Friday, February 27, 2015

No oil bust: Why some say this time is different | HoumaToday.com

No oil bust: Why some say this time is different | HoumaToday.com: "It's not like the oil bust of the 1980s. Ask workforce analysts, economists or local officials about the current oilfield slowdown and that's what they'll tell you. U.S. benchmark crude oil closed Thursday at $48.17 a barrel. The number has fluctuated daily since it hit $45 a barrel in January, down 60 percent from its high of $115 a barrel in June and the lowest point in nearly six years. Analysts' forecasts vary widely; some predict crude will settle above $60 a barrel by year's end, while others say the price hasn't hit bottom. However uncertain the immediate future is, officials agree the economy now is better off than — and because of — the oil bust that devastated Houma-Thibodaux's economy more than two decades ago."

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Thursday, February 19, 2015

Obama Picks State Dept.'s Jen Psaki To Lead White House Communications

Obama Picks State Dept.'s Jen Psaki To Lead White House Communications: "WASHINGTON (AP) — White House officials say State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki will become President Barack Obama's new communications director, filling a key slot as Obama embarks on the final two years of his presidency. She replaces veteran Democratic media strategist Jennifer Palmieri, who is leaving the White House to join Hillary Rodham Clinton's likely presidential campaign. She will step into her new role April 1. Psaki will be returning to the White House where she helped craft Obama's message during the president's first term. She has been part of Obama's team since 2007, when she was traveling press secretary during his first presidential campaign. The move allows Obama to replace a senior aide with a familiar face who is already steeped in issues confronting the White House."

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