Reid Moves to Force U.S. Senate Vote on Two Fed Nominees - Bloomberg

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moved to force a vote on two nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, setting the stage for a vote as early as this week.
Reid, who filed a procedural motion today, said the U.S. needs a

Asia stocks mixed amid doubts about China growth

Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday, hindered by falling commodity prices and worries about the extent of China’s economic slowdown.
Benchmark oil remained below $106 per barrel while the dollar rose against the yen but slipped against the euro.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose for a third straight day, basking in the ongoing retreat of the yen […]

US brings new trade case against China

The Obama administration is bringing a new trade case against China that seeks to pressure Beijing to end export restrictions on key materials used to manufacture hybrid car batteries, flat-screen televisions and other high-tech goods.
The latest action, announced Tuesday, is part of President Barack Obama’s broader effort to crack down on what his administration sees […]

Housing Declines May Have Cost a Generation of Buyers, Fed

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the 30 percent drop in U.S. housing prices since 2006 may prompt a generational shift to apartment rentals.

November trade deficit hits $47.8 billion

The U.S. trade deficit widened in November for the first time in five months, largely because of a spike in the price of imported oil.
Still, exports fell for a second straight month, a sign that Europe’s slowdown has begun to affect the U.S. economy.
The trade gap rose 10.4 percent to $47.8 billion, the Commerce Department […]

China’s trade weakens; December surplus $16.5B

China’s import growth showed an unexpectedly sharp drop in December in a new sign the world’s second-largest economy is slowing.
December growth in imports fell to 11.8 percent, barely above half the previous month’s 22.1 percent gain, customs data showed Tuesday. Exports rose 13.4 percent, down slightly from November’s growth rate. The country’s politically sensitive global […]

The year in tech law, from A to Z

The past 12 months in law and technology were exceptionally active, with legislative battles over privacy and copyright, near-continuous controversy at the CRTC, and an active Supreme Court of Canada docket. A look back at 2011 from A to Z:
A is for the Amazon one-click patent, which is at the centre of a long-running fight […]

What lies ahead for the U.S. economy? Offer your forecast!

A year ago, economists Ken Matheny and Gary Thayer were both optimistic about 2011. Going into 2012, they’re decidedly less so.
“You have a lot of things coming along in early 2012 that really slow the economy down,” says Matheny, of Macroeconomic Advisers in Clayton.
The biggest problems are the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and a […]

Apple, major e-book publishers in EU antitrust probe

BRUSSELS

Nicaragua pres Ortega with big early lead in vote

One-time Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega took a big early lead in presidential elections Sunday, amid reports of protests and international observers being blocked from voting stations.
Ortega, the incumbent and heavy favorite, had 66 percent of the votes compared to 25 percent for his nearest challenger, Fabio Gadea. Conservative Arnoldo Aleman, a former president, was a […]