in new york brenda buttner, fox news. >> a little bit chilly out there, guess we're, you know, can't complain. it's april. >> this is how we roll. the average date of the last freeze is either late april or early may depending on where you live. >> beautiful sunny day. >> the sun is intense. it will heat things up after we get through a kind of chilly morning and chilly overnight as well. it is easter weekend. it's here and we have a really delightful forecast. so we're excited about that and i think you'll enjoy how the weather is going to be, although do prepare for some cooler mornings and don't forget that easter morning also will be chilly, even if we don't have a freeze warning posted. that is what's on tap for tonight, but we're going to hop ahead to easter because we want to let you know it looks like a really nice day. it will be mild. there will be some high clouds around, so not that full intense sun like we had today. even though with those high clouds temperatures should get up to between 66 and 70, sun comes up at 6:41 on easter and you saw the full moon we have today.

let's bring in our anchor of bulls & bear, brenda buttner. , good morning, first of all. >> hi. >> say it ain't so. 25 years. >> eric? can anything be done? >> well, yeah, that's a pretty dire prediction. however, he is quite well known in the housing industry and people are taking this very seriously. i think what he is saying is that it may be a while before we see the kind of prices that we did pre-- pre- bust, which is the boom that just went bust. but what has happened since we saw people flipping houses and using their houses as atms in 2005, housing prices have declined 25%. that's significant. we have seen some activity in some cities. however, we expect that prices will continue to decline. if they do, buyers will stay on the sidelines. why is that? it used to be said, one thing matter audio location, location, location. now the only thingna that matter, job, job, jobs. until we get unemployment down, people are not going to buy homes. they don't feel they have the wherewithal and banks are not willing to give mornings to people who d

hi, everyone, i'm brenda buttner, this is bulls and bears. d the bulls and bears this week, tobin smith. jonas max father rerris and ste murphy. okay, john, forget new recession fears. are we still in a recession? >> brenda, of course we're still in a recession if not approaching depression. when we talk about 83% of americans are recognizing we might be in recession, i think that number is low. i think that when you look at all the statistics that are out there, the home, new home starts, foreclosures are up. mutual funds outflows are up. and everything you think of as a good economic metric is going in the wrong direction and people are still talking about green shoots and positive developments and i don't see any of it. >> brenda: we're still growing as an economy, it may not be as fast as everybody would hope for, but 2.2% that's not anything to sneeze at really. >> absolutely, and the projections this year he for 2.5%, you know, one quarter, but it does feel to most people like we're in a recession and we'll continue to feel that way unti

hi everyone, i'm brenda buttner, this is bulls and bears, let's get right to it, and the bulls and bears this week, tobin smith. jonas max ferris, along with julian epstein and welcome to everybody. todd, is the recovery headed into a new recession? >> it is, brenda, let me tell you the facts document this alone. if you have a 120,000 jobs rights now and look at the last six months, all the new jobs created, 70% of them actually are of the low income variety. he retail, hospitality, leisure, not the jobs for sustained growth. if you have negative growth, that means we're headed into recession and the document and data, everything for us. >> brenda: i don't know, toby is going, oh, oh. >> one month doesn't mean anything, you know that better than anybody. and if you look at the overall data, these are anomalies through the numbers and don't get focused on that, we had the markets down because the fed decided to tell the people addicted to the liquidity that maybe they he weren't going to be writing checks for the next 25 years and. >> i disagree, toby. >> and this is the worst trading wee

hi, everyone, i'm brenda buttner, this is bulls and bears. let's get right to it. bulls and bears this week, gary b smith, tobin smith. jonas max ferris along with scott martin and jehmu green. and let workers collect benefits? >> you know, brenda, it's just another in a long line of goofy government programs, trying to get the economy started. and first of all, whenever i hear that people get money and companies get money in this case, for hiring temporary workers, the first thing i think of is fraud. you know, if this goes through, we can come back a year from now and we can start to count how many millions we're to expect. the bigger issue, you know, brenda, we, you know, as a nation started building cars and sent men into space and we built canals and railroads, and we know how to do any of those beforehand and you know who took the risk, the manufacturers, the companies, the corporations out there took the risk and if ne failthe failed. it's another way to transfer money from one to another without supposedly anyone taking any risk, it's goofy and should be be

brenda buttner takes the temperature of our economy, right after the break. ♪ [ malannouncer ] rememberkid? you liked getting dirty an building things. there were no limits -- you could move mountains. the john deere 1 series subcompact tractor -- the way grownups move mountains. and with auto-connect implements, it's the easiest tractor to use yet. what will you create? learn more about the affordable 1 series at johndeere.com/1series. >> a yacht race near the california-mexico border turned deadly. a 11-foot yacht collided with a much larger boat, killing three crew members. one crew member is still missing. should terminally ill patients be allowed to get fatal prescriptions? that's the controversial question for massachusetts voters, to legalize assisted suicide. 21 years have passed since los angeles' five days of outrage, four police officers were acquitted after beating rodney king on videotape, sparking massive rioting. when it was all said and done it cost more than $1 billion and more than 2,000 people were hurt. economic growth has slowed. the first quarter report shows that

i'm brenda buttner. this is "bulls & bears." let's get right to it! we've got tobin smith, jonas max ferris, gary b. smith along with ameala antonefti and stefan finch. welcome to everybody. you say you think this tax season is taxing. just wait. >> you know, brenda, i think in 2013, we're going to have to all move to the cayman islands. it's going to be a lot better there than it is here because, you know, brenda, heritage foundation called 2013 tax-mageddon. here's why. the average household here in the u.s. will see tax increases of $3800. you know, that comes from the expiration of the bush one and two tax cuts. expiration of the payroll tax cuts, obamacare increases and i heard obama is talking about this buffet tax, maybe we'll get that also and you know, brenda, here's the worst part. the primary focus on these taxes are going to be the middle and low income households because that's where the bulk of the bush tax cuts went to. in 2013, it's not going to be a very good year for anyone and the economy, brenda. >> ok, you are a small business own

brenda buttner is here. brenda, what are jut thoughts on this one?it's very interesting because the u.s., basically and canada, declined to participate in this most recent pledge of $430 billion. they would have had to go to congress to get a vote on this, if they had decided they wanted to participate. but we are the biggest backer of the imf by far. and we back -- we can back up to $65 billion in loans. now, our feeling is so far, europe is wealthy enough to be able to -- to help itself out. but already, the imf has helped out europe to the tune of $300 million. and it's helped out greece with the biggest single rescue package ever. so the idea is, if you take a look at some of these riots that we have seen in greece and ireland, in portugal and perhaps spain is the next one on the list because the people there do not want to take the tough measures required to turn around their countries. if you take a look at those, the question is, how many more loans will be required? and at that point, when is uncle sam going to get, again the bid to give more

let's bring in brenda buttner, anchor of bulls & bears and senior business correspondent.sibility? a student loan bailout? is it a good idea? >> it's a huge issue, certainly. the problem is that borrowers in their 30s owe $30,000, $40,000, which keeps building and building. a couple of things are unique to student loans. the first thing is that they are backed by the government. so it's almost impossible to get rid of by bankruptcy or anything else. you cannot get rid of these loan, essentially. they will follow you to death. and that's one huge problem. so i don't know how we would deal with it because right now, we are looking at july 1, on many student loans, the interest rate goes from 3 to 6.8%. the other huge issue is the recession, so people can't start to get the jobs to help them repay the student loans. >> heather: yeah. >> it is not the same as the financial crisis and the other boons go to bust that we have faced. >> heather: the delinquency rate right now as of 2011 was 27%. >> yeah. >> heather: so with what you are saying, that delinquency rate will probably

in new york, brenda buttner, fox news. >>> a big scandal in the world of college football and it centersaround a head coach's motorcycle crash. wait until you hear who was riding on the back when it happened. >>> and quite a sight as coast guard canons sink a ghostship in the pacific ocean.  . >> the long voyage of the japanese ghost ship is over. it was discovered in the gulf of alaska last month and drifting toward the u.s. following last year's earthquake and tsunami in japan. last week, they started firing rounds at the ship to singe it. the coast guard said it will not affect the shore line and will be naturally dissipated by the wind and weather patterns. >>> down south, arkansas football coach bobby petrino is put on administrative leave after failing to tell the school a woman, not his wife, was with him at the time of the motorcycle crash. the police report came out yesterday and names a staff member of the football program, 25-year-old jessica dormell with patrendo during the time of the crash. he broke four ribs and cracked a neck vertebra in that accident. >>> comin

brenda buttner, anchor of bulls and bears has more. >> and yes, gas prices are going up, that's a painstion. while you watch the numbers soar, don't forget that so are these numbers. and yes, stocks are way up, too. the s&p 500 just 12% in the first quarter and its best performance in 14 years. that means your 401(k) is probably a-okay. and many retirement accounts invest in the broader s & p. and the surge in stocks means more money for you. probably more than you paid at the bump. of course, the question is, can it last? wall street is watching you for a clue and you seem to say, yes. consumer sentiment jumped at the end of march, a popular gauge was at the highest level since february of last year. also, consumer spending was up in february, too. although a lot of that fueled by those higher gas prices. also, going up, our rank in the world. when it comes to corporate taxes, no, april fool's here, we are now number one, a dubious distinction, as japan lowers its rates. what will that mean for jobs? we get the latest read on the unemployment rate, good friday. will it be good for job

what a look at that, senior business correspondent and anchor of bulls and bears, brenda buttner. >>ading tomorrow after a strong week, all the major market averages each added about 2%. and even after word the economy grew at a slower pace than expected. actually. so the last month has been one of fits and starts, your 401(k) is likely better than okay this year, so the bull is alive and well in 2012, mainly in the first quarter. even though it has some signs of taking a breather of late. but if recent history is any guide. it may be more than a breather. it mae may be a down right stop in its track correction and stocks kicked off the new year with a lot of celebrating, a present thanks to the fed and its plan to keep interest rates low. and the same true this year although on a much lower level and already, the bull is starting to look just plain tired. maybe worse. remember the addage, sell in may and go away, the calendar turns this week. historically stocks are weaker from may to october. the dow returns on average less than 1/2% during that period. well, in the other six month

brenda buttner has the details. care about the prices at the pump he jumps right past them. that is what the spending this easter shows. americans shelling out an average of $145 and change on everything from clothes to candy on the who will did i total spending expected to hit nearly $17 billion. what are you spending on. in you guessed it. you have the biggest appetite for candy. nearly 90% of those celebrating easter buying more than $2 billion of traditional favorites such as chocolate eggs and jellybeans. spending more this year than last. on average more than 20 bucks per person on the sweet stuff. food, too. the average person spending $44 and change up from 40 bucks last year. now, some of our viewers weighed in with their easter plans. bill heitner of new york city says he is spending more because he is cooking. where is my invite, bill? same for wendy of florida. groceries are higher and i'm cooking but i won't skimp. will the easter bunny turn out to be the energizer bunny for the economy? remains to be s

brenda buttner with details. >> more cash for european countries drowning in debt is the latest prescription the imf which has already given $300 billion in emergency loans since the global financial mess erupted has raised 430 billion bucks, nearly doubling to $1 trillion the amount available to loan to european countries in crisis. the u.s. has refused to participate as has canada. u.s. officials say europe is wealthy enough to take care of its own during this crisis. what has europe given and what has it received? well, europe put up a bit less than half of the latest amount contributed by member nations to the imf for european countries but already europe has been a big beneficiary of the imf. the institution has helped to bail out three european nations with the european -- with emergency loans. ireland, portugal and greece and although the u.s. declined to participate in this latest pledge we are still big backers of the international group. the single largest share holder with the biggest quota. we back a maximum of $65 billion in loans nearly a fifth of the resources. a vote to back

joining me, brenda buttner, sobering numbers. why is this u-6 rate important? that i always look at because in it particular recession, it is the one that is the most important because it includes the long-term unemploy and the unemploy who had say, forget about it. i am not going to look for work anymore. or i am a part-timer who would rather be working full time. those people are not include in the official unemployment rate. so this is a more real picture of what our unemployment rate is. at 14.5%, that's unprecedented. it is quite high. it is about double the official unemployment rate. it was 14.2, when president obama took office. i am noticing that it was 17.2% in october of 2009. so is there no reason to say, well, we have come down, it is way beyond where it needs to be for us to see a true recovery? >> yes. it has improved. i mean thas improved. but it's still quite, quite high. and the other thing that is really important about it is that this concept of the long-term unemployed, which we haven't seen these kind of number, frankly, ever. 43% of the 1

brenda buttner has the red flags you need to be looking for. >> identity thieves are ramping up effortssolicit your personal financial information when you are most vulnerable -- tax season. using the ph. >> jamie: shing technique. they ask their victims to surrender personal information. the email scams are highly successful and can be hard to detect unless you know what to look for. the common theme really is, panic, we need your information, something is wrong with your fax taxes. >> suspicious emails with attachments are a red flag. >> no legitimate company will send you information in an attachment, unless have you asked for it, specifically. >> never click on the one-click option in an email. instead, log in and go to a home page. >> they really dot make it easy to do it that way, so you don't have to click on a blind link. >> most do it yourself tax sites should be safe to use itch the security is very good. you create a solid password like you would for any type of sensitive account. it works very well. >> not comfortable doing your taxes online, get the software on a disk and d

brenda buttner is here.g into the recovery and this is the highest corporate tax rate in the world. >> we are number 1! you would like to think this is an april fools day joke, but it's not. the u.k. is actually lowering its corporate tax rate. we are the highest in the world. but you have to take this in context. because if you do look at loopholes that are out there, we are closer to the average reallies of the industrial nations in the cort tax rate. when you look at our income tax, which is lower than many nations, we are a lot lower. but still, just in terms of the corporate tax rate, which does have an influence on jobless rates. when you look at ireland in the 1980s, when it lowered its corporate tax rate, when it comecut it in half, its gdp doubled. so this can have a profound impact on unemployment. >> eric: why wouldn't the politicianses want to try to cut it? 39.2%. republicans want a 25% rate. do you have the companies like g.e. that legally get away with t. why not cut the rate to help the econo

. >> first, let's check in with brenda buttner, a look at what's coming up at the top of the hour on gas prices start to tick down ever so slightly. the white house says something that could actually send your pain at the pump into overdrive and it's good work if you can get it. a new bland to let folks try out a job, and get paid and still collect unemployment checks. and the one trillion dollar student loan time bomb set to explode. looks like taxpayers might be picking up the tab again. that and more at the top of the hour, we'll see you then. pull on those gardening gloves. and let's see how colorful an afternoon can be. with certified advice to help us expand our palette... ...and prices that give us more spring per dollar... ...we can mix the right soil with the right ideas. ...and bring even more color to any garden. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. lay down a new look, with earthgro mulch, now three bags for just $10. on ourar insurance. great! at progressive, you can compare rates side by side, so you get the same coverage, often for less. wow! th