TheRepublic.com - Economic policy News

Perry opposed to part of Texas budget deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:09:08 -0400

AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry on Friday joined the ranks of lawmakers dissatisfied with parts of a Texas budget deal, adding another hang-up to an already tumultuous spending package.

Investors shift focus to growth stocks

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:17:18 -0400

NEW YORK - Growth stocks, neglected at the start of the year, are starting to get a bit of love from investors again.

World stocks lower after big sell-off

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:16:15 -0400

MOSCOW - World stocks edged lower on Friday, a day after markets around the world dropped sharply on concerns global growth is slowing and the Federal Reserve could start scaling back its monetary stimulus.

China, Switzerland to seal free trade deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:51:06 -0400

GENEVA - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Switzerland to seal a free trade pact with the Alpine nation - the first comprehensive agreement his country has reached with a major western economy.

Slovenia adopts debt cap to stave off crisis

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:37:06 -0400

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - Slovenia's parliament on Friday adopted a cap on public spending to try to convince foreign investors that the small eurozone country will not need an international bailout.

US durable goods orders rise 3.3 percent in April

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:27:06 -0400

WASHINGTON - U.S. orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rebounded in April, buoyed by more demand for aircraft and stronger business investment. The gains suggest economic growth may be holding steady this spring.

Japan's PM Abe defends policies as markets settle

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:52:09 -0400

TOKYO - Japan's top leaders are defending the economic strategies championed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, though the central bank chief acknowledged a need for better communication with financial markets, a day after Tokyo shares suffered their worst loss since the 2011 tsunami disaster.

Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif.

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:46:20 -0400

SACRAMENTO, California - Californians are finally getting to see what "Obamacare" means for them.

Tobacco farmers notch legislative victory

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:18:11 -0400

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - Tobacco farmers long on the defensive notched a victory Thursday when the U.S. Senate fended off efforts to eliminate the federal insurance program for the embattled crop.

Tea party vs. old guard in GOP Senate rift

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:52:36 -0400

WASHINGTON - A long-simmering feud between establishment Republicans and tea partyers broke into full view Thursday, with Sen. John McCain accusing younger colleagues of overplaying their hands and tempting Democrats to change Senate rules that protect the minority party.

It's now House's turn to create NC state budget

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:14:46 -0400

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Senate Republicans handed off their vision of North Carolina's state budget to their counterparts Thursday in the House, who are likely to take issue with several proposals and listen to what GOP Gov. Pat McCrory wants in a final plan.

Senate votes to cut crop insurance aid for wealthy

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:09:12 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Thursday voted to limit the amount of government subsidies the wealthiest farmers receive when purchasing crop insurance.

Why worry? Less aid by Fed would point to recovery

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:58 -0400

WASHINGTON - Investors have grown nervous that the Federal Reserve will scale back its efforts to boost the U.S. economy sooner than many expected.

Audit cites Md. schools spending of stimulus money

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:37:19 -0400

BALTIMORE - A federal audit is focusing on how public schools in Maryland spent federal stimulus money.

Applications for US unemployment aid fall to 340K

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:31:09 -0400

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth.

Applications for US unemployment aid fall to 340K

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:39:09 -0400

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth.

Japan gyrations underline economy's vulnerability

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:29:25 -0400

TOKYO - Japan's financial markets gyrated wildly Thursday, underscoring the vulnerability of its economy to a loss of investor confidence as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attempts shock monetary easing to end two decades of stagnation.

4-nation Pacific Alliance trade bloc forges ahead

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:27:04 -0400

BOGOTA, Colombia - The presidents of Colombia, Peru, Chile and Mexico meet in the western city of Cali on Thursday in hopes of completing a nascent trade bloc that looks to the European Union as a model and aims to further open their trade with Asia.

Fed weighed slowing its pace of bond purchases

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:52:07 -0400

WASHINGTON - Several Federal Reserve policymakers this month favored slowing the Fed's efforts to maintain record-low long-term interest rates as early as June - if the economy showed strong and sustained growth. But those officials appeared at odds over what evidence would demonstrate such gains.

Bernanke signals Fed to maintain stimulus efforts

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:29:44 -0400

WASHINGTON - Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that the U.S. job market remains weak and that it is too soon for the Federal Reserve to slow its extraordinary stimulus programs.

Weak yen a help for Japan, but headache elsewhere

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:06:11 -0400

TOKYO - A steady fall in the value of the yen is proving a godsend for exporters such as Toyota. The cheaper yen is making their products more affordable overseas.

IMF softens views on UK government's policies

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:08:17 -0400

LONDON - The International Monetary Fund has softened its assessment of the British government's economic policies, saying in a report Wednesday that it did well to ease its pace of austerity cuts, but stressing more was needed to support the recovery.

Key senator to let Myanmar sanctions bill lapse

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:14:11 -0400

WASHINGTON - Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, easing up on his long-held tough stance on Myanmar, said Tuesday he planned to allow key sanctions legislation against the Southeast Asian nation to lapse because of the country's progress toward democracy.

Does France have right plan to revive its economy?

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:39:33 -0400

PARIS - The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest here is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

Lew taps government retiree pension fund

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:54:07 -0400

WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said late Monday he will begin tapping into two government employee retirement funds to buy more time before the U.S. Treasury is faced with the prospect of defaulting on the national debt.