Relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing can bring a toxic level of anxiety down, but harnessing it can ultimately be more effective.

WSJ: Anxiety Can Bring Out the Best

The ratings agency says a more severe recession will push the level of toxic assets in 2012 and 2013 higher relative to prior expectations and other banking systems in Europe.

FORBES: S&P Says Italian Banks Look More Vulnerable, Cuts Ratings On 15

Finalists: Patricia Callahan, Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne of the Chicago Tribune for their exposure of manufacturers that imperil public health by continuing to use toxic fire retardants in household furniture and crib mattresses, triggering reform efforts at the state and national level, and Alexandra Zayas of the Tampa Bay Times, St.

WSJ: 2013 Pulitzer winners in journalism and arts

Remember the basic idea was that, there are bunch of mortgage-backed securities, all these things out there in the system that depend at some level on mortgages, and those things are all in trouble, so that's what we call toxic assets.

NPR: Why Haven't Credit Problems Been Resolved?