There are several factors why: bad weather, higher prices, the Olympics.
Analysts, investors and government officials believe they need to raise more capital to weather higher defaults in their loan portfolios.
Four main factors are seen as driving prices higher: weather, higher demand, smaller yields and crops diverted to biofuels.
TXU blamed cooler weather, higher prices for coal, a planned shutdown of its Comanche Peak nuclear plant and lower average pricing for the drop in profit.
That increase was probably not a result of unusual weather — higher prices were mostly in meat and dairy, rather than in fruits and vegetables.
Of course, cyclical challenges like bad weather, higher gasoline prices and the end of the federal payroll tax cut have also hurt restaurant sales.
Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, head of the PHE's air pollution and climate change group and co-author of the paper, said: "During periods of warmer weather higher temperatures can lead to greater-than-usual stress on the body caused by heat and higher levels of air pollution, which can aggravate the symptoms of those with chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions".
If the Bush administration had devoted as much political capital in the past five years to wage and job growth initiatives as it has to cutting taxes for the wealthy, these struggling families would be better able to weather higher prices at the pump.
Rather, to reduce its fiscal deficit, it should summon the courage to cut fuel subsidies in its budget on March 16th.Politician + pump prices + poll = panicAlthough America's strengthening economy is better able to weather higher fuel costs, election-year politics is bound to bring pressure to "act" against high petrol prices.
Basically, it's a matter of who is sizable enough to weather higher rates.
But improvements in EM balance sheets over the past several years have rendered many countries better positioned to weather higher interest rates, lower global growth or other economic disturbances.
