Economy

Sure, Lehman's accounting gimmicks played a role in its downfall, but the star of the show was a business strategy the left prudence behind in an all-out pursuit of risk and reward. Too bad risk won out.

Lehman Brothers' deliberate misstatements in public filings suggest the watchdogs failed to effectively regulate the bank, which went bankrupt in 2008. Also nailed in the report is the Fed's short-sighted approach toward Lehman. Better regulation may have saved the bank.

Florida's state legislature is preparing to pass a "family-friendly" bill that would deny tax credits to movie and TV productions lacking "family-friendly" themes -- defined as material suitable for a five-year-old.

Long-term unemployment has the potential to damage the nation's budget and the quality of its workforce, as the cost of unemployment benefits approaches the size of the bailouts and idle workers risk losing skills.

The big daddy of private equity, Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts -- KKR -- is tapping the New York Stock Exchange for an initial public offering. But private-equity firms don't have the best track record in the IPO arena, so eager investors should be wary.

U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell for the second straight month in March, capping a mixed week for the nation's economy, with both initial jobless claims and the trade deficit coming in low and retail sales rising despite heavy snow.

Despite recall woes, Toyota sales so far this month are on a roll, thanks largely to generous incentives aimed at improving foot traffic in showrooms. Edmonds.com reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of U.S. sales climbed a strong 12.5 million units.

It was a status-quo month regarding inventories in January, as business inventories were unchanged. However, sales rose 0.6%, despite the fact that the nation encountered severe winter weather across the country -- something that typically depresses sales.

The airline industry, which has broken the hearts of investors for decades, has been on a bit of a roll lately. Earlier this week, the NYSE Arca Airline Index reached a full-year high, with shares of some of the biggest carriers up more than 200% over the past 12 months.

Retail sales rose unexpectedly in February, despite brutal weather throughout the country. Consumers continue to focus on price and value, although some analysts think frugal fatigue is beginning to set in.