debt levels

The debate over how to reduce U.S. debt levels has generated a lot of partisan huffing and puffing in Congress, but no meaningful action.

Enter President Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission, which will hold its first meeting in a few weeks.

The dollar gained Tuesday morning as more worries circulated about eurozone government debt levels, while in the U.S., reports showed big gains in home sales and gradual third-quarter growth.

The dollar slid as the number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment insurance dropped slightly, while Standard & Poor's said Britain may have its rating cut because of rising debt levels.