A very old story is once again being retold, with a few of the characters' names updated to besmirch the innocent. In this story, conservatives are to blame for an economic crisis because they allegedly believe there is no role for government in the economy, and all economic crises are due to lax regulation of markets.

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday he doesn't believe the economy will slip into a recession and rejected the notion raised by his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, that the economic expansion, which started in late 2001, could be running out of steam.

CANTON, Ohio - Closing his case for the presidency, Barack Obama promised on Monday to restore economic prosperity and a sense of "higher purpose" to a tired, embattled nation. "We are one week away from changing America," the Democratic presidential candidate proclaimed, campaigning with the confidence of a contender nearing victory.

A front-page story Saturday about a Gilbert referendum to stop a proposed retail shopping center almost had us double-checking our birth certificates and driver’s licenses to make sure we still are living in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

In a more fair world, Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson would be doing a perp walk. After all, the CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac committed the same white-collar crimes that brought down Enron and WorldCom, among others.

Steve Stanek: One of the worst decisions in U.S. Supreme Court history is now linked with one of the worst economic development failures in history. We should not be surprised, as “economic development” failures cover the country. 

Two Mesa museums are holding their own despite the economic downturn. The Mesa Historical Museum and Arizona Museum of Natural History were both impacted by the recession, but it also changed their operations for the better.

NEW YORK — Historically, marriage was the surest route to financial security for women. Nowadays it's men who are increasingly getting the biggest economic boost from tying the knot, according to a new analysis of census data.

Arizona State University economics professor Edward Prescott received his Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Friday as about 100 students and faculty members watched on a bigscreen webcast in an ASU lecture hall.

Arizona's three public universities are widely popular and frequently use that clout to boost their taxpayer funding in good times and to protect it from excessive slashing in economic downturns. And if past history holds true, this fall's economic meltdown likely will prompt even more people to seek a college degree, adding to enrollments that already have been setting records at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

NEW YORK - Americans see a slice of sunlight for the economy, as a widely watched report Tuesday showed people are not as pessimistic about the future as they were a month ago.

The good news: Arizona’s economy will continue to grow next year. The bad news: The growth rate will be slower than in 2006 as the economy downshifts for the third consecutive year.

Wanted: More engineers, more incentives to lure businesses, more education on a global scale about what the Valley and Arizona have to offer.

Lee McPheters, ASU economist, was talking last week about the improved job outlook for 2004.

Austin Hill: President Barack Obama has no intention of helping to grow the United States economy. Perhaps that sounds harsh. Maybe it sounds outrageously "partisan." Maybe it just sounds outrageous.

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Tuesday that the financial crisis has not only darkened the country's current economic performance but also could prolong the pain.

Amid a sea of bleak statistics at the unveiling of an economic study Wednesday, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith chose to take a pragmatic approach to the city’s sobering numbers: “We have what we have,” Smith said.

With an estimated economic impact of $400 million in the Valley, Super Bowl XLII may seem to placate those who were against spending taxpayer money toward the $455 million cost of University of Phoenix Stadium.

Austin Hill: Michael Moore is releasing a new movie, and I’m sooo excited about it. More about me in a moment. First, the man who brought us “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11” is about to release a new film entitled “Capitalism: A Love Story.” Just as “Bowling” embodied Moore’s left-leaning view that gun rights are bad,  so also does “Love Story” advance another idea that is popular among American liberals: Capitalism is evil.

 With the economy in tatters, many Americans are considering taking a tour on the battlefield rather than trying their hands in the ruthless job market.

The Valley’s constantly growing banking industry isn’t immune to the current economic downturn. Numerous banks in Phoenix and the East Valley reported losses for the fourth quarter of 2007, according to call reports filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The East Valley is enjoying a much-needed economic boost, but experts say the upturn is too little, too late to offset budget shortfalls as municipalities plan for the coming fiscal year.

WASHINGTON - Henry Paulson, a veteran of more than three decades of Wall Street booms and busts, knew the good times couldn’t last forever when he left his perch as head of Goldman Sachs two years ago to become President Bush’s third Treasury secretary.

What does hosting Super Bowl Sunday get you?