Oil, government, manufacturing, and low wage workers.

BP found a lot of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Good news for Houston, and anyone who pays for gas. Though, keep in mind, that this is just a drop in the bucket for worldwide supply, and the oil is harder to get than ever.

The Wall Street Journal actually has an article about government helping the economy.

Growth in manufacturing too? Interesting. Cash for Clunkers may have helped that, but I don't know if it'll hold in the long term.

Low wage workers reportedly are often cheated, as a result getting paid less than the minimum wage. This is widespread, not just affecting undocumented workers.