Economy Nov 07 ‘The Buyout of America’ Author on Occupy Wall Street Protests // A year ago July, we did a story on "private equity" featuring journalist Josh Kosman, who'd written a book, "The Buyout of America." In it, Kosman blamed private equity firms for buying companies with borrowed money, taking…
Economy Oct 14 Chinese Housing Bubble: A Troubling Update from Beijing // In this latest dispatch from China, stand-up economist Yoram Bauman explores the possibility of a Beijing housing bubble. We first reported on this threat in our "China on the Rise" series back in 2005, when MIT economist and…
Economy Sep 26 Is the Conventional Wisdom on Social Security Correct? From "Why Social Security?" (1937). Social Security Administration pamphlet explaining need for the new system in terms of the transition from rural to urban-industrial society. Illustration by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, photo via flickr user Tobias Higbie. Paul Solman answers…
Economy Sep 23 Which Makes a Better Investment: Gold or Canned Soup? Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news here on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Friday's query: Name: Charles Meyrick Question: What good is gold? In your article on John Williams,…
Economy Sep 23 Which Makes a Better Investment: Gold or Canned Soup? Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Friday's query: Name: Charles Meyrick Question: What good is gold? In your article on…
Economy Sep 16 Does the U.S. Need Full Employment? And Other Questions // Watch 'Can America's Jobless Fill America's Jobs?' Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Friday's query: The flood of responses to our…
Economy Sep 01 Is Fed Policy of Interest on Excess Reserves ‘Outrageous’? Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news on his Making Sen$e page. Here is Thursday's query. Name: Fred McEwan Question: [A] Huffington Post article states that one huge reason for…
Economy Sep 01 Is Fed Policy of Interest on Excess Reserves ‘Outrageous’? Name: Fred McEwan Question: [A] Huffington Post article states that one huge reason for banks not lending is that the Fed pays them a quarter cent interest on all their held cash assets. If this is true, why would they…
Economy Aug 31 Stand-Up Economist: Always Bring Your Own Toilet Paper Another vlog today from Our Man in Beijing, Stand-up Economist Yoram Bauman. He's not in China as a comedian, of course, but as an environmental economist, which this post explains. (It also explains why he keeps a roll of toilet…
Economy Aug 19 Is Economic Inequality a Big Deal? // With our inequality coverage (watch Land of the Free, Home of the Poor and Americans Facing More Inequality, More Debt and Now More Trouble?) topping the "Most Watched" chart here at the Online NewsHour, we thought we'd…