economic stimulus

Former President Bill Clinton offered up some wide-ranging prescriptions for curing the nation's ailing economy in a speech at the National Retail Federation's annual convention Monday, from investing in new sectors for job growth to cutting taxes on business.

Now that Hurricane Irene has passed, it's time to get back to discussing the country's biggest unnatural disaster: the economy. But here, too, Irene is making her impact felt, as economists and pundits across the country debate whether the hurricane will help or hurt America's bottom line.

It's matrimony's version of a financial stimulus program. The moment Jose Matos proposed to Juan Estrada after New York approved same-sex marriage, the pair joined thousands of gay couples expected to boost the state's economy. Caterer? Check. Flowers? Check. Engraved invitations? Yup.

When a Federal Reserve committee meets Tuesday to consider the federal interest rate, it will likely revise its glum outlook into something brighter. But will it also acknowledge the U.S.'s growing inflation problem?

The U.S. services sector is growing strong, providing additional evidence that the U.S. economy is recovering and might not need more stimulus funding. But that's contingent upon oil staying below $120 per barrel.

Recent market sell-offs may have been more about paranoia than about real risk. JPMorgan calculations indicate that the potential impact of rising oil prices on the economy may be less than most investors think. But the fear factor itself also can't be overlooked.

In a somewhat surprising report, The U.N. Environment Programme says one of the most promising green industries -- at least when it comes to creating economic growth, reducing poverty, fueling job creation and addressing major environmental challenges -- turns out to be tourism.

The economy may be rebounding, but the benefits have yet to filter down to the hundreds of thousands of homeless Americans. Here's the story of one homeless mother: how she wound up in a shelter in a tough town and how the world looks from her perspective.

The economy and job creation will be the focus of Obama's speech -- as they should be. But behind the pessimistic hand-wringing and political posturing is a surprising rebound, and jobs are steadily being added.

As crude prices keep inching upward, the threat to both the U.S. and global economy is clear. While OPEC says don't blame us, the Interational Energy Agencys says: "This is a wake-up call to the oil-consuming countries and to the oil producers."