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The article discusses how a decline in oil prices is impacting the oil and gas industries, as well as oil services such as the hydraulic fracturing industry. Topics include concern over budget cuts and the possible need for layoffs, how the price drop is expected to improve the U.S. economy and increase consumer spending, and how the economies of states such as Texas and North Dakota which have large oil industries, will be affected.

The article discusses plans by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to become a greater source of funding to developing nations in times of crisis. The IMF envisions providing foreign-exchange swaps to central banks of nations with shortages of hard currencies. Encouragement has come from several Group of 20 nations including the U.S.

The article reports that several U.S. states have asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay issuing regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions. The state officials have told the EPA that they lack the funding to monitor and regulate some of the potential sources of greenhouse gases which would be covered in the regulations.