Free Republic

For the growing chorus of observers who fear that a breakup of the euro zone might be at hand, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany has a pointed rebuke: It’s never going to happen. But some banks are no longer so sure, especially as the sovereign debt crisis threatened to ensnare Germany itself this week, when investors began to question the nation’s stature as Europe’s main pillar of stability. On Friday, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Belgium’s credit standing to AA from AA+, saying it might not be able to cut its towering debt load any time soon. Ratings agencies this week...

Industrial production and new home construction rose sharply last month, suggesting that the economy is overcoming high energy prices and rebounding from the summer slump. But a spike in consumer prices is also stoking worries that inflation might spread more broadly as the economy heats up. The Federal Reserve reported yesterday that industrial production rose 0.7 percent in October, the fastest pace since July. In addition, the Commerce Department reported that new housing starts had recovered from a September dip to rise 6.4 percent last month. Investors in financial markets seemed encouraged by the emerging panorama of economic strength, as...