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For the week ending March 18, the tragedy in Japan carried an economic dimension: The Bank of Japan flooded its economy with liquidity; industrial facilities were shut down; and the Group of 7 took action to stabilize the yen. The United States saw decline in housing starts, rise in food and gas prices, and Congress passing another temporary spending bill.

For the week ending March 11, retail spending was up, partly due to the payroll tax cut and partly due to increased borrowing. A quarter of residential mortgages are underwater; state attorneys general are attempting to revise foreclosure practices; and we wait to see if the price of oil will derail the recovery.

The week ending Feb. 25 was a tale of ups and downs. On the rise were job creation, income levels and oil prices. On the descent were unemployment and construction, with world events keeping things interesting by mixing in a general sense of unknown.

For the week ending Feb. 25, as Libya blows up, so do oil prices; the federal government may be on the verge of a shutdown; and just when you thought the housing market couldn’t get any worse, turns out it might have been worse all along. Despite all this, consumer confidence shows resilience.

For the week ending Feb. 18, there was plenty happening, including a battle in Washington over the federal budget, opposing views on inflation, and the administration formally suggesting a slow process of winding down Fannie and Freddie.