Given the economic problems dominating the headlines these days, it would not be surprising if people are feeling glum. At such moments of seeming gloom we should recall that the first Thanksgiving was held during the Civil War. ...more

November 26, 2008

Given the economic problems dominating the headlines these days, it would not be surprising if people are feeling glum. Housing sales continue to fall, thwarting hopes for a turnaround for a key component of the local, state and national economies. The "Big Three" U.S. automakers are jetting, hats in hand, to Congress and asking for money to help them stave off bankruptcy. Banks and other financial institutions need help from the Treasury clearing bad loans and other dubious investments from their books. With all this and more going on, retailers are worrying that the black in the traditional post-Thanksgiving Black Friday start to the holiday shopping season will refer to more than just the mood of shoppers battling large crowds and overflowing parking lots. ...more

November 26, 2008

U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite's decision to vote for or against a bailout of Detroit's Big Three will ride on what the auto companies are willing to do, the Brooksville Republican said Friday. ...more

November 22, 2008

First came the banks looking for a federal rescue plan to stay afloat. Next it was the automakers seeking a bailout. And now state governments say they, too, need emergency federal assistance to remain solvent. ...more

November 17, 2008

Even as Detroit's Big Three teeter on the edge of collapse, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Saturday the problem is not the union's contract with the automakers and that getting the companies back on their feet means finding a way to turn around the economy. ...more

November 16, 2008

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday the House would provide aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, requiring that the industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards, produce advanced vehicles and restructure "to ensure their long-term economic viability." ...more

November 16, 2008

Here are some answers about the summit, which includes meetings today: Might the summit help ease economic pain in the United States and abroad? ...more

November 15, 2008

The American public, with great reservation, agreed to a $700 billion bailout to prevent a national financial catastrophe. A portion of that money has been spent, but everyone seems to be haggling over what to do with the rest of it. Most of the ideas are bad ones, and our leaders must protect the public from wasting the bailout money. ...more

November 13, 2008

If there was anything certain about the federal bailout of the banking sector, it's that the venture would not stop at the banking sector. Giving out hundreds of billions of dollars in government assistance to one industry is like giving out free beer to the students in one corner of a college campus - it has a way of attracting a crowd. ...more

November 1, 2008

First, the $700 billion rescue for the economy was about buying devalued mortgage-backed securities from tottering banks to unclog frozen credit markets. ...more

October 26, 2008