After the Rain, Sun

With the economy and financial markets struggling to return to normal this week, economists are worried that battered consumers will go into hibernation, pulling the economy down with them. But for now at least, consumers might not be following that script.

Backing that statement up: A USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll taken the Friday and Saturday after the attacks found that converse to what one might expect, Americans’ opinions about the economy had improved sharply from a poll taken before the terrorist attacks. Forty-six percent of respondents said that economic conditions are good or excellent compared to 32 percent holding such positive views before the attacks.