Ahead of the Tape
[Today's Market Forecast]</br></br>The Ernie Banks Economy</br></br>Soon it will become harder and harder to believe in the coming of a strong second half.</br></br>That's the fabled time when all the outlooks are strong, the CEOs are good looking and the quarterly earnings are above average. It's when recoveries happen, not just in technology or travel or retail, but also for the whole economy.</br></br>We are in danger of turning into a nation of ever-hopeful Cubs fans, observes Paul Kasriel, an economist at Northern Trust. "Course, the Cubs always fold in the second half," the Chicago economist points out.