Topic: Lexington (Massachusetts)

US manufacturing export orders hit 20-year high

New export orders for US manufacturing rose to their highest level since 1989, but they're not doing much to boost US jobs.

Case Shiller index shows house prices rising 0.3 percent

The Case Shiller index rose 0.3 percent in January. Will the expected double dip in house prices be muted?

Storm damage 2010: States ring up the cost

Federal help for winter storm damage is on the way to 35 areas in the US. Recovery hits state and local budgets hard.

Retail sales jump, as snow melts and shoppers emerge

Retail sales for the week ending March 6 rose a robust 2.9 percent from a week earlier. Freed from snow and shovels, and ready for spring, shoppers bust loose.

Case Shiller index: Home prices rose in six cities in 2009

Home prices were up in six cities last year, according to the Case Shiller index.

Dow closes below 10000 for first time in three months

Concerns about the ability of Greece, Spain, and Portugal to pay their debts caused the Dow Jones Industrial average to drop more than 100 points, closing below 10000 for the first time since early November.

Has the Hubble Space Telescope spied asteroid-on-asteroid collision debris?

Astronomers have long suspected that objects in the main asteroid belt -- between Mars and Jupiter -- collide. Now they have what could be direct evidence.

Tishman deal fails: sign of trouble in commercial real estate

Tishman sends its $5.3 billion investment in 11,000 apartments back to its bankers. The move involves two massive developments in Manhattan: Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.

Can Americans save money – and the economy?

US consumers want to reduce their debt, but the economy's recovery depends on their confident spending.

What's behind mixed signals from Obama and Geithner on TARP?

President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner appeared to contradict each other this week on whether the TARP program would be extended. The mixed signals reflect the political unpopularity of the bank bailouts.

Why Obama job creation plan focuses on small business

In presenting his job creation plan, Obama acknowledges that most new jobs come through small business. Tax breaks and other measures are meant to spur small business hiring.

Obama offers aid package to small business

Will President Obama's proposals to help small businesses get them out of their rut?

Using TARP funds for job creation: creative or reckless?

As banks pay back TARP funds, President Obama and Democrats consider putting that money toward job creation. Conservatives say that will just add to the deficit.

Consumer spending, business reports point to moderate recovery

Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent in October, and businesses started adding inventory after 10 months of lowering their stockpiles, according to reports Wednesday. Some see recovery at a moderate pace.

Does US need a second stimulus to create jobs?

With the economy still in rough shape, calls mount for extra infusions of federal money. But critics say the first stimulus hasn't created the jobs it was supposed to.

Extending home-buyer credit: another clunker?

Congress wants to extend the $8,000 home-buyer credit. Critics say it's not that helpful and mostly benefits home sellers.

Home sales surge in September; median price dips to $174,900

Lower prices and the federal tax credit for buyers fuel a 9.4 percent rise in home sales.

Four reasons US manufacturing could shine

Here are four reasons US manufacturing is becoming more competitive globally.

Foreclosures rise. Big banks show profits. How can that be?

The bailouts helped the banks, but they're also benefiting from improvements in the housing market and overall economy.

JPMorgan earnings show 'too big to fail' banks getting bigger

JPMorgan Chase's surging earnings show that many of the biggest US banks are becoming more powerful. What happens if they get in trouble again?

Obama: give seniors an extra $250 each

The payments would be similar to the checks that Social Security retirees and others received in May as part of the economic stimulus legislation.

Not safe from layoffs in this recession: the public sector

The unemployment report on Friday showed 53,000 fewer government jobs in September.

Backyard chickens: Are they worth the effort?

Home prices are up. No, down. No, flat. Where's the truth?

Latest Case-Shiller index shows monthly gains, though prices are down 15.4 percent from last June. But such barometers are not a one-stop guide to the housing market.