Economics and Investing:

From Theo M.: Deficit grew by $181 billion in July

Chris H. flagged this: No Longer Jobless, But Still Struggling

Frequent contributor Karen H. kindly sent several items:

Fed Focusing on Real-Estate Recession “The collapse in commercial real estate is preventing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke from declaring the economy and financial markets are healed.” (JWR has predicted this for quite some time.)

Treasurers’ Fear of Next Credit Freeze Shown in Cash Hoarding “Cash is king,” said Paul Kasriel, the chief economist at Northern Trust Corp. in Chicago. “Businesses are in survival mode right now.”

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Inflation Calculator (see the upper right hand corner of their web page)

States End Up Losers in Gambling Pullback (one more reason we will all be seeing a tax increase)

Vacancies Suppress Southern California Recovery

Unemployment Among Teenagers Remains Stubbornly High

U.S. banks to make $38 Billion from overdraft fees

Krugman says world avoided second Great Depression “Still, recovery was likely to be “disappointing” as government spending wasn’t sustainable in the long-run and unemployment rate still lagging behind, he told a two-day world capital markets conference here.”