All Economy
- US oil imports at lowest level since 1999 as trade gap shrinks
The data lighten the US economic outlook after a negative fourth-quarter report. Forecasters predict modest economic growth in 2013. But the trade gap is still huge.
Better Place electric car startup pulls plug on US, AustraliaAn electric car company known as Better Place has ended its US and Australian operations, Read writes. What does that say about the future of electric cars?
Subprime loans are hot again. Unfortunately.Subprime loans market is coming back
2014 Toyota Tundra debuts at Chicago Auto Show2014 Toyota Tundra, debuting at the Chicago Auto Show, will reach Toyota dealerships in September, Feder writes. The exterior of the 2014 Toyota Tundra features a larger chrome grille, along squared-off fenders and wheel wells.
Five signs of bad financial adviceHamm offers five red flags to watch for when receiving financial advice.
Horse meat in lasagna, burgers, meatballsAfter horse meat was found in 11 of 18 tested lasagna products, the UK's Food Standards Agency ordered further testing of "all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagna."
A permanent estate tax for the wealthy fewThe federal estate tax is finally permanent, Williams writes, although fewer than one in 700 estates will owe estate tax in 2013.
Jobless claims drop to 366,000Jobless claims declined by 5,000 to 366,000 claims from 371,000 jobless claims for the prior week.
Immigration debate: a reason to separate work and family tax creditsWork and family tax credits are needlessly complex for immigrant families whose children's legal status and residency determine their eligibility those credits, Maag writes.
Five signs Americans are forgetting recession's lessons Declining savings is one of five signs that American households are forgetting the lessons of the Great Recession:
ECB nod allows Ireland to shut down toxic bank, easing debt pressuresIreland closed down the bankrupt Anglo Irish Bank in 2011, absorbing its debt and assets into a state-owned bank. Overnight, it voted to shut down that bank as well.
Jobs and growth over deficit reductionRight now the central challenge is to reignite the economy, Reich writes, getting jobs back, improving wages, and restoring growth.
Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel debuts at Chicago Auto ShowChevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, being unveiled Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show, is rated at 148 horsepower and puts out 248 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm, Voelcker writes. Chevy estimates the gas mileage from the Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel at 42 mpg highway.
Rare 1865 baseball card fetches $92K at Maine auctionAn 1865 baseball card discovered at a yard sale in rural Maine sold for $92,000 at a Wednesday auction. The seller found the rare baseball card in a photo album, for which he paid $100.
Will Saturday cuts save the Postal Service?Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe announced plans to reduce Saturday deliveries beginning in August. The Postal Service says the changes will save $2 billion annually. Though The Postal Service lost $15.9 billion last fiscal year, some in Congress and elsewhere oppose the Saturday cutbacks.
Can the income tax fund the government we want?The income tax’s ever-narrowing base simply cannot support the nation’s spending demands, Gleckman writes.
Stocks little changed as earnings fail to inspireStocks were little changed on Wall Street Wednesday as recent earnings reports did little to inspire investors. Stocks are consolidating their gains after surging since the start of the year.
MBA: Mortgage rates rise to 3.63 percentMortgage rates increased 5 basis points to 3.63 percent since last week, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Monopoly game piece: in with the cat, out with the ironMonopoly fans picked the cat as the newest game piece and jettisoned the iron, which received the lowest number of votes on the game's Facebook page. The cat game piece will debut on Monopoly boards this summer.
Immigration, corporations, and the real debate over US citizenshipImmigration is just one part of the conversation over US citizenship, Reich writes. The immigration debate is also a question of who we want to join us.
