Say what?: Viewers of the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday night heard inflated claims about Planned Parenthood abortion practices and the risks of vaccines, as well as a dubious assertion by Donald Trump that he wasn’t interested in establishing casinos in Florida back in Jeb Bush’s days as a candidate for governor. The Associated Press has checked the facts and has compiled a lengthy list of what was said by the candidates on Wednesday night and how those claims compare. Check it out.
This is the day: Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve chairwoman, faces a crucial moment today when the Fed’s policymaking committee announces whether the time has come to start raising interest rates. As The New York Times reports, liberal activists, economists and some policy makers are pressing hard for Yellen to continue the Fed’s stimulus campaign of near-zero rates because the economic recovery remains far from complete. At the same time, Yellen faces growing internal pressure to start raising rates from Fed officials who are concerned about froth in financial markets and about maintaining control of inflation. Analysts say the decision will further sharpen Yellen’s priorities as perhaps the most powerful economic official in the world. Read the full story.
Summer slump: Builders broke ground on fewer houses and apartment complexes in August, a possible sign that the housing market may be levelling off after accelerating for much of the year, The Associated Press reports. Housing starts last month fell 3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.13 million homes, the Commerce Department announced this morning. Construction activity slowed sharply in the Northeast and Midwest last month, edged downward in the West and climbed in the South. Still, homebuilding appears much stronger than a year ago, despite figures that can be highly volatile on a monthly basis. Read the full story.
