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Recession Briefing 10.30: Rappers Hurting Too

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Rapper 50 Cent has admitted that he has to sell his old diamonds before buying new ones after the recession cut down his fortune. (Telegraph)

Recent studies found that 40 percent of American women are now the primary earners for their families, and that means more and more moms are going back to work — or at least trying to. (Fox News)

Economist and writer Katerina Alexandraki has launched a creative idea for easing the housing crunch this holiday season. She’s asking Wall Streeters getting big bonuses to contribute them to folks in danger of losing their homes. (BusinessWeek)

“Those who think the government should have done nothing risked turning the current downturn into another Great Depression,” writes Bruce Bartlett. “Thankfully, their advice was ignored.” (Forbes)

Obama administration officials expect new reports today to show that the government’s fiscal stimulus program helped create or save about 650,000 jobs. (Wall Street Journal)

A turnaround in business spending is offering the first hint that the private sector may be prepared to drive economic growth when the government winds down its efforts to spur consumption. (USA Today)

If needy children were iconic — and change-inspiring — during the Great Depression, they now appear to be all but forgotten, writes Judith Warner. (New York Times/Domestic Disturbances)

Mental health experts say the impact of the economic recession was to blame for the soaring suicide rate in Ireland. (Irish Examiner)

Negotiations about whether and how to extend and expand the federal $8000 tax credit for homebuyers are moving quickly. (CNN/Money)

Spending by U.S. consumers fell in September for the first time in five months after the government’s auto-rebate program expired. (Bloomberg)

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