U.S. Economy
• Highway deaths drop to lowest levels since 1950s
(AP)
AP - U.S. highway deaths have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1950s, as more motorists bought into buckling up and embraced safety innovations. A sour economy that dampened traveling instincts also was a contributor.
• Obama to sign order to execute export-doubling strategy
(AFP)
<p>AFP - US President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Thursday to put into action his ambitious strategy to double American exports to ease an unemployment crisis at home, officials said.
• Trade deficit shrinks as auto and oil imports drop
(AP)
<img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100311/capt.8b248d8f6bee410c9b7dcb1295f2a36e.economy_nybz176.jpg?x=130&y=65&q=85&sig=kO4YYeJuugJcfU5hTKgdBg--" align="left" height="65" width="130" alt="FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2009 file photo, imported cars are seen stored in a lot after being offloaded from a ship at Port Hueneme, Calif. The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, 2010, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)" border="0" />AP - The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. American exports also fell, a potential blow to hopes that the economic recovery will be aided this year by U.S. sales abroad.
• First-time jobless claims drop slightly last week
(AP)
AP - The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment benefits slipped last week, the latest sign the employment picture is slowly brightening.
• Jan trade gap narrows unexpectedly due to oil
(Reuters)
Reuters - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as oil imports fell to their lowest since February 1999, a government report showed on Thursday.
• US trade gap narrows on falling imports
(AFP)
AFP - The US trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as volume fell for the first time in five months, led by a drop in imports, the government reported Thursday.
• (AP)
AP - New unemployment claims fall, a sign the job market is slowly improving.
• German economy to shrink in Q1, think tank says
(AP)
AP - A leading German think-tank says it expects the country's economy — Europe's biggest — to contract in the first quarter because of an unusually harsh winter.
• Hawaii jobless rate inches upward, led by tourism
(AP)
AP - Hawaii's unemployment rate inched upward in January, led by large job losses in the tourism sector of the state's economy, the state reported Wednesday.
• Foreclosures drop for 2nd month in February: RealtyTrac
(Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings dropped for a second straight month in February, and notched the smallest annual increase in four years as housing-rescue efforts contained activity, a report released on Thursday showed.
• Oil near $82 as traders eye weak US demand
(AP)
AP - Oil prices hovered around $82 a barrel Thursday in Europe as traders weighed stagnant U.S. crude demand against a gradual global economic recovery.
• Obama taps Boeing, Xerox chiefs to lead export body
(Reuters)
Reuters - President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and tackle unemployment, will name two top executives from Boeing and Xerox on Thursday to spearhead his drive to boost U.S. exports, the White House said.
• India aims to be world's fastest growing economy
(AP)
AP - Just how fast can India grow? Ask Manal Farooq, who can't make gloves quickly enough.
• Geithner warns EU on hedge fund regulation plan
(AFP)
AFP - US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has warned the European Commission its plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity groups could spark a transatlantic row, a paper reported Thursday.
• Japan's 4Q growth weaker than first estimated
(AP)
AP - Japan's economic growth was weaker than first estimated in the fourth quarter, underscoring a patchy recovery in the world's No. 2 economy.
• U.S. dollar still rules, but debt level a risk: S&P
(Reuters)
Reuters - The U.S. dollar is still the most important world currency, Standard & Poor's said on Thursday, but added that rising levels of U.S. debt and dependence on foreigners to finance much of pose risks to the currency's primacy.
• Senate passes $149 billion for jobless aid
(Reuters)
Reuters - The Senate on Wednesday passed a $149 billion package of jobless aid and tax breaks, as Democrats continued efforts to lower the 9.7 percent unemployment rate before congressional elections in November.
• US Senate adopts aid for unemployed
(AFP)
AFP - The US Senate has adopted a 140-billion-dollar raft of measures aimed at shoring up unemployment benefits and setting out tax breaks to spur job creation.
• California revenue jumps, tax refunds should be paid on time
(Reuters)
Reuters - California's revenue in February was $480 million or 8.7 percent above the estimate in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's state budget plan, so tax refunds should be paid on time, State Controller John Chiang said on Wednesday.
• Fed recovers, gets new look as financial regulator
(AP)
AP - The Federal Reserve, still dusting itself off from a fight that threatened to trim its powers, could emerge from a congressional overhaul of banking rules as the top cop over the nation's largest financial institutions.
