weakening economy

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In Tough Times, McDonald's Revives a Jingle

'Two all-beef patties' Big Mac slogan seeks new tune on MySpace

(Newser) - In 1974, with an unpopular war raging and inflation on the rise, McDonald's launched a jingle—"Two all beef patties, special sauce..."—to promote its signature product, the Big Mac. Decades later, in similar circumstances, the fast food giant is reintroducing the mantra-like list of ingredients via...

Paramount Loses $450M Funding Deal

The failure is part of a larger trend as liquidity dries up

(Newser) - A $450-million deal with Deutsche Bank that would have financed up to 30 films for Paramount is off the table, the Financial Times  reports. Perhaps an unlikely casualty of the credit crunch, Paramount walked after a lack of enthusiasm in the market led to terms that were unattractive, persons familiar...

Consumers Are Quickly Trading Down
Consumers
Are Quickly Trading Down
Jul 11, 2008 12:26 PM CDT

Consumers Are Quickly Trading Down

Switch to cheaper goods is broadest since early '80s

(Newser) - As fuel prices and home foreclosures steadily rise, Americans are trading down in everything from automobiles to their lunch options. That's not unusual in an economic downturn, but the speed with which it's happening is, the Wall Street Journal reports. And the flight to the affordable and generic is affecting...

Fires, Spiking Gas Aside, Calif. Tourism Still Sunny

Flocking foreigners capitalize on dollar

(Newser) - Near-continuous wildfires and soaring gas prices don’t seem to have made much of a dent in California’s tourism industry, the San Jose Mercury News reports. California's AAA reports only an 0.8% drop in Fourth of July domestic tourism, and a jump in visitors from abroad more than...

American to Cut 7K Jobs
 American to Cut 7K Jobs 
Jul 3, 2008 10:56 AM CDT

American to Cut 7K Jobs

Massive layoffs planned in response to rising fuel costs

(Newser) - American Airlines plans to cut as many as 900 flight attendants from its ranks next month as part of nearly 7,000 expected layoffs this year, reports the Dallas Morning News. The job cuts, intended to counter rising fuel expenses, mirror an intended 8% reduction in the airline's worldwide flights....

Americans Have Less in Their Shopping Carts

Downsizing on the rise, whether consumers notice it or not

(Newser) - Food prices are rising, but thanks to some chicanery on product labels, many Americans may not realize it. Instead of raising prices, manufacturers are slimming cereal boxes, juice cartons, and bars of soap, and they’re doing it very quietly. If asked, they’ll say it offsets rising fuel and...

$16B Deficit May Help Keep Gay Marriage Legal in Calif.

Financial boon to strapped state could cast decisive vote against Nov. ballot measure

(Newser) - With a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that could dam the just-unleashed tide of same-sex marriage in the state, proponents believe California's $16 billion budget deficit could be the deciding factor for voters, Julie Bolcer writes in the Advocate. "I think this is a huge opportunity for businesses...

US Economy Isn't Bouncing Back
 US Economy Isn't
 Bouncing Back 
analysis
Jun 8, 2008 5:11 PM CDT

US Economy Isn't Bouncing Back

Fed cuts, stimulus package won't do the trick

(Newser) - Forget those predictions of a US economic revival in 2008, Daniel Gross writes in Newsweek. The four horsemen of the economy—credit and housing crises, food and energy prices—are getting meaner, while booming commodities and crunching credit are curbing attempts to fight back. "As a result, the consumer-driven...

Cheer Up! Recession Has a Bright Side
Cheer Up! Recession Has
a Bright Side
OPINION
May 24, 2008 7:28 PM CDT

Cheer Up! Recession Has a Bright Side

Finally contractors come on time, and driving is easier

(Newser) - While the specter of recession may leave you cold, consider the bright side: These days contractors, starved for work, actually show up on time, and killer gas prices help you to drive around a city like Los Angeles without facing much traffic, Meghan Daum writes in the Los Angeles Times.

Bush Sees Rebate Checks Offsetting 'Slowdown'

Stimulus package hits home(s) next week

(Newser) - Again steering clear of the R-word, President Bush said today that the tax rebates scheduled to be distributed starting next week will "give our economy a boost to help us pull out of this economic slowdown," Bloomberg reports.

Lehman Is Selling $3B in Shares
 Lehman Is Selling $3B in Shares 
Mar 31, 2008 7:25 PM CDT

Lehman Is Selling $3B in Shares

Firm seeks to calm fears of another Bear Stearns disaster

(Newser) - Lehman Brothers is selling $3 billion in new shares to allay fears after its stock dropped 42% this year, Bloomberg reports. "We still maintain that we don't need capital, but we've realized that perception is the dominant issue in today's markets,'' said CFO Erin Callan. Lehman fell up...

Shops Shut as Wind Goes Out of Sales

Store closings rise along with gas prices, foreclosures

(Newser) - Soaring gas prices and a still-boiling housing crisis are taking their toll on America's smaller retailers, with store bankruptcies and vacancy rates rising steadily as customers avoid impulse-buys that once fueled the industry's rapid expansion, reports AP. Vacancies hover between 7% and 8%, up from 5% just six months ago—...

Slow Jan. Sales Worry Retailers
Slow Jan. Sales Worry Retailers
Feb 7, 2008 8:46 AM CST

Slow Jan. Sales Worry Retailers

Wal-Mart misses January projections as recession concerns gain momentum

(Newser) - Winter storms and lagging gift-card redemption iced Wal-Mart’s January same-store sales growth, the retailer said, raising concerns the US is in a recession, reports the Wall Street Journal. Wal-Mart expected 2% sales growth in stores open more than a year, but saw sales bump just 0.5%. Its 1....

Dems May Block Record $3T Bush Budget 'Til Next Prez

Mammoth budget combines tax cuts with huge security spending hikes

(Newser) - President Bush today introduces a record $3 trillion budget into opposition from congressional Democrats so fierce that they could hold up the spending plan until the next president takes office, reports AP. Bush's plan envisions at least $400 billion in deficits this year and next, twice 2007's $163 billion debt....

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