U.S. Economy: Jobless Rolls Climb to 26-Year High
More Americans are collecting jobless benefits than at any time in the last 26 years as companies rush to cut costs in a sinking economy.
The number of people on unemployment benefit rolls rose to 4.09 million in the week ended Nov. 22, the most since December 1982, [...]

Consumer Spending in U.S. Probably Dropped by Most in 7 Years
The U.S. sank into a deeper recession as consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, dropped in October by the most since the 2001 contraction, economists said before a government report today.
By Shobhana Chandra
Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. sank into a deeper [...]

Bailout’s Next Phase: Consumers
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson officially abandoned his original plan to buy troubled assets from financial institutions. While the government will continue to invest in those firms, he said, it would also now focus on the nation’s struggling consumers.
In detailing the next phase of Treasury’s $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, [...]