Japan’s Economy Grows; Home Builder Confidence Up; New York Manufacturing Rises; Credit Card Defaults Stabilize in July; MSNBC Buys “Hyperlocal” News Aggregator; Reader’s Digest Files for Bankruptcy; Lowe’s Profit Falls 19%

Is it time to buy a house? Depends…

TARP May Cost Taxpayers $23.7 Trillion; Economists: Recession Not Over Yet; GM Gets 3 Bids for Opel; Defaults on Commercial Real Estate Hit 20-year High; Drug Company’s Stock Rises 276.81% After Successful Test; Porsche/Volkswagen Deal On Hold For Now; LEI Rises Again; AOL CEO to Revamp Advertising, Develop Community Sites…

Remember when we were in a “State of Shock” after hearing the news of Michael Jackson’s death?

By the time investors read this today (Monday), embattled U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) Motors Corp. could be operating under the protection of the U.S. bankruptcy code, a strategic move made in an effort to transform the once-dominant firm into a leaner and more competitive player.

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is expected to unveil its new Internet search engine to the public next week, an attempt by the software heavyweight to grab back some of the Internet search market from behemoth Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG).

As the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression continues to worsen, decades of deregulation and the growing independence at the state level are being reversed as a deteriorating national economy forces the federal government to increasingly take on responsibilities that no other institution has the power or resources to handle.

President Barack Obama’s $825 billion stimulus plan heads to the floor of the House of Representatives this week, with House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, saying many in his party will vote against the package unless significant changes are made.

Sony Forecasts Steel Loss; Parsons New Citi Chairman; Potash Doubles 4Q Profit; Lockheed Post Profit, Issues Warning; Thain resigns from BofA; Geithner Nomination Moves Ahead; GE May Cut Dividend