At first glance, the latest report on spending on durable goods looks encouraging, but a decline in one category -- companies investing in equipment -- suggests a lack of confidence in future growth

Standard & Poor's finds itself the only credit rating agency to downgrade U.S. debt, while critics question its own credibility and investigators look into its rating of mortgage bonds.

Historian David Kennedy offers a long-view of the U.S.'s role in the international economy over the last century -- and moving forward.

The United States can win back its AAA rating for government debt, if it's willing to compromise and sacrifice. But it's a matter of pride more than necessity