. >> earlier hideshi hara spoke with ai uchida about the u.s.nomy. >> ai, the report shows that consumption is slowly picking up but can we take it as a sign of full-fledged recovery? >> well, it certainly could be taken as one sign, but we definitely need other pieces of the puzzle firmly in place before we can cheer. but let's first focus on the positive. last friday federal reserve chairman he ben bernanke said a self-sustaining recovery in personal consumption and business spending may be taking hold in the u.s. economy. he was speaking to the u.s. senate. at the same time it is expected that obama's extension of the tax cuts and unemployment benefits will stimulate -- will continue to stimulate the economy. >> okay. what's that news, then? >> first, as the earlier report showed, the budget deficit is ballooning. it is estimated to top $1.5 trillion this year. the second concern is the sluggish housing market due to rising interest rates. the housing market is one of the pillars of the u.s. economy. and speaking of which, the third concern t