Power Breakfast: Manufacturing brighter, tax holiday, BofA

Sometimes the one thing that has bringing you down can help bring you back to life.

Manufacturing, which has been contracting in the U.S. for decades, may be a key component of the predicted economic recovery in this quarter.

Georgia manufacturing is heading toward daylight, with a rising number of companies reporting increases in new orders and production, writes AJC reporter Michael Kanell.

On Sunday, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said so many companies let their inventories approach zero that industrial production should expand nicely in this quarter. Greenspan said there was an outside chance that economic growth could hit a positive 2.5 percent — from a negative 1 percent in the second quarter.

Meanwhile housing, which was a key economic engine before the recession, is still teetering. We’ll take a little daylight anywhere we can find it

Also in the AJC:

• Will Georgia’s tax-free holiday return?
  
• Developer John Wieland to sell site for proposed Midtown luxury condo
  
• State lawmakers who owe taxes now in ethics probe
• Atlanta airlines: Tougher limits needed on oil speculators
• Prison in Home Depot case

In other media:

• Bank of America settles SEC suit over Merrill deal
  
• Senate Democrats trying to win over Republicans for ‘cash for clunkers’ money
• Income loss persists long after layoffs
• Bill Clinton in North Korea seeking release of two U.S. journalists