Economy

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Oil Retreats After Closing Above $100

Associated Press

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Oil prices pulled back a bit Wednesday after finishing above $100 a barrel for the first time a day earlier as investors seized on a refinery explosion and the possibility that OPEC may cut its output. The spike in crude Tuesday rattled Asian financial markets, with Tokyo's benchmark stock index falling more than 3 percent. Light sweet crude for March delivery on the New York Mercasntile Exchange was down 51 cents to $99.50 in electronic trading by afternoon Europe. The contract climbed $4.51 on Tuesday to settle at a record finish of $100.01 a barrel after trading at an intraday record of $100.10 a barrel earlier in the session. It was the first time since Jan. 3 that oil had been above $100. Still, prices are still within the range of inflation-adjusted highs set in early 1980. Depending on how the adjustment is calculated, $38 a barrel then would be worth $96 to $103 or more today. Many recent forecasts have said demand for oil this year will be less than initially expected -- yet prices continue to rise. That suggests oil may continue its climb as the weakening dollar attracts new investors to the futures market.

Bloomberg Rips Government Over Failing Economy

WCBSTV.Com

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) ― Mayor Michael Bloomberg has unleashed another flurry of jabs on Washington, ridiculing the federal government's rebate checks as being "like giving a drink to an alcoholic" on Thursday, and said the presidential candidates are looking for easy solutions to complex economic problems. The billionaire and potential independent presidential candidate also said the nation "has a balance sheet that's starting to look more and more like a third-world country." President Bush signed legislation Wednesday that will result in cash rebates ranging from $300 to $1,200 for more than 130 million people. The federal checks are the centerpiece of the government's emergency effort to stimulate the economy, under the theory that most people will spend the money right away. But Bloomberg does not believe it will do much good. And his harsh words at a news conference Thursday reflect the view among some of his associates that the country's economic woes present a unique opportunity for him to launch a third-party bid for the White House.

Stocks Plunge on Recession Fears

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street plunged at the opening of trading Tuesday, propelling the Dow Jones industrials down about 300 points after an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve failed to assuage investors fearing a recession in the United States. U.S. markets joined stock exchanges around the globe that have fallen precipitously in recent days amid concerns that a downturn might spread around the world. U.S. bonds were mixed, with investors seeking safer investments as stocks plummeted. The price of oil, meanwhile, fell amid expectations that a downturn would depress demand for energy. The Fed's decision to cut its federal funds rate to 3.50 percent and the discount rate, the interest it charges to lend directly to banks, came a week before the central bank's regularly scheduled meeting, a sign that the Fed recognized the seriousness of the world financial situation. But there were already fears in the markets before the Fed move that an interest rate could wouldn't be enough to prevent a recession.

Bush considering $800 tax rebate to boost US economy

President George W. Bush's administration is considering an individual tax rebate of up to 800 dollars as a short term measure to help boost the sagging US economy, a media report said Friday. The Republican leader was to unveil a fiscal stimulus plan later Friday, amid grim economic news that has united lawmakers and the Federal Reserve chief on the need to revive flagging US growth. The White House has said Bush would propose policies, not dollar amounts, because details of the plan must be hammered out with the Democratic-controlled Congress. "Privately, the White House has discussed its support for a tax rebate of as much as 800 dollars for individual taxpayers, more than double the 300 dollar rebate featured in a 2001 effort to spur economic growth," the Wall Street Journal said. In a key concession to Democrats, the US administration appeared willing to accept stimulus legislation that does not include an extension of Bush's tax cuts, the Journal said.

Bank Agrees to Buy Troubled Loan Giant for $4 Billion

The New York Times

Bank of America announced Friday that it has agreed to pay about $4 billion in stock to acquire Countrywide Financial, the troubled lender that became a symbol of the excesses that led to the subprime mortgage crisis. “Countrywide presents a rare opportunity for Bank of America to add what we believe is the best domestic mortgage platform at an attractive price and to affirm our position as the nation’s premier lender to consumers,” Kenneth D. Lewis, Bank of America’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Buffett Says to Keep Inheritance Tax

BREITBART.COM

WASHINGTON (AP) - Billionaire Warren Buffett told the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday that Congress should keep the estate tax rather than repeal it and help a few rich Americans like him. "I think we need to ... take a little more out of the hides of guys like me," Buffett told the panel. One of the world's richest men and biggest philanthropists, Buffett has been outspoken against efforts, mostly by Republicans, to repeal or reduce the federal tax on inheritances. Democrats argue that a repeal would amount to a huge windfall for the nation's wealthiest families. The fate of the levy will effectively be decided during next year's presidential and congressional elections. Estates worth up to $2 million this year and next will be exempt from the federal estate tax. Portions of estates above that threshold will be taxed at 45 percent. In 2009, the exemption level rises to $3.5 million, and by 2010 the estate tax will be repealed—but only for a year. Unless Congress changes the law, it comes roaring back in 2011 with an exemption threshold of only $1 million and a top tax rate of 55 percent.

Bullet 333Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)
Bullet 333Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy Analysis
Bullet 333David Bossie, President, Citizens United
Bullet 333Dan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio Program
Bullet 333Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.
Bullet 333Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship
Bullet 333Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights Institute
Bullet 333Tom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of Representatives
Bullet 333William Devlin, National President, Redeem The Vote
Bullet 333Chuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333James Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLC
Bullet 333Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org
Bullet 333Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDaily
Bullet 333James Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bullet 333Lou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT Corporation
Bullet 333Rick Green, President, Torch of Freedom Foundation
Bullet 333Colin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Bullet 333Lowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.
Bullet 333Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security Institute
Bullet 333Phillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
Bullet 333Cliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.
Bullet 333Jennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333Gary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation Network
Bullet 333Ryan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin
Bullet 333Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)
Bullet 333Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle Forum
Bullet 333Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI Funds
Bullet 333Tony Strickland, Taxpayer Advocate
Bullet 333Lorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources Project
Bullet 333John Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res

Poll: Blacks grow more pessimistic

USA Today

WASHINGTON — Black Americans are more dissatisfied with their progress than at any time in the past 20 years, and less than half say life will get better for them in the future. A poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found that one in five blacks say things are better for them now than five years ago. In 1984, almost two in five blacks said things were better than they were five years earlier. Less than half of blacks surveyed say they think life will get better, compared with 57% in 1986. "There's a great deal of anxiety, cynicism and pessimism today," says Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. He says growing rates of crime, unemployment and mortgage foreclosures are shrinking wealth in black communities, which contributes to the dissatisfaction.

Bullet 333Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)
Bullet 333Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy Analysis
Bullet 333David Bossie, President, Citizens United
Bullet 333Dan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio Program
Bullet 333Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource Network
Bullet 333Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.
Bullet 333Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights Institute
Bullet 333William Devlin, National President, Redeem The Vote
Bullet 333Tim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPact
Bullet 333James Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLC
Bullet 333Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDaily
Bullet 333James Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bullet 333Lou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT Corporation
Bullet 333Colin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Bullet 333Lowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.
Bullet 333Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers Ministries
Bullet 333Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security Institute
Bullet 333Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church
Bullet 333Phillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
Bullet 333Gary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation Network
Bullet 333Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin
Bullet 333Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)
Bullet 333Jesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President, Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny
Bullet 333Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle Forum
Bullet 333Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI Funds
Bullet 333Tony Strickland, Taxpayer Advocate
Bullet 333Lorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources Project
Bullet 333John Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res

Bush Pushes Budget Fight With Democrats

Los Angeles Times

NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- President Bush, escalating his budget battle with Congress, on Tuesday vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats. He also signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget although the White House complained it contained "some unnecessary spending." The president's action was announced on Air Force One as Bush flew to New Albany, Ind., on the Ohio River across from Louisville, Ky., for a speech criticizing the Democratic-led Congress on its budget priorities. In excerpts of his remarks released in advance by the White House, Bush hammered Democrats for what he called a tax-and-spend philosophy: "The Congress now sitting in Washington holds this philosophy," Bush said. "Their majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it is acting like a teenager with a new credit card. "This year alone, leaders in Congress are proposing to spend $22 billion more than my budget provides," the president said. "Some of them claim this is not really much of a difference and the scary part is that they seem to mean it."

Bullet 333Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)
Bullet 333Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy Analysis
Bullet 333David Bossie, President, Citizens United
Bullet 333Dan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio Program
Bullet 333Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.
Bullet 333Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship
Bullet 333Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights Institute
Bullet 333Tom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of Representatives
Bullet 333William Devlin, National President, Redeem The Vote
Bullet 333Chuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333James Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLC
Bullet 333Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org
Bullet 333Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDaily
Bullet 333James Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bullet 333Lou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT Corporation
Bullet 333Rick Green, President, Torch of Freedom Foundation
Bullet 333Colin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Bullet 333Lowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.
Bullet 333Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers Ministries
Bullet 333Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security Institute
Bullet 333Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church
Bullet 333Phillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
Bullet 333Cliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.
Bullet 333Jennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333Gary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation Network
Bullet 333Ryan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage Foundation
Bullet 333Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin
Bullet 333Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)
Bullet 333Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle Forum
Bullet 333Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI Funds
Bullet 333Tony Strickland, Taxpayer Advocate
Bullet 333Lorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources Project
Bullet 333John Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res

US home sales fall to fresh lows, glut of unsold homes rises

Breitbart.com

US existing home sales fell 8.0 percent in September as a persistent housing slump continued to weigh on the property market and the world's biggest economy, an industry group said Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said in a monthly snapshot that sales of existing homes and apartments tumbled to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.04 million units in September from 5.48 million in August. The drop was worse than expected. Most economists had only expected sales to decline to around 5.25 million. Stripping out apartment sales, sales fell to their lowest level since January 1998. August's sales pace meanwhile was revised down from an original tally of 5.50 million properties. The depth of the housing depression was underlined by an annual reading which showed sales of homes and apartments across the United States have plummeted a hefty 19.1 percent from September 2006. Sales activity has slowed dramatically and dragged down prices in many areas in the past 12 months in a market downturn which has also forced many mortgage lenders out of business. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was 211,700 dollars in September, down 4.2 percent from a year ago.

Oil Prices Rise to New Intraday Record

Time

(SINGAPORE)— Oil prices rose to new intraday highs in Asia Tuesday on fears Turkey will pursue Kurdish rebels into Iraq and disrupt oil supplies in the region. A weakening U.S. dollar, low U.S. crude inventories and increased buying by investment funds also supported prices, analysts said. The Turkish government's decision Monday to ask Parliament for permission to pursue Kurdish rebels into Iraq stoked the worries about disrupted oil supplies. "Whenever there is any escalation in political tensions in the Middle East, oil markets become concerned," said David Moore, a commodity strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. "There is production and there are pipelines that people worry may be affected if there are any issues in Iraq."

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Bill Directing Divestment from Iran

CA.GOV

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed AB 221 by Assemblymember Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) which prohibits the state’s pension funds from investing in companies with active business in Iran. “I couldn’t be more proud to sign this bill,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Last year I signed legislation to show our defiance against the inhumane murder and genocide in Sudan. This year I am pleased to support additional efforts to further prevent terrorism by doing what’s right with our investment portfolio and signing this legislation to divest from Iran.” “As we all know, money is the mother’s milk of terrorism. I was never more proud of our Governor then when he announced at the United Nations that he would sign this anti-terror bill. At a time when the world is desperate for leadership, the Governor has proven that courageous leaders can make a difference in fighting evil,” said Assemblymember Anderson. AB 221 by Assemblymember Anderson creates the California Public Divest from Iran Act which prohibits CalPERS and CalSTRS from investing public employee retirement funds in a company with business operations in Iran. CalPERS, the state’s employee retirement fund, is the largest pension fund in the nation and CalSTRS, the state’s public education retirement fund, is the second largest pension fund in the nation.

Bullet 333Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)
Bullet 333Joel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State Assembly
Bullet 333Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy Analysis
Bullet 333David Bossie, President, Citizens United
Bullet 333Dan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio Program
Bullet 333Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.
Bullet 333Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights Institute
Bullet 333William Devlin, National President, Redeem The Vote
Bullet 333James Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLC
Bullet 333Major Eric Egland, Author, The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help...
Bullet 333Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDaily
Bullet 333Paul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT Publications
Bullet 333James Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bullet 333Lou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT Corporation
Bullet 333Colin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Bullet 333Lowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.
Bullet 333Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security Institute
Bullet 333Phillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
Bullet 333Jan Markell, President, Olive Tree Ministries
Bullet 333Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin
Bullet 333Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)
Bullet 333Kamal Saleem, Shoebat Foundation
Bullet 333Walid Shoebat, President, Shoebat Foundation
Bullet 333Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI Funds
Bullet 333Tony Strickland, Taxpayer Advocate
Bullet 333John Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res

Medicaid spending jumps sharply

USA Today

Medicaid spending has started to soar again, a sharp reversal from last year when costs unexpectedly fell for the first time since the program began in 1965. The state-federal health care program for the poor experienced a 10.7% jump in costs during the first six months of the year, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis data. That's the biggest increase since 2001 and puts Medicaid on pace to spend a record $330 billion in 2007. "States are going to have to make some tough decisions on who receives care, what care they get and what the limitations are," says Robert Campbell, vice chairman of Deloitte & Touche USA, an accounting and consulting firm that works with state and local governments. He expects costs to continue to rise for the foreseeable future as states try to reduce the number of the uninsured amid rising medical costs. Higher Medicaid spending could squeeze state finances at a time when revenue growth in many states is being slowed by the slumping housing market. State tax collections have grown about 5% this year, down from 9% growth in 2005, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. Medicaid recently surpassed education as the biggest item in state budgets.

Weak dollar prompts record foreign buyouts of U.S. companies

The Boston Globe

BOSTON: European, Asian and Canadian companies are taking advantage of the weaker dollar to buy their U.S. counterparts at a record pace, increasing investment in the United States but also raising fears about a potential loss of jobs and autonomy. "We could be looking at the world's largest tag sale if we continue to see declines in the dollar," said Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist at DataCore Partners. In the latest large deal aided by a weak dollar, Commerce Bancorp, which is based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, agreed Tuesday to be acquired by Toronto-Dominion Bank of Canada in a cash-and-shares deal valued at $8.5 billion. Nationally, the value of purchases of companies by non-U.S. buyers so far this year totaled $257.4 billion - more than in any full year since 2000, the height of the technology boom, according to Thomson Financial, a research firm in New York. The buyouts are sparking anxiety in the United States, though their impact is complex. Foreign owners typically use acquisitions as an entry into the U.S. market and thus may be more willing than American buyers to invest in their new holdings, some economists say. But the risk is that they might also be quicker to cut back or consolidate U.S. operations when times get tough.

Dollar hits fresh record low against euro

Reuters

The dollar sank to a fresh record low against the euro in Asian deals Monday as traders waited nervously for a key US employment report due later this week, dealers said. They said the greenback was steady against the yen after a central bank survey showed Japanese business confidence holding steady close to a two-year high despite recent financial market volatility. The euro struck a new all-time high of 1.4283 in early Tokyo trade. By late morning it stood at 1.4273, up from 1.4266 in New York late on Friday. The dollar was unchanged at 114.80 yen while the euro edged up to 163.87 yen from 163.82. Traders were looking ahead to Friday's US non-farm payrolls data for fresh leads on the impact of credit market and housing woes on the economy. "Although the market has already anticipated poor jobs data, traders are waiting for see if the Fed will reduce interest rates again," said Saburo Matsumoto, chief forex strategist at Sumitomo Trust Bank. The Fed last month slashed its key rate by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent. Many analysts expect further cuts to cushion the world's largest economy from problems stemming from the ailing US housing market.

Congress agrees to raise U.S. credit limit

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the U.S. government fast approaching its current $8.965 trillion credit limit, the Senate on Thursday gave final congressional approval of an $850 billion increase in U.S. borrowing authority. The Senate voted 53-42 to raise the debt ceiling to $9.815 trillion, the fifth increase in the U.S. credit limit since President George W. Bush took office in January 2001. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the higher debt limit earlier this year as part of the overall budget resolution and the legislation now goes to Bush for his signature. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson commended Congress for quickly passing legislation he said "ensures the U.S. government can deliver on promises already made." "The Senate's swift action on the debt limit today helps to protect the full faith and credit of the United States and avoids creating unnecessary uncertainty in the U.S. Treasuries market," Paulson said in a statement. The Treasury Department had been pressing Congress to pass the debt increase quickly. Last week Paulson said the government would hit its current $8.965 trillion debt limit on October 1.

Capitol Hill Spending Showdown

Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON -- As the new fiscal year starts and Congress prepares for a fight over government spending, Democrats are faced with this unhappy fact: President Bush could both block their domestic priorities and corner them into funding a war they want to end. No Democrat is talking about a government shutdown akin to 1995, when Republicans clashed with then-President Clinton. Shutting down the Iraq war remains a Democratic ambition, but without more votes the challenge will be to buy time until spring when the political landscape may be improved. Lawmakers will approve a six-week stopgap bill to keep the government operating past Oct. 1, but the added time seems short next to the volume of unfinished work before Congress. The House has approved all of its 12 annual spending bills, but only four have made their way through the Senate, and none are ready to go to the president, who has shown little willingness to compromise.

World Markets Bolstered By Fed Rate Cut

CBS News

(AP) Asian and European stock markets rallied Wednesday, continuing a surge that began on Wall Street after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a larger-than-expected interest rate cut. Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 335.97 points, or 2.51 percent, to 13,739.39 - its biggest one-day point jump in nearly five years. Wednesday, Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index soared 579.74 points, or 3.7 percent, to close at 16,381.54 points, marking its biggest point gain in more than five years. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 977.79 points, or 3.98 percent, to 25,554.64. Investors cheered the Fed's decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by a half percentage point to 4.75 percent, a move aimed at keeping problems in the mortgage market from causing a recession in the U.S. economy - a key export market for many Asian and European companies.

Federal Reserve to Cut Key Rate?

Time

(WASHINGTON) — A serious bout of financial market instability has dramatically changed the debate at the Federal Reserve from worries about inflation to concerns about the possibility of a recession. The Fed is widely expected to cut its target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, on Tuesday for the first time in four years. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, facing his first major test since taking over from Alan Greenspan in early 2006, has been sending signals that he is prepared "to act as needed" to cushion the impact on the economy from the market turmoil. A change in the funds rate, now at 5.25 percent, is reflected immediately in banks' prime lending rate, the benchmark for millions of consumer and business loans. The prime rate is currently at 8.25 percent. Most economists are predicting that Bernanke and his colleagues will choose to reduce the federal funds rate only by a quarter point although a few economists see the chance for a bolder half-point move. But analysts agreed that whatever the Fed does on Tuesday will likely not be the last word on the subject. Many economists are predicting a string of three or more rate cuts as the central bank works to calm financial markets and keep the worst slump in housing in 16 years from pushing the country into a recession. "We have a very soft economy and if the Fed doesn't lower rates then the economy could fall into a recession," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com.

Recession looms large for American economy

WorldNetDaily - Ex-Treasury Secretary Summers says risks 'greater than any since aftermath of 9/11'

Former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, a strong proponent of free trade and globalization, is warning the U.S. could be heading into recession due to the ongoing sub-prime mortgage crisis. "It would be far too premature to judge this crisis over," Summers told the London Telegraph for today's edition. "I would say the risks of recession are now greater than they've been any time since the period in the aftermath of 9/11." Traders are bracing for another week of uncertainty after the near breakdown of America's $2,200 billion market for commercial paper. Investors are said to be waiting to learn whether or not the Federal Reserve would succeed in stabilizing the market, the latest domino to fall in the spreading contagion from sub-prime debt.

Income-Tax Foes Regroup

Wall Street Journal

For more than a decade, a group started among friends at Houston's River Oaks Country Club and led by construction magnate Leo Linbeck Jr. has pushed to scrap the federal income tax for a national sales tax. The stars seemed to align for their "FairTax" plan when sympathetic fellow Texas Republicans took power: George W. Bush was in the White House, and, in Congress, Tom DeLay was House majority leader and Bill Archer chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Nothing happened. Now Messrs. DeLay and Archer, who both supported the idea, are gone. And President Bush, who promised tax change of some kind in his second term, is a lame duck unlikely to deliver so big a change even if he tried.

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