Daily News Briefing
New information ties top officials to IRS harassment of conservative groups
By CLARK BARROW - Also, newly released e-mails show concerted effort to downplay Al Qaeda role in Benghazi. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY SCALED BACK - Some restaurant operators are scaling back expansion plans because of uncertainty about the expense of insuring employees under the new federal health-care law. ... continue reading
Justice launches investigation of IRS
By CLARK BARROW - And who will investigate Justice? DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY LOW WAGE - The federal government is better at creating low-paying jobs than Wal-Mart and McDonald's combined, according to a new report. TARGETED - The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a probe into the Internal Revenue Service's ... continue reading
Obama says IRS agents responsible for harassment will be held accountable
By CLARK BARROW - But blasts Benghazi probe as a side show. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY TARGETED - President Obama said Monday that if any Internal Revenue Service staff targeted groups based on their political leanings, they would be held "fully accountable" for their actions. But President Obama also dismissed a ... continue reading
Obama: Don't read what 'some blog' says about ObamaCare
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Pennsylvania school allows conceal/carry. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY COMEBACK - The spire has been installed atop New York’s One World Trade Center, making the skyscraper the tallest building in the Western hemisphere. FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve officials have mapped out a ... continue reading
Boehner promises more Benghazi hearings, says White House blocking access
By CLARK BARROW - Also, DOE loan program looks like a flop. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY REALITY - An economist at Barclays Capital pointed out that the recent decline in unemployment aid applications suggests companies are not too worried about the fiscal drag. He notes they are responding to the government's ... continue reading
Benghazi whistleblower Hicks gives explosive testimony
By DAN CALABRESE - Demoted after speaking up. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY BENGHAZI - The U.S. State Department’s deputy chief of mission in Libya fought back tears on Wednesday as he delivered a lengthy account of the nighttime terrorist attacks last year that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens. ... continue reading
GM receives OK to build plant in China
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Internet sales tax not a priority for House, Boehner says. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GOVERNMENT MOTORS - General Motors Co. said it has received permission from Chinese authorities to build a $1.3 billion plant to manufacture its Cadillac brand. Meanwhile, by the end of March 2013, the U.S. ... continue reading
Whistleblowers say Hillary cut out counterterrorism bureau during Benghazi
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Senate OKs bill to let states tax Internet sales. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY BENGHAZI - On the night of Sept. 11, as the Obama administration scrambled to respond to the Benghazi terror attacks, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a key aide effectively tried to cut the department's ... continue reading
Job growth stronger, but ObamaCare hurting full-time, high-wage positions
By CLARK BARROW - Also, fewer Americans than ever working for themselves. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNEMPLOYMENT - U.S. job growth in April beat economist expectations as nonfarm payrolls rose 165,000, and the jobless rate fell to a four-year low of 7.5%. But the report contained worrisome signs that President ... continue reading
Small businesses sue federal government over ObamaCare
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Rubio says immigration bill will fail without stronger border security. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY LAWSUIT - A group of small business owners (and individuals) in six states are suing the federal government over an IRS regulation imposed under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which will ... continue reading
Reid wants more funding for ObamaCare implementation
By CLARK BARROW - And the Fed presses ahead buying $85 billion a month in bonds. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve officials said they will press ahead with their $85-billion-a-month bond-buying program and signaled they could either increase or decrease the amount they purchase each ... continue reading
Bureau of Economic Analysis to change how it calculates GDP
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Sen. Sessions says immigration reform would mean instant welfare for illegal aliens. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY CHANGE - The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced last week it would be changing the guidelines with which it calculates Gross Domestic Product, more familiarly known as the ... continue reading
Blacks, Hispanics falling farther behind under Obama
By CLARK BARROW - Also, fraud costs unemployment insurnace program $3.3 billion a year. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GREAT DIVIDE - Millions of Americans suffered a loss of wealth during the recession and the sluggish recovery that followed. But the last half-decade has proved far worse for black and Hispanic ... continue reading
Recession over . . . if you're super-rich
By CLARK BARROW - Also, FAA suspends furloughs. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY NOT FORWARD - The U.S. economy has recovered for households with net worth of $500,000 or more, a new study shows. The recession continues for almost everyone else. CONGRESS - The Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday it has ... continue reading
Reid shoots down ObamaCare exemption for Congress
By DAN CALABRESE - Also, action on Capitol Hill to address flight delays. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNDERGROUND - The growing underground economy may be helping to prevent the real economy from sinking further, according to analysts. REPRIMAND - IBM's Chief Executive Virginia Rometty delivered a rare companywide ... continue reading
House Republicans pull bill expanding ObamaCare
By CLARK BARROW - But Senate Dems expand interstate taxation. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY HOLDUP - General Electric Co. is quietly cutting off lending to gun shops, as the company rethinks its relationship to firearms amid the fallout from the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. CONGRESS - The U.S. Senate will ... continue reading
House GOP report accuses Hillary of Benghazi coverup
By CLARK BARROW - Also, both parties press White House on drone policy. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FLOP - Fisker Automotive Inc., the troubled electric-car maker, missed its first payment on a $529 million U.S. Energy Department loan. CONGRESS – According to a recent Politico article, the immigration proposal ... continue reading
Troubles abroad threaten U.S. economic recovery
By CLARK BARROW - Also, smart youth explore alternatives to college. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DRAG - Troubles overseas are threatening the U.S. recovery for the fourth year in a row. This time it's weakening economies abroad, rather than tumbling financial markets, signaling turbulence ahead. INGENUITY - College ... continue reading
Update on Boston Marathon investigation
By CLARK BARROW - Also, 3 percent GDP growth expected for 3rd quarter. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY BOSTON MARATHON ATTACKS - After 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was captured last week, President Obama addressed the nation, urging caution and a diligent ... continue reading
Obama to pursue gun control via executive order
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Feds have two Boston Marathon suspects; Elvis impersonator arrested in ricin letter case. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY ATTACK - The FBI has identified two suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon bombing. POISON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) says he once hired the man accused of mailing ... continue reading
Max Baucus: ObamaCare headed for train wreck
By CLARK BARROW - Also, FBI scolds media over Boston Marathon reporting. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY OBAMACARE - ObamaCare's three biggest taxes — a Medicare surcharge, the so-called Cadillac tax and an insurance premium fee — will increasingly hit the middle class because of how the law indexes them for ... continue reading
Regal Entertainment slashes employee hours in response to ObamaCare
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Obama has cut budget for bombing prevention by 45 percent. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY OBAMACARE - Monday, Regal Entertainment Group, the largest movie theatre chain in the country, announced that thousands of employees will have their work hours cut -- as a direct result of the added cost of ... continue reading
Obama vows to find bomber(s); Americans respond to attack with bravery
By CLARK BARROW - Terrorism. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY WHITE HOUSE - President Obama vowed to find and bring to justice those responsible for the explosions that rocked the Boston Marathon on Monday. HOW TO HELP – While investigators work to determine who was behind the attack, there are several ways that ... continue reading
Who pays all the taxes?
By CLARK BARROW - A detailed breakdown. Clark's Tax Day Stats PERSPECTIVE TAX FREEDOM DAY - The deadline for filing U.S. federal income tax returns for individuals is today, April 15, 2013. Even though our 2012 taxes are due today, the Tax Foundation says we haven't earned enough money to pay ... continue reading
Firings and layoffs down, but hiring weak
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Israel shoots down Kerry's blueprint for peace talks. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY NOT HIRING - Far fewer Americans are getting fired or laid off these days than they were in 2009. In fact, layoffs are back at their pre-recession lows. But, new hiring remains weak. FACEBOOK - Teaming up with ... continue reading
Obama budget would boost federal tax burden to 20 percent of GDP
By CLARK BARROW - Level not seen except during World War II. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY CHANGE - The U.S. hasn't not gotten there yet, but it is fast approaching the point where the combination of people who work full-time in health care, and who work full-time for the government, and who are enrolled in Medicaid ... continue reading
Reid sets Senate gun control vote for Thursday
By CLARK BARROW - And small businesses are not hiring. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY NOT HIRING - According to the National Federation of Independent Business, the number of small employers who plan to create new jobs recently fell 4 points to a net zero rate. CONGRESS - A group of top congressional Republicans on ... continue reading
Social Security disability program attracts many new recipients
By CLARK BARROW - Also, border security initiative not ready to go, won't measure security when implemented. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEPENDENCE - The unexpectedly large number of American workers who piled into the Social Security Administration's disability program during the recession and its aftermath ... continue reading
CEO pay taking hit from new federal regulations
By CLARK BARROW - Also, Obama budget plan said to produce $7.3 trillion in new debt over 10 years. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DODD-FRANK - Several prominent CEOs have had their pay whacked recently as a consequence of weak performance, but new government regulations are becoming a factor in deciding their ... continue reading
Subprime lending on the comeback trail
By CLARK BARROW - Plus, Senate Republicans find new spending entitlement in immigration reform bill. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY SUBPRIME - Backed by Wall Street banks and big private-equity firms, lenders have been selling ever-greater amounts of subprime auto loans in the form of relatively high-yield securities ... continue reading
Poverty spikes to high not seen since 1960s
By CLARK BARROW - Also, JCPenney CEO takes pay cut, to $1.7 million. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEPENDENCE - The number of Americans living in poverty has spiked to levels not seen since the mid-1960s, with nearly 50 million Americans — one in six — living below the income line that defines poverty. PAY ... continue reading
Thursday, August 30, 2012
By CLARK BARROW - Soft manufacturing activity muted the impact of better retail performance, while education-related debt continues to creep toward $1 trillion. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - The U.S. economy grew "gradually" last month, as improving retail and other service-sector activity ... continue reading
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
By CLARK BARROW - Home prices are up, but consumers have soured on the U.S. economy DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY HOUSING MARKET - U.S. home prices bounced higher for a second month in June, with the strongest monthly advance in the more than decade-long history of the price gauge. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE - U.S. ... continue reading
Obama's brutal impact on the middle class
By CLARK BARROW - After three-and-a-half years of Obama, the middle class has been decimated. DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY MIDDLE CLASS - New income data from the Census Bureau, tabulated by former Census income specialists at the nonpartisan economic consulting firm Sentier Research, reveal that the ... continue reading
Monday, August 27, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GULF OF MEXICO - U.S. regulators said Sunday that energy producers have shut nearly a quarter of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's oil production as Tropical Storm Isaac seemed to shift its trajectory westward, heading towards the heart of the region's offshore oil patch. ISAAC - The U.S. ... continue reading
Friday, August 24, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS - America's middle-class earners lost significant ground during the last decade as their incomes dropped for the first extended period since World War II, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. RETIREMENT LOSS – According to a ... continue reading
Thursday, August 23, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNEMPLOYMENT - Applications for U.S. jobless benefits rose by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 in the week ended Aug. 18, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve officials signaled Wednesday that they may be ready to launch a new bond ... continue reading
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY JOBS - A study by the American Automotive Policy Council warned the United States could lose 2,600 auto industry jobs and thousands more in the broader economy if Japan is allowed to join a proposed free trade pact at the center of President Obama's trade agenda. SHORT SALE - U.S. ... continue reading
Tuesday August 21 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GASOLINE - Gasoline futures have soared 19% over the past two months, setting in motion an increase in retail prices, which are up 7.2% over the same period, according to AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Pump prices tend to lag behind moves in the futures market by several weeks, meaning drivers ... continue reading
Monday, August 20, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNEMPLOYMENT - Unemployment rates rose in 44 U.S. states in July, the most states to show a monthly increase in more than three years and a reflection of weak hiring nationwide. CONGRESS - On Friday, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral ... continue reading
Friday, August 17, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY TAXMAGEDDON – According to a report by the Tax Foundation, Georgia residents would have to pay an additional $1,954 on average annually if the U.S. Congress lets the Bush tax cuts lapse. FOREIGN DEBT - The money the U.S. government owes to foreign entities rose to a record ... continue reading
Thursday, August 16, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNEMPLOYMENT - First-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose in the latest week, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending Aug. 11 rose 2,000 to 366,000. WEAKEST RECOVERY - The recession that ended three years ago ... continue reading
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY PATH TO PROSPERITY - Included in this briefing are key facts about U.S. Representative Paul Ryan's Path to Prosperity 2013 budget. IMMIGRATION - The Obama administration plans to begin accepting applications Wednesday for certain young illegal immigrants to defer their deportation. ... continue reading
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY JOBS - Citigroup Inc. estimated in a March report that a “reindustrialization” of America could add as many as 3.6 million jobs by 2020 and increase the gross domestic product by as much as 3 percent. GASOLINE - The U.S. national average for a gallon of regular gasoline ... continue reading
Monday, August 13, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEFICIT - The U.S. federal budget deficit increased $70 billion in July 2012 and is on track to top $1 trillion for the fourth straight year. CONGRESS - The U.S. House Oversight Committee is expected to file its contempt of Congress lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ... continue reading
Friday, August 10, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY MANUFACTURING - A lot of Americans think the U.S. no longer manufactures anything domestically. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite. OBAMACARE - Under President Obama's health care law, the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will face the heaviest tax increase. The pain will ... continue reading
Thursday, August 9, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY STUDENT LOANS - According to data from the U.S. Treasury Department, the federal government is withholding money from a rapidly growing number of Social Security recipients who have fallen behind on federal student loans. WELFARE - A study by the Republican side of the U.S. Senate ... continue reading
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY PAPA JOHN'S - Pizza chain Papa John's told shareholders that President Obama's health care law will cost consumers more on their pizza. CRONYISM - A new report from the conservative Government Accountability Institute (GAI) finds that President Obama’s and U.S. Attorney General ... continue reading
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY HOUSING MARKET - According to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for August 2012, a total of 80 metropolitan areas across 32 states and the District of Columbia were listed as improving housing markets. WHITE HOUSE - The Obama ... continue reading
Monday, August 6, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FISCAL CLIFF - A rising number of manufacturers are canceling new investments and putting off new hires because they fear taxmageddon will force hundreds of billions in tax increases and automatic budget cuts in January 2013 will undermine economic growth. JOBS - The latest jobs ... continue reading
Friday, August 3, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY JOBS - Job growth picked up a bit last month, but the unemployment rate increased for July 2012, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. CONGRESS - The U.S. House approved (232-189) legislation Thursday that would set up an expedited process for considering a tax reform bill in 2013 ... continue reading
Thursday, August 2, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - The U.S. Federal Reserve announced no policy changes Wednesday, reiterating its position that the economy needs careful attention but no action. SEQUESTRATION - The Obama administration’s Office of Management and Budget chief warned Wednesday that threatened ... continue reading
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY ARMS TRADE TREATY - The month-long United Nations conference to draw up a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) failed to achieve consensus after the United States, Russia, and China requested more time to consider a draft treaty, according to the United Nations. OBAMACARE - New health ... continue reading
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - According to analysts at Moody's Analytics, the most likely outcome of this week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting will be a statement that the U.S. Federal Reserve expects to hold the federal funds rate near zero until mid-2015, rather than late 2014 as ... continue reading
Monday, July 30, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GENERAL MOTORS - General Motors is relying increasingly on subprime loans. GM Financial auto loans to customers with FICO scores below 660 rose from 87% of total loans in Q4 2010 to 93% in Q1 2012. CONGRESS - The U.S. House is set to vote this week on a GOP proposal that would keep ... continue reading
Friday, July 27, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT - The U.S. economy grew 1.5% in the second quarter, down from 2% in the first quarter, as consumers and businesses spent at a slower rate, according to a preliminary government estimate by the U.S. Commerce Department. TAXMAGEDDON - The Heritage Foundation ... continue reading
Thursday, July 26, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FISCAL CLIFF - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned Congress Wednesday that Europe's debt crisis and the looming budget crisis in the United States could weaken an already-fragile U.S. economy. INFLATION - The U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday left its ... continue reading
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve officials, impatient with the economy's sluggish growth and high unemployment, are moving closer to taking new steps to spur economic growth. OBAMACARE – The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on ... continue reading
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY IMPENDING REGULATION - The next four years could bring a tidal wave of costly federal regulations impacting U.S. businesses and consumers, according to new analysis by the National Federation of Independent Business' coalition. CONGRESS - The U.S. House is expected to vote on an ... continue reading
Monday, July 23, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY POVERTY – Experts predict that the official poverty rate will rise from 15.1 percent in 2010, climbing as high as 15.7 percent. Several predicted a more modest gain, but even a 0.1 percentage point increase would put poverty at the highest level since 1965. RICH GETTING POORER - ... continue reading
Friday, July 20, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY CANADA - For the first time in recent history, the average Canadian is richer than the average American, according to a report from Environics Analytics WealthScapes, a Canadian financial database website. FOOD PRICES - Corn prices are nearing the record highs of last summer as ... continue reading
Thursday, July 19, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers Wednesday that the Federal Reserve's efforts to bolster growth have helped lift the U.S. economy out of the Great Recession, but he also acknowledged that growth remains weak. FISCAL CLIFF – A new report ... continue reading
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FEDERAL RESERVE - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressional committee that progress in reducing U.S. unemployment is likely to be “frustratingly slow” but remained guarded about what the Fed would do about the disappointing outlook. DISABILITY, INSTEAD ... continue reading
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY NO MORE BOOKS - A survey by the nation's largest student lender finds families are cutting back on spending for college. CONGRESS - The U.S. House will vote on the defense appropriations bill this week as the warnings over the threat of $500 billion in defense cuts continue to get ... continue reading
Monday, July 16, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY PER CAPITA DEBT - According to 2010 data from the International Monetary Fund data, per capita debt in the United States is higher than in all -- or at least some, depending on how it's calculated -- the European nations that have accepted bailouts to date. CONGRESS - In a ... continue reading
Friday, July 13, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEBT - The national debt has now increased by more than $64,000 per federal taxpayer since Barack Obama was inaugurated president. CONGRESS - U.S. House lawmakers had signaled this week that they planned to launch their own investigation into recent national security leaks -- and use ... continue reading
Thursday, July 12, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY STUDENT DEBT - According to a new study by Accounting Principals, 68% of recent grads are leaving school with an average of nearly $40,000 of debt and 31% are finding the job prospects so weak they wish they’d chosen a different major. FEDERAL RESERVE - According to minutes ... continue reading
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DEPENDENCE - The percentage of people getting some kind of means-tested government assistance jumped to 18.6% of the population in 2009 from 17.4% in 2007, according to a U.S. Census report released Tuesday. TAX INCREASE - While President Obama says increasing tax rates on the ... continue reading
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY DISABILITY - More workers joined the federal government’s disability program in June 2012 than got new jobs, according to two new government reports, a clear indicator of how bleak the nation’s jobs picture is after three full years of economic recovery. FAST & ... continue reading
Monday, July 9, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY JOBS – While the U.S. Labor Department said the U.S. economy produced weak job growth in June 2012, the U.S. underemployment rate for June increased to 14.9 percent. CONGRESS - The "automatic trigger" cuts in the Budget Control Act (BCA) stipulated that $500 billion be ... continue reading
Friday, July 6, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY JOBS - The U.S. added a meager 80,000 jobs in June 2012, the U.S. Labor Department reported Friday, falling short of market expectations and confirming that the labor market cooled off considerably in the second quarter. OBAMACARE - Starting January 1, 2013, Obamacare ... continue reading
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY UNEMPLOYMENT - The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits declined by 14,000 last week to 374,000, the lowest level in six weeks. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 388,000 from an originally reported 386,000, according to U.S. Labor Department data. ... continue reading
Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY FISCAL CLIFF - A failure to avoid the “fiscal cliff” could slash the U.S. growth rate to under a 1% annual rate and risk harming the global economy, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released Tuesday. WHITE HOUSE - President Obama will honor the Fourth of ... continue reading
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY SLOWDOWN - U.S. manufacturing shrank in June for the first time in nearly three years, a troubling sign that the economy is faltering. TERROR PLOT - There are reports of concern over another terror plot involving Al Qaeda targeting a U.S. airliner. Sources say that Al Qaeda in the ... continue reading
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY SLOWDOWN - Economic expert say they're seeing signs of weakness in U.S. manufacturing because of uncertainty over demand and the global and U.S. outlook. OBAMACARE - The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding President Obama’s health-care reform law may have cleared up ... continue reading
Friday, June 29th, 2012
DAILY BRIEFING - SUMMARY TAX INCREASE - President Obama frequently promised not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year, but an analysis of his health bill finds everyone will pay more under the plan. According to Americans for Tax Reform, Obamacare contains 20 new or higher taxes on ... continue reading