United States

Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 07:03 UTC
New ball game in the US senate: Obama looses “super-majority”

US President Barack Obama called on Democratic lawmakers not to try to “jam” health-care legislation through Congress before newly elected Republican Senator Scott Brown is seated. The election of Senator Brown means the end of Obama’s “super majority” in the Upper House and comes on the first anniversary of the presidential inauguration.
Friday, January 15th 2010 - 09:45 UTC
One out of three US adults are obese and 17% of children age 2 to 19

Obesity rates in the United States are still sky-high, but for the moment they appear to have stopped climbing higher, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Friday, January 15th 2010 - 06:37 UTC
Judge Griesa lifts freeze on Argentine funds to help with planned “debt swap”

A New York State Judge lifted a freeze on Argentine Central Bank accounts held in the US Federal Reserve, Argentina's Finance secretary told reporters on Thursday. The freeze has been imposed on request from investors holding defaulted Argentine sovereign bonds.
Friday, January 15th 2010 - 06:09 UTC
Obama to slap 117 billion USD levy on banks to repay for bail outs

President Barack Obama has said Wall Street must repay 117 billion US dollars to taxpayers and criticised banks for “massive profits and obscene bonuses”. The tax is to recoup money US taxpayers are expected to lose from bailing out the banks during the financial crisis.
Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 11:54 UTC
No end on sight to US budget deficit: one trillion USD in fiscal 2010

United States registered its largest December budget deficit on record as higher unemployment reduced revenue and the government spent money to help the economy recover.
Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 12:16 UTC
Argentine central bank reserves dispute adds another player: New York Judge

Argentina’s central bank reserves dispute suffered an expected escalation when on Tuesday Judge Thomas Griesa from New York State placed an embargo on Argentine central bank accounts held in the United States, following a lawsuit filed by investment funds (or “vulture funds”).
Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 08:12 UTC
US trade deficit jumps 10% and exports grow for seventh month running

The United States trade deficit shot up nearly 10% to 36.4 billion US dollars in November, hitting a 10-month high, the Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Demand for imports is growing, as the US economy slowly gets back on its feet.
Monday, January 11th 2010 - 12:41 UTC
Budget emergency and draconian spending cuts in California

The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has unveiled deep spending cuts aimed at containing the state's 20 billion US dollars budget deficit. Spending on health, welfare, transport and the environment is to be reduced.
Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 08:08 UTC
Surprise rise in US unemployment during December

US employers unexpectedly cut 85,000 jobs in December, but the unemployment rate held steady at 10%, official figures have shown. The number of job losses was surprising, particularly after November's figures had been revised.
Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 09:59 UTC
Special New Year with a blue moon in the Americas and partial eclipse in Asia

The blue moon has long been a subject of poetry and one of those phrases that are used without quite understanding the meaning, but its presence is a scientific marker for a rotating earth that runs by its own clock, ignoring man’s calendar.