Jul 24 Watchdog Role at Center of Regulator Showdown Three federal government officials charged with reforming the U.S. financial system testify Friday in front of the House Financial Services committee who should become the nation's top consumer watchdog. Continue reading
Jul 23 Watch Other News: Dow Closes Over the 9,000 Mark In other news, better-than-expected earnings from several companies, combined with strong housing figures pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 9,000 for the first time since January, and three mayors in New Jersey were arrested on corruption charges. Continue watching
Jul 23 Is Unemployment Any Guide to Future Growth? Question: How reliable is unemployment data as a guide to future economic growth? Paul Solman: Not much at all, I wouldn’t think. For one thing, employment tends to FOLLOW growth — for the obvious… Continue reading
Jul 22 Watch Bernanke Signals Slow Recovery, Defends Fed's Powers Fed chief Ben Bernanke told a Senate panel on Wednesday that economic recovery should begin soon, albeit slowly at first. A financial analyst and a lawmaker speak with Ray Suarez about the testimony. Continue watching
Jul 22 Bumping Along the Economic Bottom By Anna Shoup Patchwork Nation's Hardship Index -- a short-term barometer of how communities are faring each month -- rose in July, indicating that the country's not out of the downturn quite yet. Continue reading
Jul 22 Are Geithner and Summers Too Close to Wall Street? By Business Desk Question: Are Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers too close to the players that produced this economic crisis — so close that they will not have the vision, values, or mindset that will allow them to take the difficult steps that… Continue reading
Jul 21 Watch Calif. Strikes Deal to Close $26 Billion Budget Gap Lawmakers in California on Tuesday agreed on a plan to close a $26 billion budget gap, ending weeks of stalemate that left the state's chief accountant having to issue IOUs to creditors. Ray Suarez reports. Continue watching
Jul 21 Watch Bernanke Details Stimulus Exit Plan to Congress Despite recent improvements in the economy, the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates near zero, chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers Tuesday. Greg Ip of "The Economist" examines the chairman's testimony with Gwen Ifill, and discusses the central bank's plans to… Continue watching
Jul 21 Watch Other News: Bailout Funds Come Under New Scrutiny In other news, lawmakers asked new questions on the spending of federal bailout dollars, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed a vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor by one week. Continue watching
Jul 21 Bernanke: Fed has Stimulus Exit Strategy By PBS News Hour Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke looked to assure lawmakers and Wall Street that the central bank will be able to scale down its massive stimulus efforts and avoid inflationary concerns when the economic recovery is more certain. Continue reading