News of the Week – January 21st It has been a truism of the American economy for decades: When oil prices rise, the economy suffers; when they fall, growth improves. But the decline of oil prices over the last two years has failed to deliver the usual economic benefits (New York Times). Patent

News of the Week – January 14th The Federal Reserve will raise interest rates only three times this year as it faces a more subdued outlook for both the U.S. and world economies, a Reuters poll of economists found (Reuters). The point where patents may come up in the Presidential debates will

News of the Week – January 7th The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week, and layoffs in December were the smallest in more than 15 years, indicating labor market strength even as economic growth appears to have slowed sharply in the fourth quarter (New York Times). Massachusetts is