Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Today's Top Stories 9-29-11

BLOOMBERG

Florida will likely defy national party rules and set its presidential primary for Jan. 31, 2012, state House Speaker Dean Cannon said yesterday, a move that would trigger an acceleration of the Republican nominating race.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry retreated from his debate statement last week that those who oppose in-state tuition for illegal immigrants don’t “have a heart.”

International investors expect the world economy to relapse into a recession, with more than one in three forecasting a global economic meltdown within the next year.

German lawmakers’ approval of an expansion of the euro-area rescue fund’s firepower handed Chancellor Merkel a victory that paves the way for steps to stem the European debt crisis.

The U.S. economy grew at a 1.3 percent pace in the second quarter, faster than estimated last month and helped by exports and spending on services.

Claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by 37,000 in the week ended Sept. 24 to 391,000, more than forecast last week as an atypical calendar alignment made it more difficult for the government to adjust the data for seasonal changes.

The price of options to protect against losses on equities from China to India and Brazil has surged to its highest since 2009 relative to U.S. contracts.

Consumer confidence in the U.S. slumped last week to minus 53, the second-lowest level on record, as Americans grew more concerned with their financial situation and the buying climate worsened. Similar readings were reached three times in the first half of 2009 and surpassed only by all-time lows of minus 54 plumbed in November 2008 and again in January 2009.

China launched its first space laboratory module today in a step toward a manned station orbiting Earth, two months after the final shuttle mission halted the U.S.’s ability to put people into orbit.

Ford Chief Executive Officer reiterated the automaker’s plan to add 7,000 jobs over the next two years in the U.S. as it expects the world’s largest economy to avoid another recession.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. creditors holding more than $140 billion in claims support the company’s latest payout plan, up from $100 billion in July, the defunct firm said.

Rare-earth prices are set to extend their decline from records this year as buyers including Toyota and General Electric scale back using the materials in their cars and windmills.

AP Top Stories

The United States must stop blaming Islamabad for regional instability, Pakistan's prime minister told a gathering of the country's political leaders.

The arrest of a Massachusetts man that the FBI alleges wanted to fly remote-controlled airplanes filled with C-4 explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol, gives a rare glimpse into how the government has been focusing on the threat of lone wolves and homegrown terrorists.

Freddie Mac says the average on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 4.01 percent this week. That's the lowest rate since 1951. The average on a 15-year fixed mortgage ticked down to 3.28 percent. Economists say that's the lowest rate ever.

The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell 1.2 percent in August, after a weaker-than-expected peak buying season.

No comments: