Research Center

Congress doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere on the debt ceiling mess; foreclosures were down in the first half of the year, though perhaps due to blockage in the pipeline; and pending home sales were up in June.

Votes in the House and Senate on their respective debt-ceiling plans are expected today; the Beige Book reports mediocre economic recovery; and the United States takes UBS to court over selling bum mortgages to GSEs.

The latest S&P/Case-Shiller index shows property values mostly holding steady; consumers are slightly less grumpy than last month; and U.S. investors hold their breath about the debt ceiling.

The House and Senate are drafting two wildly different bills for raising the debt ceiling, and Obama addresses the nation on Congress’ stalemate. And the Chicago Fed’s index shows increased economic activity.

Equities markets in Asia reflect worry over U.S. default; Jefferson County, Alabama, may vote on Chapter 9 bankruptcy; and a Gallup poll shows Americans feeling grim about the economy.

Commercial real estate prices were up in May; existing-home sales edge downward; and Republican leaders were at the White House again on Wednesday, trying to work out the debt crisis.

Housing starts last month were higher than they’d been in the previous five; Capitol Hill’s Gang of Six proposes a deficit-cutting, ceiling-raising plan; and AP uncovers that robo-signing is still happening.

U.S. homebuilders are feeling a little more confident this month than last; Obama appoints Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and the debt ceiling looms.

The Consumer Price Index dropped in June, and consumer sentiment is in the basement in July. Meanwhile, Congress tries to find ways to wiggle around actually cooperating.