Thursday, February 19, 2009

Thursday 19 Feb.

Here follow some articles about the most recent economic news. President Obama announced a plan to help homeowners facing foreclosures, which fortunately doesn't require Congress's approval. In two articles, the NYT talks about a) Obama's plan:

$275 Billion Plan Seeks to Address Housing Crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/business/19housing.html?ref=us

and b) about the difficulties homeowners face when refinancing. The happy-ending-story in the following article confirms that it's much better to deal with a small local lender, rather than with a behemoth such as Wells Fargo.

Modifying Mortgages Can Be Tricky
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/index.html

In yesterday's NYT there was also an interesting article about a campaign by Acorn (http://www.acorn.org/) to support homeowners in foreclosure when the sheriff comes to kick them out. Perhaps their initiative could give as an idea for an action item...

Effort Takes Shape to Support Families Facing Foreclosure http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18foreclose.html

And here are three articles on the wider world:

One on the worsening situation in the European Union and on the short-sightedness of its leaders:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09df5532-fdf3-11dd-932e-000077b07658.html

One on proposals for green job by Al Gore and Ban Ki Moon
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0fa98852-fc45-11dd-aed8-000077b07658.html

And a forecast on the economy by analysts and investors who have been quite accurate in assessing the crisis. I don't agree with their prescriptions, but the data are interesting and I believe it's important to cosider all points of view:

Let the market do its job...
http://us.mg201.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.partner=sbc&.rand=4434nf540ilqn

1 comment:

  1. Saturday - February 21st
    http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/02/21-1
    Obama administration has expanded the covert war run by the Central Intelligence Agency inside Pakistan, attacking a militant network seeking to topple the Pakistani government.
    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=CACRU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
    An operation the American military at first described as a "precision strike" instead killed 13 Afghan civilians and only three
    militants, the U.S. said Saturday, three days after sending a general to the site to investigate.
    http://www.truthout.org/022009T
    Unemployed workers outraged over charges to inquire on benefits.

    WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18: Join us for a showing of the film, "Taxi to the Dark Side"
    When: March 18, 7pm
    Where: University of Michigan Campus, location to be announced. (ICPJ)

    http://www.alternet.org/audits/127850/
    Could a Sudden Collapse of Mexico Be Obama's Surprise Foreign Policy Challenge?
    Free-trade politics and the drug war created a social crisis in Mexico, and a militarized response to it may push events to an explosion.

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