as a key ingredient. Things like cereal, peanut butter and soda could all be affected in the coming months.

Economic Gloom Deepens Europe's Political Crisis

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303592404577362023779112742.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories On Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte became the latest euro-zone leader to fall victim to the region's economic funk, tendering his resignation after failing to win enough backing in parliament for measures to cut the country's budget deficit. The leaders of Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy also have been forced out recently as the region's economy worsens.

In China, Sobering Signs of Slower Growth

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/business/global/in-china-sobering-signs-of-a-slower-growth.html?src=me&ref=business "At its peak, in 2007, China’s economy grew at an annual pace of 14.2 percent. As recently as 2010, it was 10.4 percent. Now, though, the government is trying to guide the economy toward a minimum average annual growth of 7 percent through 2015."