Monetary News Dec. 20 - 23

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News
THURSDAY
Dollar recovers after U.S. data
The U.S. dollar gained ground against the euro but remained lower versus the Japanese yen Thursday, as reports showed U.S. jobless claims and durable-goods orders fell while consumer spending and incomes rose.
Is the Fed Printing Money?
Is the Federal Reserve printing money to finance its bond buying? Or isn’t it? Ben Bernanke has given inconsistent answers, at times saying it is and at times saying it isn’t.

WEDNESDAY
Dollar recovers as euro hits two-week low
The euro fell to a two-week low against the dollar on Tuesday, after briefly recovering following supportive comments from a top Chinese official.

TUESDAY
Fed Extends Program to Ease Europe Debt Crisis
The Federal Reserve is extending a program set up earlier this year to ease strains from the European debt crisis. The program, which was set to expire in January, will now run through August 1.

MONDAY
Paul says he won't subpoena Fed, immediately
Longtime critic takes over watchdog role saying he's interested in transparency.

Economists Comments
THURSDAY
Economists: Fed won't raise rates until 2012
Economists are evenly split on whether the Federal Reserve's current policies are helping the economy. But they're in agreement on one point -- the Fed won't be raising interest rates anytime soon.

WEDNESDAY
Fed Rate Hike Could Come in 2012
In our view, Fed policy will remain stimulative, but less intensely so, through 2012. If the unemployment rate continues trending lower through mid-year 2012, as we anticipate, the initial Fed rate hike may come later that year. Our forecast features a 50 basis-point hike in interest on reserves to 0.75% by year-end 2012 and an accompanying fed-funds rate target range of 0.50%-0.75%.
Fed throws euro banks a lifeline
For an outfit whose policies supposedly are plunging the world into unspeakable conflict, the Federal Reserve is doing an awful lot to avoid another meltdown.
Do We Need Google To Measure Inflation?
Economists are creating new methods for tracking prices.

TUESDAY
Fed Up, Again
With the onset of the financial crisis and the collapse of aggregate demand in the United States, the Federal Reserve reached for the standard textbook solution to stimulate demand. Indeed, the Fed pushed shortterm interest rates toward zero — a zone in which they have been trapped ever since.
It's Europe's Crisis
The most profound and widespread challenge is the growing sense that the EU's common currency, the euro, may not survive in its present form, if at all.

MONDAY
How to solve European debt crisis? Create a European treasury to back EU bonds
To prevent Europe's debt crisis from spiraling further out of control, EU nations must act now to create a European treasury with centralized power to issue European-backed bonds and tax at a federal level. Doing so is in the best interests of all member nations – not just those mired in debt.
Economic Slack and Inflation
One of the measures commonly followed by the Fed, and others of the slack-restrains-inflation school, is the measure of capacity utilization rate.

Blogs
TUESDAY
Inflation fears? Not in November
The November 2010 CPI has been released. The verdict? Nothing doing on the inflation front.

MONDAY
The Euro Suffers an Identity Crisis
Pity the poor euro. It’s a currency, but it’s asked to be so much more. More, indeed, than any currency can possibly be.

Reports
None