Headline roundup - Nov. 12

Here are a few headlines snatched from the Web this morning. Is there no end to the good economic news?

Recession fears weigh down markets
Major stock markets in London, Paris and Frankfurt were 3 percent to 5 percent lower in the early trading. The story was much the same across Asia
Japan's Nikkei index finished down 1.3 percent, while the KOSPI in Seoul was off less than half a percent. Australia's All Ordinaries index slipped a full percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng shed about six-tenths of a percentO

Obama and recession linked to Roosevelt and Great Depression
US President-elect Barack Obama has been compared to Kennedy, a phenomenon and in some circles even a messiah. But as the US economy falls into a deeper recession, Obama is also being compared to former Democratic US President Franklin D Roosevelt. Also, the 2008 election is being compared to the election of 1932, that swept Franklin D Roosevelt into the Oval office. During the Great Depression, Americans got inspiration and hope from President Roosevelt's radio speeches or fireside chats.

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