April 2009

Stories I'm watching this Wednesday: Dueling stories over whether Obama has changed his view on a GM bankruptcy Either way, the new GM CEO bending to Washington pressure Focus on the auto worker factory towns Honda also cutting pay and production The new center-left America? Obama may be warming to Iran but Israel is not One of my favorite ... read more

Tonight on America's Nightly Scoreboard (7pm ET) I will be hitting an interesting story: how Congress is raising its bonuses for aides and staffers. Hear the numbers and exactly what's going on tonight at 7pm. ... read more

Stories I'm watching this Thursday: More job losses hit my hometown White House now planning to stack the board at GM The President gives the Queen an ... iPod? Accidentally claimed mortgage interest on a house she had sold? I once suggested realtors played a part in this housing mess and this realtor agrees Pimco may benefit hugely ... read more

Do realtors owe anything to those hit by housing, and should they make a fee (or the same fee) on homes sold in foreclosure or in a short sale that they or another realtor had only sold a few years ago during the housing bubble? That was the premise of a question I asked of a guest today.  The interview generated many, many responses .. primarily from those in the real estate community who ... read more

Story today on government controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... WASHINGTON – Mortgage finance giantsread more

Are retail stocks beginning to tell a more positive economic story? The economy is soft and consumer spending is cold, but something interesting is happening in the stock market: many consumer-related and retail stocks are hot.   While stocks as a whole have done reasonably well in the past month, retailers are outperforming the broader market. Believe it or not, there are 41 retail and ... read more

Stories I'm reading this weekend: My boss is not optimistic on the economy More evidence even tech jobs are not recession proof But here are the reasons stocks are on the run Dude, here comes the hemp bill Will the Boston Globe be the next paper to go? Can design save the ... read more

Excellent article in today's Financial Times by Clive Crook. The premise is that even the coming tax increase on the wealthy will not raise enough revenue to fill the holes in the budget from the proposed spending programs. As Crook writes: In short, whether it intends to or not, Congress is leaning towards making the long-term deficit even bigger. It is preparing to underwrite a large ... read more

The top story in the Wall Street Journal tonight is that the Treasury plans to extend TARP funding to certain life insurance companies whose capital has been hit hard. From the Journal: The Treasury Department plans to extend the Troubled Asset Relief Program to certain eligible life insurers, according to people familiar with the matter. Several life insurers have been burdened lately by ... read more

Stories I'm watching this Wednesday: Insurers may be the next bailout Obama, corporatist Is America's healthcare system already socialist? Tim Geithner's plan is a taxpayer curse 10 dumbest taxes in history Computer scientist turned tech-CEO now giving advice to newspaper editors Americans need to get healthier Would you drive this? Listening to more music but buying ... read more