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Mid-day Update

PODCAST: Isaac hits New Orleans, farmers see near record profits

Ryan Faughnder Aug 29, 2012
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Mid-day Update

PODCAST: Isaac hits New Orleans, farmers see near record profits

Ryan Faughnder Aug 29, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Here are our major stories for the day.

Hurricane Isaac is moving inland this morning after making landfall in Louisiana. The storm has shut down more than 90 percent of the Gulf of Mexico’s oil production. Is that enough to get President Obama to open the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

This Friday, central bankers from around the world will gather in Jackson Hole Wyoming. So what should the central bank do about the economy?

A couple weeks back, we spoke with one of the Fed’s “doves,” who argued for more monetary stimulus. Today, we’re joined by one of the Fed’s “hawks,” Jeffrey Lacker, who heads the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Congress and the media have heaped plenty of criticism on for-profit colleges for their recruiting practices and low graduation rates. But some new research shows going to a for-profit college can pay off in the job market.

In the Midwest, farmers hit by the summer’s drought are hoping Hurricane Isaac will bring some rain and perhaps salvage some of the soybean and wheat crops.

We’ve told you a lot about the effects of the drought on U.S. farms. Onto that, add now the latest farm income forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA says that despite — or maybe because of — the drought, U.S. farmers will set a new record for profits.

These days when you leave the office, it’s highly likely you’re taking your work with you on your phone. How do we balance life and work in the mobile age?

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