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"By overlooking cuts in research and development, product design, and worker training, GDP is greatly overstating the economy's strength."

"The official statistics are not designed to pick up cutbacks in "intangible investments" such as business spending on research and development, product design, and worker training."

"Without investment in intangibles, the U.S. can't compete in a knowledge-based global economy."

"Companies are robbing the future to pay for short-term profits. Over the past year, U.S. employment of scientists and engineers, the people who create the next generation of products and make the U.S. more competitive over the long term, has fallen by 6.3%"

Highlights:

• Banking: Mr. Cleanup - At the epicenter of the financial crisis, small-town bankers like Jim Edwards are building their businesses by mopping up the damage to their communities.
   
• Boeing's C-17 cargo aircraft cost $250 million apiece. It's nearly impossible for Obama to kill a project that provides jobs in 43 states
   
• More Galleon Fallout - The charges of insider trading at Galleon Group have touched another business figure: Hector Ruiz, former CEO of AMD
   
• Can Fiat Cars Save Chrysler? The new models won't materialize for two years—and the U.S. automaker could stall out in the meantime
   
• Audit Bureau of Circulations said that daily newspaper readership fell a steep 11% for the six months ending in September.
   
• Baidu (China's search engine), reported another huge 42% profit surge, to $72 million. No wonder Google has made little headway in China.
   
• Health-Care About-Face
   
• Home prices continue to inch up the stairs from the basement.
   
• The AIG Problem: Too Big to Fail?
   
• A Giant Bank Shrinks - ING Group (ING), saved in bailout cash last year, is being cut down to size.
   
• Peltz Comes Calling - Diamonds. Hamburgers. Ketchup. What do they have in common?
   
• George Soros' New Think Tank

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