The TVA disaster is certain to reignite the debate over the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants around the country. But grave as the implications of the spill are for residents of eastern Tennessee, they’re by no means the most serious threat to America’s drinking water supplies. Read More

US stocks maintained their upward momentum, buoyed by speculation that the government might establish a so-called bad bank to disburden the nation’s largest financial institutions of the bad assets currently weighing down their balance sheets. Read More

US stocks posted gains for the second consecutive day, as Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) and Travelers (NYSE: TRV) reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations. At the same time, reports that US house prices continued to decline provided a stark reminder of the very real weakness in the economy. Read More

The three major US stock indexes ended the day with mixed results, as a flurry of job cuts at Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) and Home Depot (NYSE: HD), among others, spelled bad news for the economy but indicated that companies are cutting costs to reflect weaker demand. Today’s gains also reflected sentiment that as bad as fourth quarter earnings have been, much of this weakness is already baked into share prices. Read More

The three major US stock indexes finished the day with mixed results, as progress on the government’s economic stimulus package boosted investor sentiment. At the same time, these hopes were somewhat tempered by General Electric’s (NYSE; GE) weak fourth quarter results and concerns about further credit losses. Read More

The three major US stock indexes tumbled today after another round of discouraging employment data and Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) reported disappointing earnings. Still, stocks managed to rally slightly from early lows to trim losses. Read More

I’m convinced this recession will drag on for at least the first half of 2009 and quite likely into the final months of the year. If I’m right, the employment picture may not start to brighten until sometime in 2010, and the unemployment rate could approach the double-digits. But this doesn’t mean the market won’t rally this year. Read More

The three major US stock indexes rallied from yesterday’s dismal performance. Share prices in the financial sector posted significant gains, bolstered by speculation that the new administration would move to shore up banks’ balance sheets. Bank of America’s (NYSE: BOC) stock received an added boost after CEO Ken Lewis purchased 200,000 shares yesterday. Read More

The three major US stock indexes shrugged off another spate of bad news--from the federal government’s bailout of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to tumbling consumer prices and production--and clawed their way into positive territory. Read More

The three major US stock indexes managed to recover from earlier losses, clawing their way into the green. This positive finish capped a difficult day in which reports indicated that Bank of America’s (NYSE: BAC) acquisition of Merrill Lynch might be at risk without government aid. Read More