* The economy will keep a downward spiral and will affect some banks.
April 18, 2008 – Citigroup reports loss, job cuts, $14B in write-downs; like rivals, Citi gets conservative. Citigroup Inc. is struggling with not only a troubling lending environment in the United States, but also a dented portfolio of investments. The bank’s write-downs, plus more than $3 billion in costs related to consumers’ credit problems, led it to report a first-quarter loss Friday of $5.1 billion, or $1.02 a share. AP and ABC News
April 17, 2008 – New York. Merrill Posts Wide Loss, Plans to Cut 3,000 Jobs. Merrill Lynch badly hurt by its foray into risky securities, on Thursday reported a loss of nearly $2 billion in the first quarter and said it would cut 3,000 jobs over the next three months. Washington Post.
* Be prepared for unusual activities with earthquakes and strange storms.
April 18, 2008 – Illinois – 5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks the Midwest. Residents across the Midwest were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled skyscrapers in Chicago’s Loop and homes in Cincinnati but appeared to cause no major injuries or damage. Fox News.
* Watch gas prices as they hit an all time high.
April 22, 2008 – Oil and Gasoline Prices Climb Higher. Oil jumped to a record on Monday, and gasoline prices rose above $3.50 a gallon for the first time across the nation, according to AAA, the automotive group, as fears about energy supplies and a falling dollar drove prices to new records.
Gasoline has risen 22 percent in the last year, and some analysts expect prices close to $4 a gallon this summer, typically the time of the year when demand is at a peak. New York Times.
* Flu season will be wicked this year.
April 17, 2008 – Atlanta- The current flu season has shaped up to be the worst in four years, partly because the vaccine didn’t work well against the viruses that made most people sick, health officials said Thursday. AOL News
Psychic Insights 