News
Market Watch | U.S. trade gap widens sharply in January
The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in January, driven higher by record imports of autos, capital goods and food, government data showed Friday.
CNBC | Wholesale Business Inventories Rose 0.4% in January
Inventories at the wholesale level increased 0.4 percent in January following an even larger 1.1 percent gain in December
CNN Money | House passes bipartisan bill aimed at start-ups
In a rare moment of bipartisanship, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday aimed at making it easier for small companies to grow and go public.
Bloomberg | Staffing Companies Outperform as European Outlook Stabilizes
Euro-area and U.K. staffing companies are outperforming the market, a signal that investors predict economic conditions in the region won’t be as bad as previously forecast.
WSJ | Consumers Shape Up Their Finances
Americans ramped up their borrowing late last year for the first time since the depths of the recession, as households took out loans for education, cars and holiday gifts.
CNN Money | ECB: Gloomy on economy, upbeat on euro
The European Central Bank offered a slightly more pessimistic outlook for the eurozone economy Thursday and said it expects inflation to rise this year on higher oil prices.
Econ Comments & Analysis
WSJ | A Look at the Global One Percent
While the Occupy Wall Street movement may be waning, the perception of growing income inequality in America is not. For those on the left, the widening gap between the top 1% of earners and the remaining 99% is proof that American capitalism is unjust and should be traded in for an economic model more closely resembling the social democracies of Europe.
Politico | Tapping the oil reserve is bad policy
Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 1975 to respond to “severe energy supply interruptions.” The president is authorized to tap into it if an emergency of significant scope and duration threatens to cause a price increase that is likely to have a major adverse impact on the national economy.
Blogs
WSJ | Some Problem Banks May Never Exit Federal Bailout
More banks are missing dividend, interest and other repayments to the Treasury Department and some may never exit from a federal financial-system bailout program, a government watchdog said Thursday.
Heritage Foundation | Morning Bell: A Disappointing Recovery Leaves Americans Suffering
In the Super Tuesday primary, the economy was the number one issue on voters’ minds, be they in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, or Virginia. And that wasn’t because they were happy about high unemployment and slow wage growth.
