Most Popular Stories
Paulson Says $50B of Stimulus Package to be Sent Out by End of MayThe first $7 billion of economic stimulus payments went out by electronic deposit last week to 7.7 million people, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Thursday. The average payment was $920. ...continue |
Jobless Claims Post Sharp DeclineThe number of newly laid off workers seeking unemployment benefits dropped much more than expected last week. The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits fell to 365,000, a decline of 18,000 from the previous week. Economists had been looking for a much smaller decrease of around 5,000. ...continue |
Economic Stimulus Package Excludes Many Immigrant FamiliesWhen Congress passed an economic-stimulus package giving hefty rebates to most taxpayers, it tried to make sure that illegal immigrants didn't get any of the cash. But in doing so lawmakers inadvertently penalized hundreds of thousands of legal U.S. residents -- and tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed overseas -- simply because their spouses lack a Social Security number. ...continue |
Cuban Blogger Prevented from Attending Award CeremonyCuban blogger Yoani Sanchez said Tuesday that she will not be able to go in person to receive the Ortega y Gasset Prize in Madrid, since authorities on the communist-ruled island have not given her permission to leave the country. Sanchez, creator of the blog Generacion Y, was hoping to attend Wednesday's ceremony, organized by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, where she was invited to receive the 2008 Ortega y Gasset Prize in the category of Digital Journalism. ...continue |
Senate Unveils Energy PackageA comprehensive energy bill that would tax windfall profits and "force" investment in renewable energy was unveiled Wednesday in the U.S. Senate. ...continue |
SEC Could Require Greater Public Disclosure From U.S. BanksA key U.S. government regulator Wednesday said it was considering new public disclosure requirements for banks in the wake of a broad financial crisis. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox called for investment banks to report capital and liquidity levels as part of an overhaul of the agency's oversight practices. ...continue |
U.S. March Pending Home Sales Index FallsPending sales of existing homes dropped more than expected in March to a new low in the housing downturn, and an all-time low since a key realtor's group began tracking the data in 2001. The National Association of Realtors' Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) fell to 83.0, down from a downwardly revised reading of 83.8 in February. The NAR initially reported the index was at 84.6 in February. Economists polled by Thomson's IFR Markets were anticipating a reading of 83.8 for March. ...continue |
With No Clinton Sweep, Hispanic Superdelegates Now Reconsider ObamaLast night, Sen. Hillary Clinton made a claim to victory and vowed to campaign for the rest of the month, despite Sen. Barack Obama's growing lead among delegates in the Democratic nomination battle. In Indiana, 99% of the returns indicate that Clinton eked out a victory. Obama beat Clinton by 14 percentage points in North Carolina -- a state Clinton needed to win to reverse the course of the primary marathon heading into its final lap. ...continue |
A Range of Scenarios Open for Democracts, After NC and IN Primaries.The Democratic presidential primaries in North Carolina and Indiana on Tuesday allocated almost as many delegates as all the six contests that remain, but that does not mean the rest will be irrelevant - or that the race will necessarily end with the last of them June 3. ...continue |
Hispanic Scholarship Fund: 'Speaking the Language of Business'By awarding a whopping 82,000 college scholarships worth more than $221 million, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund may be breaking all records for nonprofit success. Founded in 1975 to boost college education among U.S. Hispanics, the fund has changed the lives of tens of thousands of Hispanic students. As the nation's preeminent organization supporting Hispanic higher education, and one of Hispanic Business magazine's Top 25 nonprofits, the fund reportedly is a model of efficiency and results. ...continue |
Bush Urges Cyclone-Hit Myanmar to Accept U.S. HelpU.S. President George W. Bush urged Myanmar's government Tuesday to accept increased American aid as the country limps back to normal after being ravaged by a cyclone at the weekend. ...continue |