CORRESPONDENTS
Kevin Hall
Possible showdown with Iran sends oil prices soaring
The possibility of a confrontation between the United States and Iran appeared to grow Tuesday after the Obama administration dismissed an Iranian warning against moving a U.S. aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf, saying the deployment was crucial to "the security and stability of the region." | 01/03/12 13:23:00 By - Jonathan S. Landay and Kevin G. Hall
Economists aren't very hopeful about 2012
The good news is that the U.S. economy in 2012 isn't likely to be much worse than this year's has been. The bad news is that it might not be much better. The most likely outcome for 2012, economists say, is another year of muddling along. | 12/27/11 14:23:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Does shale oil boom mean U.S. energy independence near?
It may surprise Americans who've lived through many years of dependence on foreign fuels, but in less than a decade the United States could pass its 1970s peak as an oil and natural gas producer. If that happens — and many analysts think it's possible — the United States would edge past Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world's top energy producer. | 12/21/11 16:23:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
SEC sues former Fannie and Freddie execs for fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a dramatic lawsuit on Friday alleging that six former top executives of mortgage finance titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac committed fraud by authorizing misleading statements about their balance sheets. | 12/16/11 14:43:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Europe takes a big step on debt, EU integration
European leaders closed a pivotal week Friday with an agreement in principle to join a new treaty that would force all but one European Union nation into common budget discipline and would empower EU courts to enforce the new rules. | 12/09/11 17:55:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Merrill Lynch fined for violating cotton-speculation limits
A key financial regulator said Wednesday that it had fined Wall Street powerhouse Merrill Lynch $350,000 for violating rules that limit how many speculative contracts it can hold in markets where bets are made on the price of cotton for future delivery. | 12/07/11 17:35:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Europe confronts its debt crisis in key meetings this week
After months of dithering and false starts, Europe faces a pivotal week as investors await a credible last-ditch solution to its debt crisis. The outlines of a potential solution emerged Monday, and how the rest of the week plays out will have significant bearing on ordinary Americans as well as Europeans. | 12/05/11 17:43:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Jobless rate drops sharply to 8.6 percent in November
The surprising drop in November's unemployment rate to 8.6 percent overshadowed what may be a more significant positive trend, a sharp upturn in hiring by the nation's small businesses. Overall, U.S. employers added 120,000 jobs in November, according to a Labor Department report. | 12/02/11 08:51:25 By - Kevin G. Hall
Speculators drive cotton price volatility, hurting farmers and consumers
Texas cotton grower Brad Heffington speaks Wall Street's language of hedges, correlation charts and the like as easily as he discusses weevils and pesticides. Yet today his financial knowledge is of limited use. | 11/30/11 15:16:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Coordinated central bank moves prompt monster stock rally
A surprise coordinated move Wednesday by the Federal Reserve and five other central banks to keep credit flowing amid the worsening debt crisis in Europe sparked a huge rally on Wall Street, but experts doubted the momentum would hold. | 11/30/11 13:14:51 By - Kevin G. Hall
Shepherd of financial regulation law Barney Frank to retire at crucial time
The surprise announcement Monday by long-serving Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that he won't seek re-election to the House of Representatives will give opponents of new financial regulation more room to seek a rollback of important curbs on big banks and powerful financial firms. | 11/28/11 18:20:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Supercommittee failure creates new headwinds limiting economic growth
This week's failure by Congress to reach a deficit-reduction deal is likely to have negative short-term and longer-term economic consequences. The failure puts more headwinds in front of the sluggish U.S. economic recovery, whereas a successful deal would have created a significant tailwind to give it a boost. | 11/23/11 14:49:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
U.S., Britain tighten financial screws on Iran
The United States and its allies on Monday increased financial pressure on Iran with targeted sanctions on that nation's energy sector and central bank as further punishment for pursuing nuclear weapons technology. | 11/21/11 19:18:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
Green probe has guitar maker, Gibson, playing the blues
A fight between the Obama administration and iconic guitar manufacturer Gibson has reignited debate about just how much a U.S. company must know about its foreign trade partners and how much control it must exert over those from whom it buys. | 11/15/11 16:13:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
New book warns how to avoid Ponzi schemes
A book to be published Tuesday and written by a somewhat obscure federal regulator uses real-world examples of recent financial fraud to help investors protect themselves from those who'd prey upon them. | 11/14/11 19:00:00 By - Kevin G. Hall
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