Nielsen: 28.4 Million Debate Viewers on 4 Major Networks
Full data coming later today, but so far the tally is that the Biden-Ryan contest attracted an audience of 28.4 million viewers on the four major broadcast networks. Bloomberg’s Andy Fixmer reports that CBS drew 8.37 million viewers, to lead broadcasters showing last night’s...
Read more »U.S. Growth: An October Surprise Welch Missed
Here’s an October surprise for former General Electric Co. Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch: “On a scale of one to 10, the economy is at a fairly firm six and may be heading higher,” says Robert Brusca, president of Fact...
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Photograph by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Back-to-school shopping in Colma, California.
Back to School: Dressing for Nov. 6
Are you better off than you were four years ago? How about nine years ago? The numbers on back-to-school shopping show a bigger increase in spending by U.S. consumers than at any time since 2003. The numbers also conceal what...
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Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
The U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Banks Hoarding Treasuries Signals Economy Still Iffy
If you need another negative indicator today, the market has one. Banks are hoarding their Treasuries, selling fewer and fewer to the Fed because executives say the economic picture in the U.S. is still murky and financial troubles around the...
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Photograph by Neil Beckerman/Getty Images
Grill preparation
Where’s the $2.3 Billion in Beef, Chicken and Fish? On the Grille
In the barbecue economy, life is good. More Americans grill out on today’s Independence Day holiday than any other day of the year, and this time beef and supply companies are getting a three-fer because it’s a Wednesday. “It’s a...
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Photograph by Scott Olson/Getty Images
A Home Depot in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Lowe’s, Home Depot: Leading Indicators of Weakened Confidence
Consumer confidence may be even softer than we think. Analysts at Cleveland Research said today that Lowe’s and Home Depot stores are probably “a bit behind expectations to this point” in the second quarter. They’re seeing softer order rates and...
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Photograph by Bill Clark/Roll Call/Getty Images
A White Castle staff delivers to the Capitol celebrating the company's 90th birthday.
Supreme Court Leaves Questions – White Castle, Others Unconvinced
CEOs still see risks in President Barack Obama’s health-care law, even after last week’s Supreme Court ruling. After complaining about the uncertainty of having the rules up for grab during the case, the decision doesn’t seem to have settled the...
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Photograph by Scott Eells/Bloomberg
On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Bullard Says QE3 Faces `High Hurdle’ After Fed Extends Twist
By Caroline Fairchild and Caroline Salas Gage The Fed faces a ”pretty high hurdle” for embarking on a possible third round of quantitative easing, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said today. “We can do that and...
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Beer Drinkers Reach for Cans
Beer Drinkers Reach for Cans
Data Mine: Beer Cans a Sign of the (Bad Economic) Times
For a nice cold brew to go with their nice cold economy, more Americans are switching to cans. Bloomberg’s Ilan Kolet’s chart of the day shows a correlation between a choppy economy and an increase in sales of beer in...
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Photograph by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Florida Governor Rick Scott during the Governor's Hurricane Conference in Fort Lauderdale.
Florida’s Scott Gets an ‘A for Strangeness’
The former private-equity executive turned governor of Florida is having some trouble, and it may be hurting Mitt Romney. The approval rating of Florida’s Republican governor Rick Scott hasn’t gone above 41 percent in Quinnipiac University polls, and Bloomberg’s Michael...
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Contributors
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Al Hunt
is a columnist for Bloomberg View and host of the weekly show "Political Capital with Al Hunt" on Bloomberg TV. -
Mark Silva
is deputy managing editor for government news in Washington and editor of Political Capital. He has covered the White House and national politics. -
Emma Fidel
is political editor for Bloomberg.com in Washington. She previously covered financial regulation as a Bloomberg intern. -
Don Frederick
edits political and government coverage for Bloomberg News. He previously worked for more than a decade at the Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau. -
Gregory Giroux
analyzes elections, financing of congressional and presidential elections, political advertising and demographics in Bloomberg's Washington Bureau. -
Julie Bykowicz
covers the influence of money and lobbying in Washington, and covered the state legislature and city crime for the Baltimore Sun for 10 years. -
Jonathan Salant
covers campaign finance and lobbying in Washington. He was president of the National Press Club and started in Washington in 1987. -
Richard Rubin
covers federal tax policy. He worked at Congressional Quarterly and The Charlotte Observer before joining Bloomberg News in 2010. -
Julie Hirschfeld Davis
is a senior political reporter for the Washington Bureau. She covered the 2012 campaign for Bloomberg News and previously covered the White House for the Baltimore Sun. -
Lisa Lerer
covers the White House and covered the 2012 campaign for Bloomberg News. She covered Congress, lobbying and the 2008 campaign for Politico. -
John McCormick
is a national political reporter looking forward to the 2016 presidential campaign, which will be the fifth he's covered. He's also reported for The Des Moines Register and Chicago Tribune. -
Julianna Goldman
covers the White House for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Television. -
Hans Nichols
covers the White House for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Television. -
Margaret Talev
covers the White House for Bloomberg News and covered the White House for McClatchy Newspapers. She has covered California and Florida politics. -
Cary O'Reilly
is Editor at Large at Bloomberg First Word and is Washington Daybook columnist for Bloomberg Government and Bloomberg News.
