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Mid-day Update

PODCAST: Bernanke speaks, India’s economy hits the breaks

Ryan Faughnder Aug 31, 2012
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Mid-day Update

PODCAST: Bernanke speaks, India’s economy hits the breaks

Ryan Faughnder Aug 31, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Here are today’s main stories.

The big news of the day is Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s much-anticipated speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Central bankers from countries around the world have come to the retreat for 30 years to fish, barbeque, and hold an economic symposium.

This year Bernanke’s speech itself has as much a spotlight as ever, given the many and sometimes conflicting signals members of the Federal Reserve Board have been sending lately about what the Fed might do next.

Before Mitt Romney’s big speech last night, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich revived a line of attack that’s come under scrutiny. He said that President Obama gutted welfare work requirements.

That echoes a Romney campaign ad that’s been called false by independent fact checkers. Marketplace Economic Correspondent Chris Farrell helps us make sense of this.

Government regulators are still writing many of the details of Dodd-Frank financial reform. The massive bill passed after the financial crisis will affect banks, insurance companies, payday lenders and many more aspects of our economy.

Wall Street lobbyists don’t like the rules. Mitt Romney says he’ll “get rid of Dodd-Frank” and start again from scratch. But how likely is it we’ll turn back the clock?

India’s economy grew at a rate of just 5.5 percent last quarter, which was the slowest pace in three years.

Some historically black colleges and universities are struggling to stay afloat.

We spend a third of our lives doing it — or at least, we’re supposed to. Eight hours a night — we’ve been hearing that for years, but come on — who can do that?

David Randall is making the latest push to convince us. He’s a senior reporter for Reuters. And he’s got a new book called Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

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