11 states emerging from recession

As the national economy starts its slow recovery, 11 states and the District of Columbia are showing signs of emerging from the recession, according to a new report.

Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington, D.C., are in recovery, according to Moody’s Economy.com, an economic forecasting firm. It determines where a state is in the recession based on employment rates, home prices, residential construction and manufacturing production figures. Some or all of these indicators were stable or improving in these states.

States that have invested in high-tech industries or green energy could find themselves in an enviable position, said CanagaRetna. He singled out wind energy in Oklahoma, solar energy in Tennessee and biotech firms in North Carolina as industries that could drag states out of the doldrums.





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Want to Save Our Economy from Almighty Greed? 

Here Are 10 Crucial Fights and Key Fighters to Watch

Let's face it, financial regulation is boring and complicated. But if the economic crisis taught us anything, it's that bringing Wall Street under control is one of the most critical domestic policies facing the country right now.
Here's what you need to know, and who you need to watch, as Congress readies its banking overhaul.

1. A New Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Subprime mortgages. Abusive and arbitrary rate hikes on your credit card. Payday loans. If you're wondering who lets banks get away with this crap, there are more people at it than you think. There are no less than four federal regulators responsible for overseeing consumer protection in finance, and all of them are terrible.
Regulators currently are responsible not only for keeping consumers safe from predation but for ensuring the "safety and soundness" of banks -- that is, keeping banks from failing.
Not surprisingly, sometimes what's best for bank balance sheets doesn't exactly jive with the interests of consumers. If banks can fend off failure by gouging you on your credit card, they're going to do it, and regulators aren't going to lift a finger to stop them.

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