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December 16– December 31

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12/16 In 2007, mortgage insurance will be tax-deductible Bankrate.com via Seattle Post Intelligencer / Holden Lewis Dollar Has Biggest Weekly Gain in Four Months on Growth Outlook Bloomberg / Min Zeng Searching for the Stars Among Fund Managers Reuters via NY Times Cuts in incentives upset 3M supervisors Minneapolis Star Tribune / Dee DePass Inflation lull may be sign of trouble ahead Chicago Tribune / William Sluis MD: Having saturated suburbs, retailers ease back to cities Baltimore Sun / Andrea K. Walker Fed stays adamant on possible rate hikes, no sign of rate cut Northwest Indiana Times / Walt Breitinger Treasuries Fall a 2nd Straight Week as Fed Holds Rates Steady Bloomberg / Deborah Finestone and Elizabeth Stanton European Bonds Log Second Weekly Drop; ECB Signals Rate Rises Bloomberg / Aaron Pan Hard Rock developer sues advisor Miami Herald / Patrick Danner After Shortage, Vaccine for Flu Goes Unused NY Times / Andrew Pollack Some homeowners hire professionals to string the lights and put up elaborate displays AP via Pittsburgh Post Gazette / Oskar Garcia UK: Much gnashing of teeth as pre-Christmas rally vanquishes the stock market bears Independent / Jeremy Warner Australia: Balancing the bouncing bubble Sydney Morning Herald / Ian Macfarlane

12/17 NC: Speculators pan for real estate gold Charlotte News and Observer / Fred Kelly Silver lining in dollar's cloud Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / John Schmid New front in US backdating scandal $ FT / Francesco Guerrera How ho-hum will 2007 be? Take a guess St. Louis Post Dispatch / David Nicklaus Paulson, Bernanke Strike Out Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis via Safehaven / Mike Shedlock Why the Fed Won't Lower Rates TradingTheCharts via Safehaven / Oroborean Spending Probably Accelerated Last Month: U.S. Economy Preview Bloomberg / Vince Golle Economic reports this week to suggest economy expanding Marketwatch When Goldman makes a mint, the mint loses its shirt NY Post / Terry Keenan Spin cycle Marketwatch / John Spence Santa -- or Grinch -- arrives Thursday with Philly index report Pittsburgh Tribune Review / Gregory M. Drahuschak Don't count the fourth-quarter out yet Marketwatch / Greg Robb Time to step back to examine overall risks, opportunities Richmond Times Dispatch / Bob Rayner Signs show 2007 isn't the time to retire from stocks Chicago Tribune / Janet Kidd Stewart Kansas City Board of Trade finally getting noticed Kansas City Star / Mark Davis It's not just about double-digit returns LA Times / Tom Petruno The Best Defense Forbes / Richard Lehmann Tax jolt around corner for some McClatchy via Sacramento Bee / Kevin G. Hall and Margaret Talev Congress Revives Popular Deductions Wall Street Journal CA: Economic tug of war Orange County Register / Jonathan Lansner NJ: Rutgers economist sees trouble for N.J. economy Gannett News via Home News Tribune / Brandon Lausch The world can still prosper as the dollar slides Independent / Rob Holgate Goldman’s Season to Reward and Shock NY Times / Andrew Ross Sorkin A Time to Hunt for Bargains NY Times / Conrad De Aenlle A Push to Fix the Fix on Wall Street NY Times / Stephen Labaton In a Merger Wave, a Dangerous Undertow for Stocks Marketwatch via NY Times / Mark Hulbert Santa's job is changing fast Newsday / Patricia Kitchen Euro still shining in the east Guardian – Observer / Heather Stewart UK: The bliss of economic boredom Guardian – Observer / William Keegan

12/18 Consumer debt high, but there's more to the story Richmond Times Dispatch / Christine Chmura Agencies Propose Joint Rules to Implement the Bank Broker Provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Federal Reserve Board Get Ready For A Red-Hot Proxy Season Forbes / John Warner Oracle earnings head upward CNN / David Ellis Homebuilder sentiment slips in December Reuters via CNN N.Y. Stock Exchange is going global LA Times / Walter Hamilton and Tom Petruno Will the US Dollar Collapse? Brookes News via Safehaven / Gerard Jackson Give me back Clarence, the guardian angel Marketwatch / Paul B. Farrell US Treasury reaped $84.82 bln in taxes on Dec. 15 Reuters / David Lawder TREASURIES-US bond prices edge up in year-end trade Reuters / John Parry Ford debt panics stockholders Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post Gazette / Karen Richardson Small Caps Take Big Hit Investors Business Daily / Vincent Mao Former Fannie Mae executives charged in accounting scheme AFP via Yahoo AT&T Merger Delayed Again Forbes / Dan Frommer Commodities may still be a good bet, the pros say, but only in moderation Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post Gazette / Pete A. McKay US deficit heading towards record BBC News The private-money world opens up Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post Gazette / Eleanor Laise and Ianthe Jeanne Dugan Treasurys rise ahead of inflation, housing Marketwatch / Wanfeng Zhou After the buyout boom: The bust? CNN / Jessica Seid Dickler Oil market $ FT / Lex Holding out to the holiday end CNN / Parija B. Kavilanz Citigroup touches all-time high Marketwatch / Steve Gelsi Inflation Uncertainty Morgan Stanley / Richard Berner A Tale of Two Tiers Morgan Stanley / David Greenlaw Fiscal Outlook Morgan Stanley / Ted Wieseman Business Conditions - Bouncing Along the Bottom Morgan Stanley / Shital Patel and Richard Berner Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Bond Morgan Stanley / Joachim Fels A Puzzle Inside a Riddle Wrapped in an Enigma Morgan Stanley / Manoj Pradhan Stocks Climb on Flurry of Deals AP via Forbes / Joe Bel Bruno Monday’s Stocktiming.com Analysis Stocktiming.com / Marty Chenard Whither Chief Executives? Forbes / Paul Maidment Weathering The Housing Storm Forbes / Tom Van Riper Do Economists Agree on Climate Change? Yes Tech Central Station / Robert Whaples Stock Strategists Raise Alarms With Unanimous Call for Rally Bloomberg / Daniel Hauck Dollar falls vs. yen, flat vs. euro Marketwatch / Wanfeng Zhou U.S. current account widens in third quarter Reuters U.S. Trade Deficit Soars to Record AP via Newsday / Martin Crutsinger Federal Reserve Events Reuters FL: Foreclosure figures tell state's sad story South Florida Sun Sentinel / Paul Owers Oil Prices Fall After Last Week's Highs Newsday More cream for the fat cats Fortune via CNN / Justin Fox Will bond bump upset Santa rally's sleigh? Marketwatch / Peter Brimelow Dirty Wall Street Secret: Hedge Funds of Funds Pay T-Bill Rates Bloomberg / Katherine Burton and Christine Harper Fed ponders which way economy is likely to go Richmond Times Dispatch / Heiko D. Wijnholds Treasury Rally Triggers Mortgage Refinancing, May Spark Gains Bloomberg / Michael McDonald Japanese Bonds Lure JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank as Omi Cuts Sales Bloomberg / Issei Morita and Wes Goodman Metals Evoke Bear Market as Production Gains, Hedge Funds Sell Bloomberg / Claudia Carpenter and Christopher Donville Beware false dawns... Germany's renaissance has boosted Europe, but a US slowdown could hurt Independent / Stephen King Booms, Busts and Bombs That Colored Asia's 2006 Bloomberg / William Pesek

12/19 Spread too thinly The Economist TX: Area homes predicted to appreciate 4% in '07 Dallas Morning News / Steve Brown The Mortgage Bust Goes On Forbes / Matthew Swibel NASD Says Morgan Stanley Withheld Emails AP via Newsday A Year-End Wrap-Up of the Economy and a Peek Ahead Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas / Richard W. Fisher Fisher Says Rate Rise May Be Needed to Slow Inflation Bloomberg / Steve Matthews and Vivien Lou Chen Dow eyes another record CNN Crude futures climb, close above $63 a barrel Marketwatch / Myra P. Saefong In Lost Productivity Lew Rockwell / Tony Kondaks Morgan Stanley $ FT / Lex Paulson Declines to Designate China as a Currency Manipulator Bloomberg / Matt Benjamin and Alison Fitzgerald U.S. Stocks Fall as Inflation Gauge Tops Forecast; Oracle Drops Bloomberg / Allen Wan Tuesday’s Stocktiming.com Analysis Stocktiming.com / Marty Chenard Not exactly the risk they had in mind Marketwatch / Mark Hulbert Dollar loses ground versus euro AP via Beaufort Gazette Federal Reserve Events Reuters Fed’s Plan is Clear – And Clearly Wrong NY Post / John Crudele Full Steam Ahead for Texas Ports Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas / José Joaquín López and Keith R. Phillips U.S. November Producer Prices Jump 2%; Core Up 1.3% Bloomberg / Shobhana Chandra U.S. Housing Starts Rose 6.7% in November to 1.588 Million Pace Bloomberg / Bob Willis 10 housing markets ready for a fall Fortune via CNN Circuit City Has Third-Quarter Loss; Shares Decline Bloomberg / Mark Clothier Delta Air Lines Rejects US Airways Hostile Merger Bid Bloomberg / Mary Schlangenstein Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Big Losers Bloomberg / John Dorfman Euronext Shareholders Approve NYSE Offer AP via NY Times Morgan Stanley to spin off Discover Reuters via CNN Does Alpha-Beta Spell `The End' for Mutual Funds? Bloomberg / Chet Currier Sweet home sales in luxury market Chicago Tribune / Mary Umberger Why are heating costs high? AP via Cincinnati Enquirer Brad Foss U.S. Current Account Deficit - Foreign Investors Making It Up On Volume? Northern Trust via Safehaven / Paul Kasriel Extra Care With GICs Bond Buyer / Matthew Hanson Goldman Sachs CEO Blankfein Is Eligible for $87 Million Bonus Bloomberg / Miles Weiss Fannie Mae Ex-Officers Sued by U.S. NY Times / Eric Dash BOJ Keeps Rates Unchanged as It Awaits Economic Data Bloomberg / Lily Nonomiya and Mayumi Otsuma Japan Cuts Economic Growth Forecast for Fiscal 2006 Bloomberg / Lily Nonomiya

12/20 America’s elite is pulling further ahead $ FT / Krishna Guha and Francesco Guerrera A Dim Forecast for Risky Mortgages Washington Post / Kirstin Downey CA: Subprime lending trips up borrowers Oakland Tribune / Eve Mitchell Transatlantic exchange $ FT / John Authers Thailand: Economists fear long-term damage to growth FT / Amy Kazmin Global Macro Themes Pimco / Andrew Balls Producer price rise won't move Fed Asia Times / Peter Morici Rising Inventories and Price Cuts = Bottom of the Housing Recession? Northern Trust via Safehaven / Paul Kasriel CO: Cancellations mounting at DIA Rocky Mountain News / Chris Walsh NV: Economist: Growth will slow Las Vegas Review Journal / Jennifer Robison Why Be An Economist? To Be Happy, That's Why Ludwig von Mises Institute / Walter Block Company Borrowing Converges on Few Banks CFO.com / Stephen Taub Bush backs minimum-wage hike Marketwatch / William L. Watts Beware Progressive Compromise National Review / Peter Ferrara Dow down 7 on lackluster FedEx forecast AP via Seattle Post Intelligencer / Joe Bel Bruno The Telcos Get A Gift Forbes / Jessica Holzer CEOs must find option to replace greed Pittsburgh Tribune Review / Jack Markowitz Gold and Deflation Lew Rockwell / Gary North Dollar Bashing Daily Reckoning / Dan Denning Do Bonds Span Volatility Risk in the U.S. Treasury Market? pdf Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Hedge Funds: An Industry in Its Adolescence Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta / William K.H. Fung and David A. Hsieh Hedge Funds: Creators of Risk? pdf Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta / Gerald P. Dwyer Jr. Wednesday’s Stocktiming.com Analysis Stocktiming.com / Marty Chenard U.S. Treasurys little changed; technicals in focus Marketwatch / Leslie Wines TREASURIES-Prices edge down on caution ahead of data Reuters / John Parry Billion Chillin’ NY Post / Paul Tharp UK: Bank unanimous over rate freeze BBC News ECB president warns of inflation risks AP via Beaufort Gazette / Matt Moore Groundhog Day' Reruns Come Back to Haunt Muniland Bloomberg / Joe Mysak Mortgage Applications Decrease in This Week’s Survey Mortgage Bankers Association U.S. mortgage applications decrease last week –MBA Reuters MD: Foreclosure headed for sharp rise, report says Baltimore Sun / Jamie Smith Hopkins Study Predicts Foreclosure for 1 in 5 Subprime Loans NY Times / Ron Nixon Oil prices rise before inventory report AP via Houston Chronicle Euro Trades Near Record High Versus Yen After Trichet Comments Bloomberg / Min Zeng and Agnes Lovasz FedEx Profit Rises on Fuel Charge and Global Growth Bloomberg / Mary Schlangenstein Dow's highs keep coming AP via Newsday US Senate clearing way for action on China FT / Eoin Callan

12/21 Techs Lose Four In A Row Investors Business Daily / Vincent Mao Has Housing Bottomed In the US? Data and Fifth Grade Math Says NO Prophet of Doom and Gloom via Safehaven / Jas Jain Better news coming for I Savings Bonds Dallas Morning News / Scott Burns Downgrades hit ‘subprime’ mortgage bonds $ FT / Saskia Scholtes What separates a financial pro from an electronic fortune teller? Marketwatch / Chuck Jaffe Base metals hit by copper price decline Marketwatch Thousands of Holiday Travelers Stranded AP via Newsday / Brad Foss Glimmers of hope for entrepreneurs in 2007 CNN / Jessica Seid Dickler Treasury Bond Prices Down Slightly AP via Houston Chronicle Dow Ends Down 43 on Manufacturing News AP via South Florida Sun Sentinel / Tim Paradis The 'foreclosure factories' vise Business Week via MSNBC / Mara Der Hovanesian Rates on 30-year mortgages up slightly for second week AP via South Florida Sun Sentinel CA: Tough housing market likely to continue into new year Sacramento Bee / Jim Wasserman Economic Growth Slows to 2 Percent Pace AP via Chicago Tribune / Jeannine Aversa California leads U.S. in layoffs Orange County Register / Mary Ann Milbourn Xmas Price Index $ FT / John Autuhers Deutsche Bank in $208m fund settlement $ FT / Ben White UK: Economic growth accelerates in 2006 Guardian / Larry Elliott Americans spend every cent - and more CNN / Chris Isidore FDIC Outlook - Fall 2006 pdf FDIC Too soon to say inflation has turned -Fed's Lacker Reuters Philadelphia Fed's Factory Index Fell to Minus 4.3 Bloomberg / Bob Willis Economic Outlook Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond / Jeffrey M. Lacker Business Outlook Survey Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia December 2006 Economic Trends pdf Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Chicago Fed National Activity Index pdf Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Unemployment Insurance and the Uninsured pdf Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco TREASURIES-Prices up on soft manufacturing, terror 'chatter' Reuters / Ellen Freilich TX: Housing Market Trends in El Paso Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Stocks trudge to a higher open CNN Thursday’s Stocktiming.com Analysis Stocktiming.com / Marty Chenard U.S. jobless claims up to 315,000 last week Reuters via CNN U.S. Economy Grew at 2 Percent Pace, Slowest of Year Bloomberg / Courtney Schlisserman Deficit Analysis Is a Two-Handed Job National Review / Thomas E. Nugent Forget My Top 10 List. Here are Five Big Gripes Bloomberg / Caroline Baum Hybrid Bond Sales Surge on LBO Concerns, Yield Demand Bloomberg / Caroline Salas Loomis Bond Fund Managers Shun Dollar Debt for Canada, Brazil Bloomberg / Oliver Ludwig Federal Reserve Events Reuters U.S. third-quarter GDP growth revised down Reuters / Glenn Somerville Holiday online sales surge to $20.6B CNN / Parija B. Kavilanz Feds giving Fidelity a Pass in Influence Probe NY Post / John Crudele Ford Expects to Fall Soon to No. 3 Spot NY Times / Micheline Maynard Gold stays rangebound reflecting dollar's lack of movement AFX via Forbes The Cautious U.S. Boom in Oil Shale NY Times / Clifford Krauss I.R.S. Is Spending Less Time Scrutinizing Big Businesses NY Times / David Cay Johnston Juniper hit with $900m backdating charge FT / Kevin Allison Bush Supports Democrats' Minimum Wage Hike Plan Washington Post / Michael A. Fletcher and Jonathan Weisman Bank of Korea Cuts Limit on Aggregate Loans to Banks Bloomberg / Kim Kyoungwha Bonds, Stocks, Gold Can't All Subsist in Nirvana Bloomberg / Mark Gilbert Bush's move to supersize US military Christian Science Monitor / Peter Grier New Congress to toughen oversight Christian Science Monitor / Gail Russell Chaddock Japan's Export Growth Quickens, Trade Surplus Widens Bloomberg / Lily Nonomiya N.Z. Economic Growth Less Than Central Bank Forecast Bloomberg / Tracy Withers

12/22 A Private-Company GAAP for 2007? CFO.com / Sarah Johnson Sub-Prime Disaster in the Making Euro Pacific via Safehaven / Peter Schiff Making the grade -- or not! Marketwatch / Herb Greenberg IRS gives advice on 3 new deductions AP via Houston chronicle / Jim Abrams 2007: Return of the dot-com IPO? CNN / Paul R. La Monica Global media rivals end battle with swap deal Guardian / Andrew Clark UK: George Orwell Was Right: Spy Cameras See Britons' Every Move Bloomberg / Nick Allen It's the Fed. Vs. the markets in 2007's main event Marketwatch / Dr. Irwin Kellner The man who saw the futures Fortune via CNN / Oliver Ryan Santa rally slipping away CNN Friday’s Stocktiming.com Analysis Stocktiming.com / Marty Chenard Walgreen 1Q profit surges 25 percent AP via Houston Chronicle Treasurys drop after November orders data Marketwatch / Nick Godt & Leslie Wines Overshadowed Agenda: GIC, Swap Investigations Likely to Dominate Bond Buyer / Lynn hume Iceland Ratings Lowered by S&P; Krona, Bonds Tumble Bloomberg / Tasneem Brogger Infidelities NY Post / Janet Whitman Fast-growing states: Arizona overtakes Nevada CNN / Les Christie NY: Seventh Heaven ABN Amro is Next Tenant for 7 WTC NY Post / Steve Cuozzo Oil prices inch up a day after big drop AP via Houston Chronicle / George Jahn US RATE FUTURES-Inch up on mild Nov core PCE reading Reuters US durable goods orders rose 1.9 pct in Nov Reuters US incomes, spending rise in November Reuters Whitacre's Way Forbes / Dennis Kneale Housing Lag Contributed to Lethargic Economic Growth in 3rd Quarter NY Times / Jeremy W. Peters In era of sharing, hedge funds keep to own devices Chicago Tribune / Bill Barnhart Incentives on Oil Barely Help U.S., Study Suggests NY Times / Edmund L. Andrews Oil May Rise as OPEC Reductions Curb Supplies, Survey Shows Bloomberg / Mark Shenk Bernanke on tightrope in 2007 Marketwatch / Greg Robb Delta's Plan Shows `Tax-Exempt' Isn't `Municipal' Bloomberg / Joe Mysak Top economists answer 10 burning questions Marketwatch / Rex Nutting How now, Dow? Marketwatch / Mark Hulbert Toyota May Surpass GM in 2007 With Record Car Sales Bloomberg / Kae Inoue and Tetsuya Komatsu $42M apology: Ned says Fidelity will pay in gift flap Boston Herald / Jay Fitzgerald The United States is Insolvent End of Money via Lew Rockwell Bank of Japan Shouldn't Hesitate to Raise Rates, Member Said Bloomberg / Mayumi Otsuma Yen Heads for Third Week of Losses Before BOJ Releases Minutes Bloomberg / Chris Young and Kosuke Goto UK: Tax burden on wages climbs to the highest since records began London Times / Gabriel Rozenberg S. Korea Has `Unlimited Resources' to Stabilize Won Bloomberg / Seyoon Kim

12/23 Christmas' arrival doesn't signal the end of holiday shopping USA Today / Jayne O'Donnell A Winter's Tale Washington Post / Dina ElBoghdady 'Pay option' loans putting many on the edge LA Times via Houston Chronicle / David Streitfeld Greed gives extra lift to airline deals Denver Post / Al Lewis U.S. Stocks Have Worst Weekly Drop in 5 Months as Growth Slows Bloomberg / Michael Tsang Treasuries Fall for Third Week on Consumer Confidence, Housing Bloomberg / Deborah Finestone Euro Posts Weekly Gain as Traders Lift Bets on ECB Rate Boost Bloomberg / Annie Pinkert CA: Overtime Gives Prison Guards Fat Salary LA Times Dining With Scrooge Lew Rockwell / Gary North Ford’s fate rides with CEO Wall Street Journal via Kansas City Star / Monica Langley Saudi King cancels planned gasoline price rise Reuters via San Diego Union Tribune KS: Gift-buying dash is running later Kansas City Star / Joyce Smith FL: Area's jobless rates increase Palm Beach Post / Jeff Ostrowski Md. jobless rate improves Baltimore Sun / Jamie Smith Hopkins CA: Valley unemployment creeps upward Modesto Bee Love for trains often gains steam with age AP via Detroit News / Michael Tarm Merrill Fixed Bidding: Suit NY Post / Paul Tharp European Bonds Decline for Third Week on Interest-Rate Outlook Bloomberg / Anchalee Worrachate Title may spell trouble for Toyota Chicago Tribune / Robert Manor Google Passes Yahoo as Second Most-Visited Web Site Bloomberg / Jonathan Thaw Goodyear, strikers reach tentative deal AP via Houston chronicle / M.R. Kropko MA: Census sparks concern: Population growth stagnant Boston Herald / Jay Fitzgerald

12/24 From a factory in Asia to 'wrapped under your tree' in just six weeks Independent / Tim Webb No presents for economy in this week's data Marketwatch / Robert Schroeder Penalties not likely on bonds Newsday / Lynn Brenner SC: 'A preventable disaster' The State / Jim DuPlessis Citigroup Economist: The World's A Placid Place Forbes / Jessica Holzer Classic Dickens tale would be different today Pittsburgh Tribune Review / Gregory M. Drahuschak 'Window dressing' is fund fakery Philadelphia Inquirer / Jeff Brown Wall Street set to close year quietly AP via St. Petersburg Times / Tim Paradis Aramark follows hot trend of '06: Going private Philadelphia Inquirer / Andrew Cassel Hong Kong sprints past New York for IPOs AP via MSNBC Rising supplies could crimp Big Oil's profits during 2007 AP via Chicago Tribune / Brad Foss Returns: Up to a third of items go back Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram / Heather Landy MO: Just how bad is it? Well, that depends St. Lois Post Dispatch / David Nicklaus FL: Rental rates may moderate in '07 Miami Herald / Matthew Haggman Conspiracy Theories on Oil Prices are Bunk NY Post / John Crudele Stocks seen in choppy trading in last week of 2006 Marketwatch / Carla Mozee U.S. Retailers' Holiday Sales May Rise 5% on Late Shopping Bloomberg / Cotten Timberlake Housing Market in U.S. May Be Stabilizing: U.S. Economy Preview Bloomberg / Vince Golle MN: State can't keep up with mortgage fraud St. Paul Pioneer Press / Jennifer Bjorhus N.Y. stays hot as Hub cools: Apple leads in housing, jobs Boston Herald / Scott Van Voorhis MD: This business of Christmas Baltimore Sun / Hanah Cho and Tyeesha Dixon Probability of slowdown may turn out to be just a theory Chicago Tribune / James P. Miller Economic Calendar Wall Street Journal Wall Street lifted by what didn't happen LA Times / Tom Petruno Climbing profits may switch to slower track Chicago Tribune / Gail MarksJarvis New AOL CEO restructures management once again AP via Pittsburgh Post Gazette / Anick Jesdanun A drop in interest rates brings refi plans back into the picture LA Times / Kenneth R. Harney Congress' review of taxes could end up costing consumers LA Times / Lew Sichelman Talk the Talk: Financial Buzz Words of '07 Wall Street Journal / Diana Ransom and Jaclyne Badal As toys get pricier, grown-ups pay up LA Times / Abigail Goldman Can Private Equity Build a Public Face? NY Times / Charles Duhigg The Hedge Kings Are Rich, but Will They Be Noble? NY Times / Ben Stein UK: High times for top retailers as City boys spend their bonuses Guardian – Observer / Nick Mathiason Gender Pay Gap, Once Narrowing, Is Stuck in Place NY Times / David Leonhardt

12/25 Shenanigans and Shambles Daily Reckoning / Mogambo Guru Banking wish list for 2007 Marketwatch / Gail Liberman and Alan Lavine FL: Home sale situation a bit less bad Palm Beach Post / Linda Rawls Putting the Economics Back in Christmas Ludwig von Mises Institute / Robert P. Murphy Shift in Congress Puts Health Care Back on the Table Washington Post / Christopher Lee Pink Slips are Piling Up for Those Naughty CEOS NY Post / Paul Tharp Holiday excess is nothing new AP via St. :Paul Pioneer Press / Matt Crenson Glut of attractive businesses spurs big year for mergers, acquisitions Seattle Times / Tricia Duryee Merger vaults Sprint Nextel to top spot in rankings Kansas City Star / Jason Gertzen Best stock sector bets in 2007 Reuters via CNN Post-Holiday Sales Could Cheer Retailers AP via Baltimore Sun / Anne D’Innocenzio Dollar May Rise on Speculation Growth to Prevent Fed Rate Cut Bloomberg / Kosuke Goto and Stanley White China Says It Will Keep Currency Stable AP via Baltimore Sun / Scott McDonald Sluggish Consumption Slows Japan Economy AP via Newsday / Hiroko Tabuchi Hewlett-Packard, Recasting Itself, Is Looking Beyond PCs and Printers NY Times / Damon Darlin Wall St. Bonuses: So Much Money, Too Few Ferraris NY Times / Jenny Anderson Japan's Consumer Price Gains Probably Accelerated in November Bloomberg / Mayumi Otsuma

12/26 Manufacturing Forecast to Slow in 2007 AP via Forbes It’s still down to George Bush The Economist State of The States Stateline.org / Pamela M. Prah Manufacturing Conditions Survey Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond