NEW YORK / Bloomberg If the U.S. enters a recession this year, it may end up a lot like a boring conversation at a cocktail party: painfully long and shallow. The world’s largest economy has a host of strengths, from well-capitalized banks to financially-stable households, which should help limit the depth of a downturn should one happen. Yet with interest ...

Rio De Janeiro /Bloomberg A letter from the prosecutor-general’s office made public on Monday confirms that the federal task force in charge of Brazil’s sweeping corruption probe known as Carwash has been investigating former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva since late last year. The federal task force is probing Lula’s involvement during his time as president with construction companies ...

Buenos Aires / Bloomberg Argentina’s deal to put a bitter 15-year creditor saga behind it won’t come cheap. The country agreed to terms with bondholders led by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer over unpaid debts from its record $95 billion default in 2001. The settlement, which will let Argentina regain access to overseas bond markets, is the biggest, and arguably ...