Not Again! Debt Ceiling Debate Set to Make a Monstrous Return – Yahoo   “Well guess what, movie fans? The sequel to last summer’s debt ceiling showdown in Congress is coming to theaters everywhere this fall, and the early reviews say it will be even bloodier than the first.”

Retirement in America Is ‘Endangered’: Social Security, Contribution Rates and More Need Fixes – MarketWatch   “I think the state of retirement in America is endangered as the ‘Great Recession’ has taken a toll on the financial status of many and as retirement savings were not adequate for many prior to the ‘Great Recession.”

Siemens CEO: U.S. Can Compete Via Innovation – USA Today   “The truth is, though innovation is still happening in America, it isn’t happening only here. The major advances being made right now in wind and solar technology are being made in Europe. The major advances being made in biofuels are all happening in Brazil. The same can be said for batteries in Asia. If we keep taking a back seat on innovation in such critical new industries, there will be a point where we are no longer the leader in innovation.”

Fear May Save the Euro, but Not Necessarily Europe – Globe and Mail   “Angela Merkel came to Davos on Wednesday and, in a speech as solidly built as a Mercedes, once again assured the world’s business leaders that the euro will be saved. But this time, there’s a difference: More of them seem to believe it. That immediately raises two further questions: Even if the euro zone is saved, where is the strategy for growth? And where would this saving of the euro leave the larger politics of Europe?”

Insight: Today It Pays to Owe Money, While U.S. Savers Suffer – Reuters   “For Smith and other pensioners struggling to cope with inflation higher than the rate of interest they earn on their savings, all of this amounts to, as she puts it, ‘being punished’ for being prudent. She is a casualty of the Fed’s strategy to keep rates low in an attempt to generate the economic growth needed to lower the nation’s jobless rate. Low borrowing costs also prevent the federal government’s debt burden from getting even further out of control.”