Things are so bad . . .

that this is considered good news.

"The American economy shrank at an annual rate of 1 percent from April through June, the government reported on Friday, stoking hopes that the worst recession since the Great Depression was nearly over."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/business/economy/01econ.html?_r=1

There was a time when that would be considered terrible news.