recession – News Stories About recession - Page 23

OPINION

Jul 26, 2009 10:07 AM CDT

Biden: Recovery Act Is Working

Critics attacking 'pet programs' have 'misconstrued' the effort

(Newser) - Those who dismiss the Recovery Act as “being spent on pet programs” are wrong, writes the man tasked with administering it. Writing in a New York Times op-ed, VP Joe Biden contends that the stimulus has “brought us back from the precipice.” Two-thirds of it “goes...

Barnes:
Obama's an
'Economic
IIliterate'

OPINION

Jul 25, 2009 2:00 PM CDT

Barnes: Obama's an 'Economic IIliterate'

(Newser) - President Obama has big plans for the economy, and that’s too bad because he knows nothing about it, Fred Barnes writes in the Weekly Standard. All of his proposals and angry jabs at Wall Street are counter to his professed interest in growth and job creation. “Obamanomics pays...

Recession Sparks Efforts
to Legalize Pot

Jul 24, 2009 6:06 PM CDT

Recession Sparks Efforts to Legalize Pot

Full-scale regulation and taxation on the table in Calif.

(Newser) - The recession has given marijuana-legalization advocates an unexpected boost, Time reports, as cash-strapped states are tempted by possible revenues from pot taxes. With an existing medical-marijuana market and cuts to education and health services pending due to a huge budget deficit, California advocates are preparing both legislation and ballot initiatives...

Minimum Wage Rises to $7.25

Jul 24, 2009 11:45 AM CDT

Minimum Wage Rises to $7.25

Some say hike will hurt small business; others hold it'll boost economy

(Newser) - The minimum wage today jumps 70 cents to $7.25 an hour, a move that rekindles a debate as old as the wage itself, notes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Some worry that the increase puts an unfair burden on small businesses, especially with times so tight; others say low-wage earners will...

Strapped States Fall Behind on Unemployment Checks

Jul 24, 2009 6:22 AM CDT

Strapped States Fall Behind on Unemployment Checks

(Newser) - Years of tax and budget cuts have left the nation's unemployment system badly weakened just as it's most needed, the New York Times reports. At least a million applications are still stuck in the system and many applicants have to wait months for their first check. Sixteen states have...

Holdouts, Converts
Swelter Through
Recession Without AC

Jul 23, 2009 10:18 AM CDT

Holdouts, Converts Swelter Through Recession Without AC

Unit shipments down as Americans find other ways to keep cool

(Newser) - This summer, some Americans are more concerned about their wallets than their comfort—so they’re turning off the air conditioning and putting up with the heat, the New York Times reports. Window air conditioner shipments from manufacturers to distributors dropped 39% the first half of the year versus the...

Things We Want,
and Don't, in Odd Recession

ANALYSIS

Jul 22, 2009 11:04 AM CDT

Things We Want, and Don't, in Odd Recession

Hard-times staples fall by the wayside

(Newser) - The current economic crisis is breaking the recessionary mold, Time reports, with American purchases running counter to expectations. A few surprises:

Soup isn’t selling. Typically, the cheap, decent food is a recession staple, but health concerns and rising prices may be driving us away from it.
Organic food sales

...

Mexican Immigrants
Stay Put, Despite
Recession

Jul 22, 2009 10:01 AM CDT

Mexican Immigrants Stay Put, Despite Recession

Fewer entering US, report finds

(Newser) - The recession hasn’t sped the return of Mexican immigrants home from the US, a Pew report finds, though the number of Mexicans entering the US has continued to decline. Some 433,000 people returned to Mexico last year, versus 479,000 two years before, the Washington Post reports. But...

Broke? Try Paying Like Our Ancestors, With Shells, Beans

Jul 21, 2009 2:43 PM CDT

Broke? Try Paying Like Our Ancestors, With Shells, Beans

(Newser) - Sure, the global economy might collapse spectacularly and send us all back to a barter system. But that’s inefficient, Greg Sabin writes on Mental Floss, and “almost all civilizations have come up with currencies.” A sampling of what might be in your wallet next week:

Shells: "

...

Backyard Burials Alive
and Well

Jul 21, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

Backyard Burials Alive and Well

Families see economy, intimacy in caring for dead themselves

(Newser) - A growing number of families are deciding against funeral homes and cemeteries, the New York Times reports. Many have decided to care for their dead at home, which they say gives them more dignity—and saves money in the process. “It’s organic and informal, and it’s on...

'Recession-Proof'
Job Is a Myth: Experts

OPINION

Jul 20, 2009 2:20 PM CDT

'Recession-Proof' Job Is a Myth: Experts

(Newser) - If the downturn has you considering a “recession-proof” job like teaching or medicine, think again, Greg Burns writes in the Chicago Tribune. The recession has affected all sectors, from layoffs and lower enrollment at educational institutions to dwindling state budgets choking civil servants. “It’s a question of...

Dumpsters
Make Splash
as Swimming
Pools

Jul 20, 2009 11:00 AM CDT

Dumpsters Make Splash as Swimming Pools

In Brooklyn, people clamor to get into ultra-private urban pools

(Newser) - The newest hangout for the recession chic set is the Dumpster—transformed into a swanky pool. The repurposed, invitation-only trash bins, hidden on a private lot in Brooklyn, are gaining a reputation in the blogosphere and could soon pop up in formerly dingy strip malls. “It’s a very...

Yo-Yo Biz Rebounds
in Bad Times

Jul 17, 2009 7:14 AM CDT

Yo-Yo Biz Rebounds in Bad Times

(Newser) - Hard times can't keep a good yo-yo down, finds the Wall Street Journal. Sales of the centuries-old toy are soaring, and top-end designs with precision ball-bearings have revolutionized the sport over the last few years, shattering world records and making new tricks like the whirling "Yosemite Escape" possible....

Economy Is
on an Upswing,
Says Dr. Doom

Jul 17, 2009 6:31 AM CDT

Economy Is on an Upswing, Says Dr. Doom

Roubini predicts end to recession, sends markets jumping

(Newser) - The financial crisis is over and the worst of the recession is behind us, writes Nouriel Roubini, the extremely pessimistic economist who was among the few who predicted the scale of the downturn. "The light at the end of the tunnel is for once not an incoming train,"...

Dow Up 96 Despite CIT Woes

MARKETS

Jul 16, 2009 3:16 PM CDT

Dow Up 96 Despite CIT Woes

Rally extends into 4th day on Roubini comments, tech optimism

(Newser) - Stocks gained today as the tech sector continued to inspire and economist Nouriel Roubini predicted a recovery in late 2009, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though the looming bankruptcy of CIT Group depressed stocks most of the day, financials were able to trim losses before the close. The Dow rose...

Frugal Mainers Easily
Weather Economic Storm

Jul 16, 2009 3:13 PM CDT

Frugal Mainers Easily Weather Economic Storm

(Newser) - A long history of sparse employment and hardships of all stripes has built a culture of frugality that leaves Maine perfectly suited to the current recession, the Boston Globe reports. “Everybody now is into shopping thrift shops, but in most of Maine, people never stopped,” a banker says....

Yoga Retreats See Karmic Convergence in Recession

Jul 16, 2009 1:30 PM CDT

Yoga Retreats See Karmic Convergence in Recession

Ashrams enjoying newfound popularity

(Newser) - Many left unemployed or weary by recession are heading to yoga retreats, where they get meals, lodging, spiritual education, and quiet reflection for some chores and a low fee. “I figured if I stayed for a year, the economy would be warming up by then, and I could head...

Recession Will Cost More Jobs, End 'Before Long': Fed

Jul 15, 2009 2:21 PM CDT

Recession Will Cost More Jobs, End 'Before Long': Fed

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve is confident the general economy is turning around but still pessimistic on the jobs part, the Wall Street Journal reports. In June meeting minutes issued today, those gathered agreed that data since April “indicated that the economic contraction was slowing and that the decline in activity...

Stimulus Cash Isn't Making
It to Hard-Hit Minorities

OPINION

Jul 15, 2009 1:58 PM CDT

Stimulus Cash Isn't Making It to Hard-Hit Minorities

African-Americans, Hispanics pummeled by recession

(Newser) - With unemployment at 14.7% among African Americans and 12.2% among Hispanics, the recession is hitting minority communities particularly hard. But as is often the case with so-called “colorblind” spending, stimulus funds, intended to be equal-opportunity, aren’t making it to these groups. The government must “start...

Parents Save,
Send Kids to
'Camp Granny'

Jul 15, 2009 1:45 PM CDT

Parents Save, Send Kids to 'Camp Granny'

In recession, grandparents replace summer camp for many

(Newser) - The lingering recession is forcing cash-strapped parents to cancel camp for the kids—instead, they're being packed off to their grandparents'. The arrangement shifts the child-care burden to grandparents, many of whom enjoy the extra time with their grandchildren. Mom and dad save money and get some time to themselves,...