President Barack Obama sees “glimmers of hope” in the US economy, citing a pick-up in lending to small businesses and lower mortgage rates as signs that the country is weathering the financial crisis.
Accused by some conservative commentators of talking down the economy since his election, Mr Obama on Friday adopted cautious optimism after a meeting with Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, and Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
