News
Bloomberg | Markit Index of Manufacturing in U.S. Fell to 55.4 in April
The Markit Economics final index of U.S. manufacturing eased to 55.4 in April from 55.5 a month earlier, the London-based group said today.
FOX Business | IMF Approves $17B Bailout For Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund's board signed off on a $17 billion two-year aid program for Ukraine on Wednesday to help the ex-Soviet republic's economy recover after months of turmoil.
CNN Money | One in three Americans are spending too much on rent
One out of three Americans now live in a housing market where rent for a three-bedroom home eats up more than 30% of the monthly median income, the traditional threshold for affordability, according to RealtyTrac. And in some cities, residents are doling out a much larger percentage of their paychecks.
Bloomberg | Consumer Spending in U.S. Jumps by Most in Five Years
Consumer spending surged in March by the most in almost five years as warmer weather brought shoppers back to auto-dealer lots and malls, a sign the U.S. economy gained momentum heading into the second quarter.
Market Watch | 30-year-mortgage rate declines to 4.29%
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined to 4.29% in the week that ended May 1 from 4.33% in the prior week, according to a Thursday report from federally controlled mortgage-buyer Freddie Mac
Econ Comments & Analysis
WSJ | The Growth Deficit
Most commentators shrugged off Wednesday's GDP report of paltry 0.1% growth in the first quarter, blaming the weather and rightly pointing out that the second quarter looks much better. Yet no one should overlook that the news once again underscores the growth deficit that has defined the last five years. The White House wouldn't have to worry so much about redistributing wealth if the economy were producing more of it for everybody to share.
Fiscal Times | Don't Sweat the Terrible First-Quarter GDP Number
Economists drew a collective sharp breath Tuesday morning, when the Commerce Department announced that it measured first quarter growth in the U.S. economy at a sickly 0.1 percent annualized rate. The expectation had been that growth would clock in at 1.2 percent, so the figure came as a disappointment to many. - See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/05/01/Dont-Sweat-Terrible-First-Quarter-GDP-Number#sthash.D34YKgh8.dpuf
Fortune | What is water worth?
Farmland is parched. Companies are worried. The global demand for water will soon outstrip supply. What's the solution? Simple, say some business leaders and economists: Make people pay more for the most precious commodity on earth.
Market Watch | 4 easy ways to boost the U.S. economy
The U.S. economy eked out a gain of 0.1% in the first quarter, the government said yesterday, as exports plummeted 12% and gross private investment tumbled 6.1%.
Investors | Obama's Economic Growth Gap Hits $1.5 Trillion
So much for those forecasts that 2014 would be a solid growth year. The meager 0.1% gain in the first quarter extends President Obama's miserable track record and puts his "recovery" $1.5 trillion below average.
Blogs
WSJ | Natural Gas Has Been Called the Fuel of the Future Before
In 1886, a Pennsylvania state geologist, in an official review, declared natural gas “the fuel of the future”, offering 40% reduction in the cost of manufacturing compared with coal, and used by “3,000 families, 34 iron and steel mills, 60 glass factories, and 300 smaller factories and hotels.”
