Oct 28 Watch Crackdown Targets Banks Deemed 'Too Big to Fail' The head of a key House committee unveiled legislation Wednesday that would grant the federal government sweeping new powers to police giant financial firms. Jim Lehrer talks to two financial analysts about the debate over "too big to fail" institutions. Continue watching
Oct 28 Reports: GMAC in Talks to Receive Third Bailout from Government GMAC, the consumer finance company and onetime subsidiary of GM, is reportedly in talks with Treasury to receive a fresh lifeline of up to $5.6 billion in aid, on top of the $12.5 billion the government has already injected into… Continue reading
Oct 28 How Will the Fannie and Freddie Takeovers Affect U.S. Debt? Question: Can you explain how the U.S. government’s take over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac affect interest on the debt now and in coming years? Paul Solman: No. Actually, I CAN explain, but… Continue reading
Oct 28 Bill: Biggest Firms Would Fund Future Rescues By Dave Gustafson The U.S. government would be given broad new powers to shrink financial firms deemed "too big to fail" and shift the cost of rescuing troubled companies from taxpayers to other large firms, according to draft legislation released Tuesday. Continue reading
Oct 27 Inside the AFL-CIO's Health Care Lobbying Efforts By Business Desk Editor’s note: Tonight on the NewsHour, Paul profiles Richard Trumka, the newly elected president of the AFL-CIO, the labor federation representing 57 unions and 11.5 million… Continue reading
Oct 27 Paul Solman Answers Students' Economic Questions By PBS News Hour Economics correspondent Paul Solman takes his Business Desk blog inside classrooms across the United States to respond to high school students' most pressing questions about Wall Street, the recession and unemployment. Continue reading
Oct 27 Watch Labor's 'Bulldog' Trumka Challenged by Dwindling Ranks, Public Perception As AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka works to protect organized labor from the excesses of big business, he faces dwindling ranks, splits among union groups, and diminished public support. Paul Solman reports. Continue watching
Oct 26 Why Doesn't the Govt. Sponsor Jobs Programs Like Those During the Depression? Question: Why doesn’t the government sponsor jobs programs similar to those by Roosevelt during the Great Depression, such as rebuilding infrastructure, building new energy grids, alternative transportation, a decent bus system or train system? Paul Solman: But that’s what the… Continue reading
Oct 23 What Can We Do About "Too Big to Fail"? Question: What needs to happen so that we will have no companies “too big to fail”? Paul Solman: Come up with incentives that induce big companies to slim down, or disincentives that punish them if they don’t. What’s startling… Continue reading
Oct 22 Pay Slashed for Bailed-out Firms' Executives The government has ordered seven firms that received billions in bailout money to dramatically cut compensation to their highest-paid employees. Continue reading