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Crisis Turned Federal Reserve Into Fourth Branch of Government, Author Says

"In Fed We Trust" author David Wessel discusses how the central bank reacted to the financial crisis and its changing role in setting U.S. and global financial policy.

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Did Hank Paulson Just Want to Save Goldman Sachs?

By Business Desk

Question: [In the Bernanke on the Record forum hosted by the NewsHour,] Chairman Bernanke did not mention the bailout of Goldman Sachs — the first bank to receive such funds. Was it more critical to the survival of the…

GM Unveils 230 MPG Claim for Chevy Volt

General Motors announced Tuesday that its long-awaited Chevrolet Volt hybrid, a battery- and gas-powered electric vehicle, can get 230 miles per gallon in city driving, dwarfing every other car on the market in fuel efficiency.

Ask Ellen Ruppel Shell, Author of ‘Cheap’, Your Questions About the High Cost of Discounts

Paul Solman: Tonight’s NewsHour will feature an interview with Ellen Ruppel Shell about her new book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. Our brains are practically hard-wired to love a bargain. But do we then end up with…

Bargain-hunting Adds Up to Unexpected Costs

In the new book "Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture," author Ellen Ruppel Shell explores modern consumers' love of cheap, mass-produced products, and the downsides -- on wages, the environment, and quality -- that a discount culture creates.

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What Are Warrants Issued by Financial Institutions?

Question: If you have not already done so, would you please explain the warrants that seem to be troubling the financial institutions at the moment? If you’ve already done so, I apologize for asking unnecessarily. Paul Solman: Hey, even if…

During August, Public Weighs in on Reform

The Senate remained in session this week, but as House members headed home to their districts the focus of health care reform efforts moved off Capitol Hill.

Is the “Perfect Storm” Metaphor Appropriate for the Economic Crisis?

“The metaphor of the perfect storm is inapt. The captain’s action does not influence the height of the waves. Fed Chairman Bernanke, in contrast, participated in making and implementing interventions that worsened the financial crisis last year.” – from…

U.S. Unemployment Rate Dips Slightly to 9.4%

By Dave Gustafson

For the first time since April 2008, the U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly in July, to 9.4 percent, down from 9.5 percent in June.

Job Losses Ease in July, but Economic Picture Still Mixed

The U.S. economy shed fewer jobs than expected in July, according to new Labor Department figures. Experts discuss what the data says about the job market and an economic recovery.

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