recession

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Old Days&mdash;Good and Bad&mdash;Are Back: Noonan
Old Days—Good and Bad—Are Back: Noonan
OPINION
Apr 17, 2009 10:36 AM CDT

Old Days—Good and Bad—Are Back: Noonan

In slump, simple pleasures are chic as traditional values gain

(Newser) - Reading about a Michigan family that shed modern excess in favor of a self-sufficient farm life didn't strike Peggy Noonan as shocking in these economic times. Her fellow New Yorkers have already begun responding to the same forces, causing Noonan to predict the rise of "a certain authenticity chic,...

Herd Mentality Moves Many to Needless Penny-Pinching

Psychology has everyone spending less, even those who don't need to

(Newser) - Amid the economic distress, many people who can spend as freely as they could before aren’t, the Washington Post reports. Such consumers, economists say, take psychological cues from friends and the media and pinching pennies needlessly—which only helps deepen the downturn. Upper-income consumers cut spending from $185 in...

New Home Construction Down 11% in March

Slow pace projects that market dive hasn't run its course

(Newser) - Housing construction plunged to the second-lowest level on record last month, providing a sobering sign that the worst housing slump in decades has not ended. Construction of new homes dropped by nearly 11% , the second-lowest construction pace in records that go back 50 years. The decline was worse than economists...

Recession-Hit Gym Rats Find Cheaper Ways to Work Out

Home exercise takes off in lean times

(Newser) - Americans trying to cut back on both flab and expenditures are finding ways to go without costly gym memberships and exercise equipment, reports the Wall Street Journal. Sales of exercise DVDs and simple exercise equipment like yoga mats are booming. Experts say fitness is more important than ever in a...

Jobless Japanese Work the Land

$10M government program trains new agricultural force

(Newser) - As their country struggles with its worst recession since World War II, many Japanese city slickers stymied by the job market are trying out the farming life, the Wall Street Journal reports. Aiming to rejuvenate an industry in which two-thirds of full-time workers are 65 and older, the government has...

Funeral Biz Reels as More Opt for Cheaper Cremation

Recession takes a toll on pricey burials

(Newser) - It's sometimes said that death is the only recession-proof industry, but current trends seem to prove that axiom wrong, CNN writes. Funeral homes across the country are reporting a decline in profits—not because fewer people are dying, of course, but because more people are opting for cremation and scrimping...

As Bank Moratoriums End, Foreclosures Surge

(Newser) - As internal bank moratoriums on foreclosure imposed last year expire, many more Americans are losing their homes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Foreclosure proceedings were up 6% in February over January, and up 30% from March 2008. Just as the Obama administration's rescue plan kicks in, delinquents who don’t...

'08 Saw More Raises for CEOs: Survey

(Newser) - More American CEOs than not received raises in 2008, Reuters reports. An AFL-CIO poll of 946 chief executives saw 480 with increased pay, while 463 took a cut. Salaries were up 7%, too; execs with raises earned an average of $5.4 million, while those who saw cuts took in...

Obama: We're Not 'Out of the Woods Just Yet'

(Newser) - President Obama said today that the US faces a long slog in finding its way out of financial tumult, but emphasized that he is seeing signs of hope, the New York Times reports. "Times are still tough," he said. "By no means are we out of the...

March Retail Sales Show Surprise 1.1% Drop

Blow to hopes that economy has hit trough

(Newser) - Retail sales fell unexpectedly in March, delivering a setback to hopes that the economy's steep slide could be bottoming out. The Commerce Department cited a 1.1% drop, the biggest decline in 3 months and a much weaker showing than the 0.3% increase that analysts expected. Falling auto sales...

Credit Card Debt Spikes on Campus

(Newser) - College students in 2008 carried an average of $3,173 in credit card debt, a huge jump from 4 years earlier, USA Today reports. A Sallie Mae study, when conducted in 2004, revealed an average balance of just $2,169. When students “can’t get private loans, they turn...

In Recession, Teaching, Service Hot Jobs for Grads

Recession will effect talent flow for years to come

(Newser) - The dream of pulling in big bucks just out of college at a prestigious Wall Street job is fading in the face of the recession, and early signs point to public service, government, science, and education as today's emerging hot industries, reports the New York Times. The economy, combined with...

States Ax Programs for Elderly, Kids

(Newser) - States are slashing social services across the US, crippling programs for children and the elderly that might save money in the long run, the New York Times reports. Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan is easing the pain by helping low earners, but at least 34 states are cutting aid...

Zombies Have Come to Save the Day
Zombies Have Come to Save the Day
ANALYSIS
Apr 11, 2009 4:19 PM CDT

Zombies Have Come to Save the Day

Move over, vampires: The undead are monsters for our times

(Newser) - In the echelon of monsters, zombies can’t get no respect. They’re not hip like werewolves or suave like vampires. Yet the undead are staging a comeback, Lev Grosman writes in Time. Woody Harrelson is starring in a zom-com, Juno’s screenwriter is producing a new zombie flick, and...

Frugalistas Rejoice: Recession Is a Validation

'Frugalistas' embrace new thrifty values

(Newser) - Shredding credit cards and buying less may sound like consumer America's version of hell, but some—especially those penny-pinchers long scoffed at as miserly—are downright gleeful. "This validates the choices I've made," one tells the New York Times. With the savings rate up a remarkable 4 points...

'Glimmers' of Economic Hope, But Work's Not Done: Obama

(Newser) - After a meeting today with the administration's top economic officials, President Obama said he’s starting to see “glimmers of hope,” Bloomberg reports. The president noted that government loans to small business are up but cautioned, “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”...

Religious Tourists Still Flocking to Italy

Easter likely to see 100,000 in St. Peter's Square

(Newser) - While industries around the world feel the weight of recession, Italy’s religious tourism appears fairly immune, USA Today reports. “It's one of the only areas where things haven't slowed down much," said a religious tour marketer. "Religious pilgrims still want to have the same experiences”—...

Turnaround? Don't Get Too Giddy Just Yet

Further decline still possible, they warn

(Newser) - Signs of an economic recovery seem to be sprouting all around, but plenty of skeptics warn against starting the celebration too early, reports the New York Times. Wall Street has been on the upswing the last two months as the credit market begins to thaw and low interest rates aid...

Economy's 'Free-Fall' Nearly Over: Summers

(Newser) - Top Obama economic adviser Lawrence Summers said today that measures to stabilize the economy will have a discernible effect in the next few months, the Hill reports. Loosening credit and an increased flow of inventory from manufacturers means the sense of “free-fall” will dissipate, though jobless numbers will continue...

More Strapped Drivers Kick Insurance to Curb

(Newser) - As the economy sours, a stunning number of drivers are cutting back or dropping their insurance, MSNBC reports—and that has regulators and safety activists worried. “We may be looking at record numbers of uninsured motorists across the nation,” said the president of the Northwest Insurance Council. An...

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