This is our Foreign Policy.

"unusually uncertain"

WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday the economic outlook remains "unusually uncertain," and the central bank is ready to take new steps to keep the recovery alive if the economy worsens. Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Bernanke also said record low interest rates are still needed to bolster the economy. He repeated a pledge to keep them there for an "extended period." Bernanke downplayed the odds that the economy will slide back into a "double-dip" recession. But he acknowledged the economy is fragile.Link

The Financial Overhaul Bill.

President Barack Obama today signs into law the biggest overhaul of the U.S. financial-regulatory system since the Great Depression, calling it “the strongest consumer financial protections in history.” In excerpts of Obama’s remarks released by the White House ahead of a signing ceremony, the president praised the law’s creation of a consumer protection bureau that will write and enforce rules for banks on credit card and mortgage lending. “These protections will be enforced by a new consumer watchdog with just one job: looking out for people -- not big banks, not lenders, not investment houses,” he said according to the prepared remarks. “That’s not just good for consumers; that’s good for the economy.”.Link