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Economic policy

ECB President Mario Draghi's speech
Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice-President and I are very pleased to welcome you to our press conference. We will now report on the outcome of today's ...
ECB holds rates, may be done with euro stimulus
The European Central Bank left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low Thursday, holding off on further stimulus even as the economy across ...
How far over the 'fiscal cliff' could they go?
The dealmakers who warn that a year-end plunge off the "fiscal cliff" would be disastrous don't seem to be rushing to stop it. Why aren't they ...
Poll shows support for raising taxes on the rich
Americans prefer letting tax cuts expire for the country's top earners, as President Barack Obama insists, while support has declined for cutting ...
Middle East beginning to embrace solar energy
Covering nearly 300 football fields in a remote patch of desert, the Shams 1 solar project carries off plenty of symbolic significance for the United ...
Obama and Boehner discuss fiscal cliff by phone
For the first time in days, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner spoke by phone Wednesday about the "fiscal cliff" that threatens to ...
Homeland Security grant spending questioned
The Homeland Security Department paid for an underwater robot in a Midwest city with no major rivers or lakes nearby, a hog catcher in rural Texas and ...
Mongolia finds China can be too close for comfort
After years of testy debate, Mongolia broke ground this spring for a railroad that will haul coal across the pebbled Gobi desert to China, but with ...
Ag chair says she's open to more food stamp cuts
The Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee says she is willing to consider higher cuts to the food stamp program in an effort to ...
Analysis: Obama could risk going over 'cliff'
It may be just a bluff or a bargaining ploy, but the White House is signaling that President Barack Obama is willing to let the country go over the ...
US hiring last month was likely held back by Sandy
The combination of U.S. employers that shut down because of Superstorm Sandy and fears over looming tax increases and spending cuts likely slowed ...
Argentina complains to WTO over US, EU barriers
Argentina filed complaints with the World Trade Organization Wednesday over trade barriers it blames for keeping its beef and lemons out of the United ...
Spending cuts shadow Obama meeting with tribes
Hours after talking tough against Republicans in "fiscal cliff" negotiations, President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet reassured hundreds of ...
UK Treasury chief juggles budget as outlook dims
Britain's Treasury chief George Osborne said Wednesday that the recovery of the U.K. economy is taking longer than he had hoped and warned more ...
Senate to take up bill normalizing Russia trade
The Senate on Wednesday headed toward a vote on legislation that would end four-decade-old trade restrictions that are blocking U.S. businesses from ...
Pentagon begins planning for massive budget cuts
The Defense Department has begun planning for the roughly $500 billion in personnel and program cuts over a decade that will be needed if Congress and ...
Ireland imposes 6th straight austerity budget
Ireland's government unveiled plans for €3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) in new taxes and spending cuts in the debt-burdened country's sixth straight ...
US productivity grows at faster 2.9 pct. rate
U.S. workers were more productive this summer than initially thought, while costing their companies less. The Labor Department said Wednesday that ...
US factory orders up 0.8 percent in October
Orders to U.S. factories rose modestly in October, helped by a big gain in demand for equipment that reflects business investment plans.
Growth of US service firms accelerated last month
U.S. service companies grew at a slightly faster pace in November because sales and new orders rose, a good sign for the economy. The Institute for ...
Survey: Sandy slows hiring in November to 118K
A private survey shows that U.S. businesses added fewer workers in November, mostly because Superstorm Sandy shut down factories, retail stores, and ...
Poland cuts interest rates to help slowing economy
The National Bank of Poland has cut its key interest rate a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25 percent to support the slowing economy.
Eurozone retail sales slump in October
Retail sales across the 17 European Union countries that use the euro slumped far more than anticipated in October, largely due to a huge drop in ...
Highlights of White House, GOP budget plans
The Obama administration and House Republicans have unveiled their opening offers in talks to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Details are scant but ...
Asia stocks higher on hopes for US budget deal
Asian stock markets rose Wednesday as investors became increasingly convinced that U.S. political leaders will reach a budget deal that avoids a major ...