Index of Leading Indicators Points to Sustained Expansion in U.S.: Economy

The index of U.S. leading indicators rose in January and the cost of living climbed less than forecast, pointing to sustained economic growth with limited price pressures.

The 0.4 percent increase in the Conference Board’s gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months followed a 0.5 percent rise in December, the strongest back-to-back gains in almost a year. The consumer-price index rose 0.2 percent in January after no change, the Labor Department said today.

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Melissa Harris-Perry: All Workers Do Well When Union Workers Do Well

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Obama’s Seven Investments For Building A ‘Fair And Stable Economy For The LGBT Community’

The Obama administration’s 2013 budget promises to “build a fair and stable economy for the LGBT community, while continuing to defend their rights.” Below are seven investments for reducing anti-gay bullying, hate crimes, and HIV/AIDS infections:

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5.6 Million Americans Have Switched Their Banks In The Last 90 Days

Back in November, hundreds of thousands of Americans took part in “Bank Transfer Day,” a day for those fed up with the actions of the nation’s biggest banks to move their money to a different institution. Initial estimates of the impact of Bank Transfer Day placed the number of accounts moved at around 600,000, but later estimates revised that downward to around 200,000.


However, new estimates from Javelin Strategy and Research, a research and consulting firm, show that the original numbers were closer to the truth. Javelin found that 5.6 million people have moved their bank accounts in the last 90 days, with 610,000 citing Bank Transfer Day as their reason:

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Michigan rebounds thanks to ‘active’ leadership by President Obama

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Healthcare costs decrease over time when low-income uninsured are provided coverage

Enrollment of uninsured patients in a program with benefits comparable to those offered under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 resulted in significant healthcare cost savings, a new study finds. Published in the February issue of Health Affairs, the research sheds light on the potential outcomes of newly enacted healthcare reforms.

“In a case study involving low-income people enrolled in a community-based health insurance program, we found that use of primary care increased but use of emergency services fell, and – over time – total healthcare costs declined,” said study co-author David Neumark, UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor of economics and director of UCI’s Center for Economics & Public Policy study.

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Fungi Discovered In The Amazon Will Eat Your Plastic

The Amazon is home to more species than almost anywhere else on earth. One of them, carried home recently by a group from Yale University, appears to be quite happy eating plastic in airless landfills.

The group of students, part of Yale’s annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory with molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel, ventured to the jungles of Ecuador. The mission was to allow "students to experience the scientific inquiry process in a comprehensive and creative way." The group searched for plants, and then cultured the microorganisms within the plant tissue. As it turns out, they brought back a fungus new to science with a voracious appetite for a global waste problem: polyurethane.

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