Washington D.C. workers probed in benefits fraud (Reuters)

Reuters - About 130 municipal employees in Washington, D.C. may have scammed the city by collecting jobless benefits while still at work, officials said on Monday, in the latest controversy to hit the local government.

'Halftime in America' ad creates political debate (AP)

AP - People rarely pick a fight with Dirty Harry. But Chrysler's "Halftime in America" ad featuring quintessential tough guy Clint Eastwood has generated fierce debate about whether it accurately portrays the country's most economically distressed city or amounts to a campaign ad for President Barack Obama and the auto bailouts.

Oklahoma to cut income taxes by closing "loopholes" (Reuters)

Reuters - Oklahoma's pro-business governor announced a plan on Monday to dramatically cut state income tax rates and eventually do away with the tax altogether, and said the state would pay for the cuts by closing "loopholes."

Deeper Iran sanctions; US targets its central bank (AP)

AP - Targeting Iran's economy, the U.S. ordered tough new penalties Monday to further pinch the country's financial system and encourage Israel to give sanctions more time before any military action against Iran's nuclear program.

Markets cautious as Greek talks drag on (AP)

AP - Markets were in a cautious mood on Monday as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a fresh austerity package that is required if the debt-ridden country is to get a crucial bailout package.

Mortgage deal faces setbacks, again (Reuters)

Reuters - A multi-state mortgage settlement in the works for more than a year will likely be pushed back again as dissident U.S. states continue to press specific concerns and ignore a Monday deadline to decide whether they will sign it.

SEC's Gallagher wants more oversight of brokers (Reuters)

Reuters - Congress made a mistake when it stripped away most of the Securities and Exchange Commission's authority to police the holding companies of broker-dealers for risks, according to the SEC's newest commissioner.

President's Economic Influence Isn't Limited -- Obama Just Misuses It (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | Some would have us believe the president plays a much smaller role in determining what our economy does than most people believe. I think Americans believe the president has a lot of actual power to correct the economy, and that assumption is incorrect. But many chief executives have used the Oval Office to manipulate change and foster growth that isn't specifically empowered to the presidency.

Key states move closer to foreclosure-abuse deal (AP)

AP - California and New York, the key holdouts in a long-awaited settlement over foreclosure abuses, moved closer Monday to backing a deal that would force the five largest mortgage lenders to reduce loans for about 1 million households.

Stocks slip on Wall Street as Greek talks drag on (AP)

AP - Stock indexes closed slightly lower Monday as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a fresh cost-cutting package required for the country to get more bailout loans.

Electric car maker Fisker: Layoffs in Del., Calif. (AP)

AP - Fisker Automotive, an electric car maker that received a half-billion-dollar loan from the federal government, said Monday that it has laid off workers in Delaware and California.

Housing plan helps nearly 1 million homeowners (Reuters)

Reuters - Nearly 1 million U.S. homeowners have won permanent reductions on mortgage payments since the Obama administration launched its foreclosure prevention program in 2009, the U.S. Treasury said on Monday, only a fraction of the total it aimed to reach.

Summary Box: Stocks slip as Greek talks drag on (AP)

AP - GREECED: The Dow dropped 17 points and other stock indexes dropped slightly as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a fresh cost-cutting measures required for Greece to get more bailout loans.

How the major stock indexes fared on Monday (AP)

AP - Stock indexes closed slightly lower Monday as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a package of spending cuts and other measures required for the country to get more bailout loans.

Dozens of Washington DC workers probed in benefits fraud (Reuters)

Reuters - About 130 Washington DC municipal employees may have scammed the city by collecting jobless benefits while still at work, the District of Columbia said on Monday, in the latest scandal to hit the local government.

Wall St edges lower after string of gains (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks closed slightly lower on Monday as lingering questions about Europe's debt crisis and corporate earnings overshadowed growing optimism about economic growth after a five-week rally.

IMF's Blanchard sees "very large" Greek haircut (Reuters)

Reuters - The IMF's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, said on Monday it looks like the 'haircut' on Greek private debt will be "very large" as negotiations between bondholders and the government drag on to cut Greece's debt burden.

Gold falls as Greek debt crisis back in spotlight (AP)

AP - Gold prices fell Monday as the Greek debt crisis returned to the spotlight, renewing concerns about the impact that Europe's financial troubles could have on the global economy.

Report: Large charitable donations on the rise (AP)

AP - Money donated by the nation's most chartable people is starting to catch up with pre-recession giving, thanks in part to some very large bequests from a few donors.

90 DC workers face firing for unemployment fraud (AP)

AP - About 90 District of Columbia workers have been suspended and may be fired after officials determined they received unemployment checks while holding city jobs.

Report: Casinos generated $125B spending in 2010 (AP)

AP - A new report shows U.S. casinos and the industries that depend on them made a $125 billion economic splash in 2010 — the equivalent of 1 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product.

No way China can sustain its growth: Biden (Reuters)

Reuters - Vice President Joe Biden warned on Monday that there is no way that China will be able to sustain its current level of economic growth because of what he called its "God-awful" one-child policy.

Fed should raise rates in 2013, Bullard says (Reuters)

Reuters - The Federal Reserve should start raising interest rates next year, a top Fed official said on Monday, arguing that many years of near-zero rates will do little to return economic output to pre-recession levels and risks causing "disaster."

With economy improving, Obama would beat Romney: poll (Reuters)

Reuters - bolstered by a stronger economic outlook and recent job growth - would win in a match-up against the two leading Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, a poll on Monday showed.

Fidelity Nat'l to buy O'Charley's restaurant chain (AP)

AP - A title insurance and mortgage services company that already owns a stake in the Bakers Square restaurant chain is buying the restaurant operator O'Charley's Inc., the companies announced Monday.

Analysis: Euro zone strugglers lack innovative knack (Reuters)

Reuters - To get an idea of the economic mountain euro zone strugglers Greece and Portugal have to climb, consider this: per million inhabitants, they each filed fewer than eight applications with the European Patent Office in 2010.

German industrial orders buoyed by global demand (AP)

AP - The German government says strong demand from outside the eurozone helped the country's industrial orders rise a stronger-than-expected 1.7 percent in December.

China growth could halve if Europe crisis worsens: IMF (Reuters)

Reuters - China's annual economic growth could be cut nearly in half this year if Europe's debt crisis tips the world economy into a recession, putting pressure on Beijing to unveil "significant" fiscal stimulus, the International Monetary Fund said.

Europe's debt rose to 82 percent of output at end-Q3 (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Union's total government debt rose slightly to 82.2 percent of economic output in the third quarter of 2011, the EU's statistics agency said on Monday, lower than the United States but still a burden that could take decades to pay down.

Analysis: Iran economy could limp along under sanctions (Reuters)

Reuters - Tightening international sanctions against Iran look set to shrink its economy, push up inflation and further erode its currency, but they may fail to deliver a knock-out blow that forces Tehran to compromise on its nuclear ambitions.

Bangladeshi Investors Badly Hit by the Stock-Market Crash (Time.com)

Time.com - The dramatic rise and swift fall of Bangladesh's stock market is a cautionary tale for emerging-market investors oblivious to the perils of hasty deregulation and rapid capital inflows

Merger fails, but D.Boerse CEO says allies a must (Reuters)

Reuters - D.Boerse CEO eyes new allies as NYSE deal crumbles Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE) does not believe it can survive in the long term without a new partner despite the collapse of its proposed $7.4 billion merger with NYSE Euronext , its chief executive told a German newspaper.

With sparse data, focus returns to Europe (Reuters)

Reuters - Europe will again be at the center of investors' focus this week as the U.S. earnings season passes the halfway mark and there is little on the economic calendar to give the market direction.

Why small companies' stocks deserve a closer look (AP)

AP - Underperforming money managers are losing their most reliable scapegoat.

Nasdaq core profit tops expectations (Reuters)

Reuters - Nasdaq OMX Group Inc's core profit topped analysts' expectations for the fourth quarter, boosted by a rise in revenue from market data and technology, which helped offset a soft trading environment.

SEC names top federal auditor to accounting board (AP)

AP - Federal regulators have appointed a top government auditor as a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which polices the accounting industry.

SEC reaches settlement with former Qwest CFO (AP)

AP - The Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a settlement with former Qwest Communications International Inc. Chief Financial Officer Robert Woodruff over its civil fraud lawsuit.

New York sues banks over electronic mortgage system (Reuters)

Reuters - New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Friday sued three major U.S. banks, accusing them of fraud for using an electronic mortgage database that resulted in deceptive and illegal practices.

Analysis: Stock-picking makes a comeback as macro tides fade (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock-picking once again matters on Wall Street.

NY's Schneiderman sues banks in foreclosure effort (AP)

AP - New York's attorney general on Friday accused some of the nation's largest banks of deceit and fraud in using an electronic mortgage registry that he said puts homeowners at a disadvantage in foreclosures.