In his first State of the Union address, President Barack Obama pledged to forge ahead with his ambitious domestic agenda despite his decreasing popularity and increasingly dicey political waters heading into the key 2010 congressional races. During a lively speech before Congress, Obama declared that job growth would be "the number one focus" of his second year in office, and he defended his government's $787 billion stimulus package.

In a speech designed to reset his political agenda -- and indeed recalibrate expectations for his success -- Obama told the country that "despite our hardships, our union is strong."

Continue reading Obama Stakes His Presidency on Job Growth

Obama Stakes His Presidency on Job Growth originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:45:00.

President Barack Obama tonight reiterated his vow to fix the costly and inefficient U.S. health care system. He even joked that he did not decide to tackle the issue because it was "good politics." But during his first State of the Union address, Obama painted a grim picture of life for Americans under the present regime for insuring their health.

Continue reading Obama Reaches for the Reset Button on Health Care

Obama Reaches for the Reset Button on Health Care originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Healthcare, Taxes

In President Obama's first State of the Union address, he tried to capture the public's anger toward Wall Street while defending his decision to bail it out. He argued that while his rescue of the banks wasn't popular, it was necessary. As a palliative, he suggested that $30 billion of the repaid TARP money be given to community banks to lend to small businesses. And he pushed for a bill that reduces the risk in the financial system to prevent a recurrence of the financial crisis.

Continue reading Obama: Bailing Out the Banks "Was Necessary," but "I Hated It"

Obama: Bailing Out the Banks "Was Necessary," but "I Hated It" originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Investing

As many Americans hoped -- and expected -- President Obama made job growth the centerpiece of his first State of the Union address Wednesday: "Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010." He called for a host of tax breaks and incentives to stimulate jobs growth, especially for small businesses.

Continue reading Obama Wants to Fuel Job Growth Via Breaks for Small Business

Obama Wants to Fuel Job Growth Via Breaks for Small Business originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy

Are you looking to rebuild your credit in order to get a mortgage or loan in the near future? Find out how credit cards for bad credit can help with credit report repair.

Eli Lilly (LLY), the pharmaceutical behind Prozac for depression and Cialis for erectile dysfunction, is expected to post solid fourth-quarter profits on Thursday after a recent restructuring. But the results will likely be lower than the year-ago quarter. Analysts expect earnings of 91 cents per share on $5.64 billion in sales. In the same quarter last year, the company lost $3.31, due to costs associated with its ImClone acquisition, on revenue of $5.21 billion. Excluding charges related to the acquisition, Lilly reported a profit of $1.07 per share in the year-ago quarter.

Continue reading Earnings Preview: Eli Lilly Expected to Report a Solid Quarter

Earnings Preview: Eli Lilly Expected to Report a Solid Quarter originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:50:00.

Filed Under: Earnings, Eli Lilly

While Wednesday's iPad release was exciting, the biggest thrill may have occurred a few minutes later, when thousands of people across America simultaneously had the same thought: "They named it what?"

Continue reading With iPad Sounding Like a Feminine Hygiene Product, Will the Jokes Ever Stop?

With iPad Sounding Like a Feminine Hygiene Product, Will the Jokes Ever Stop? originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:00:00.

Filed Under: Company News, Technology, Apple

It may be a tired pun, but when it comes to one Detroit auto maker it couldn't be truer: Ford Motor (F) is on a roll. Though it saw yearly sales fall 15% in 2009 compared to the previous year, Ford did report a 33% surge in monthly sales last month, typically one of the slowest of the year.

Continue reading Earnings Preview: On a Roll, Ford to Report Upbeat Fourth-Quarter Results

Earnings Preview: On a Roll, Ford to Report Upbeat Fourth-Quarter Results originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:45:00.

Filed Under: Company News, Technology, Economy, Earnings, Ford Motor Co., Autos

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress Wednesday that he played no part in what appears to be efforts by government regulators to keep secret from the public key information about the bailout of embattled insurance giant AIG. "I had no role in making decisions regarding what to disclose," Geithner testified at a hearing held by the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, according to CNN Money. For the full CNN Money story, click here.

Continue reading Geithner Says He Played 'No Role' in Keeping AIG Bailout Details Secret

Geithner Says He Played 'No Role' in Keeping AIG Bailout Details Secret originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:19:00.

Filed Under: Economy

The early response to the Apple's (AAPL) new iPad tablet computer was decidedly mixed around the Web on Wednesday, with Apple-watchers both panning and praising the device's introduction -- and its name.

After opening at $206.85, Apple shares got pushed down as low as $199.53 during the iPad's introduction, but they later bounced back to close at $208.88. Many analysts had expected a base price for the iPad of no less than $1,000, but at least one portfolio manager was pleased to see models starting at $500 instead.

Continue reading Apple iPad Reactions: Love, Disappointment and Dismissal

Apple iPad Reactions: Love, Disappointment and Dismissal originally appeared on DailyFinance on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:00:00.

Filed Under: Technology, Apple