Local participant in ‘Jobs Summit’ a major Democrat donor

Frank Alix, a New Hampshire businessman who participated in President Barack Obama’s so-called ‘Jobs Summit’ last week—and offered a glowing review of the administration’s policies to state media—was a major donor to the 2008 campaign of Democrat U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, NowHampshire.com has learned. Alix appears not to have shared that information with the media. [...]

Slow, weak recovery forecast for New England

PORTSMOUTH — While the “Great Recession” may be technically over, the outlook for New England remains questionable with a key regional economic group predicting a slow and weak recovery through 2010. University of New Hampshire professor Ross Gittell released his economic forecast at the New England Economic Partnership fall economic outlook conference, “Re-energizing the New [...]

Divorce in decline: Cutting the knot too costly for some

The recession, though “most likely over” according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, has been affecting more than just people’s jobs. It has, in some cases, made unhappily married couples more miserable because they can’t afford to divorce. The number of divorces being filed in court is down substantially, according to the Chicago-based Academy of [...]

Seacoast single-family home sales slip in August

PORTSMOUTH — Sales of single-family homes in nine sample Seacoast towns registered a third straight monthly decline in August, falling off 14 percent from July and 8 percent from August 2008 numbers. It was the slowest month for closings since April, according to the Seacoast Board of Realtors. Still, pending sales remained exactly the same [...]

Economy recovering but still fragile

WASHINGTON – Adding to evidence the recession has ended, housing construction rose in August and fewer laid-off workers sought jobless aid last week. Still, the reports suggested a slow and fragile economic recovery. The rise in housing starts was due solely to a jump in the volatile apartment-building category, and unemployment claims remain far above [...]

“It’s Working,” “It’s Healthy;” Administration Economic Rhetoric Takes Sudden Rosy Turn

The Obama administration appears to be changing its rhetoric on the economy as Democratic nerves begin to fray and bad economic news threatens to stall President Obama’s ambitious agenda. Last week Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that the economy was not improving as quickly as the administration had hoped because, he said, their economic estimates [...]