Feb 10 Rekindling the Electronic Book’s Future: Amazon Unveils Updated Reading Device By PBS News Hour Despite Amazon's unveiling of the latest version of its electronic reading device, the Kindle, to the delight of many bookworms Monday, it appears that bookshelves, libraries and backpacks have not been rendered obsolete -- at least not yet. Continue reading
Feb 10 New Bank Rescue Plan Aimed at Easing Credit By PBS News Hour Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced Tuesday a strategy to overhaul the widely criticized bank bailout fund that is aimed at unclogging credit markets that provide loans to consumers and businesses. Continue reading
Feb 10 Are Companies Able to Function Without Loans? Note from Paul Solman: We haven’t had a “guest vetter” here at the Business Desk for some months. But interviewing MIT’s Simon Johnson the other day for a piece on ‘good bank… Continue reading
Feb 09 Watch Other News: Geithner Makes TARP Changes; 4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner finalized a plan outlining changes to the TARP plan Congress passed last year, and four U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq Monday in a suicide car bombing. Continue watching
Feb 09 More from ‘Bad Bank vs. Good Bank’ While awaiting a response to my answers to your questions from MIT’s Simon Johnson, who is about to become this quanda’s newest guest vetter, perhaps it would be interesting to read a bit… Continue reading
Feb 09 In a Finite World, Can We Really Have Infinite Growth? Question/Comment: Given we live in a finite world, how can economists explain the viability of an economic system which demands infinite growth? Paul Solman: They’d be hard-pressed, I guess. But not necessarily stumped. I can think of three responses. 1)… Continue reading
Feb 06 In Case You Missed It: Bad Bank vs. Good Bank Paul Solman explores a solution to the financial crisis that’s gaining steam: creating “bad banks” and “good banks.” ]>… Continue reading
Feb 06 Senate Closes In on Deal for Stimulus Plan By Admin, PBS News Hour The Democratic-led U.S. Senate appeared to strike a deal Friday evening with key Republicans on a long-debated stimulus package to stem a deepening recession, news agencies report. Continue reading
Feb 06 Watch Good Bank vs. Bad Bank: Segregating Toxic Assets Might Help U.S. Economy Rebound Business correspondent Paul Solman explores the problem of banks holding toxic assets and explains how the Swedes successfully emerged from a similar economic crisis by splitting banks into "good" and "bad" categories. Continue watching
Feb 06 Watch In Other News, Stocks Rise on Wall Street, Calif. Budget Crisis Deepens Despite a dismal jobs report, the market rose as the Senate began debating the economic stimulus bill. California closed most of its government offices today due to its worsening budget shortfalls, forcing more than 200,000 state workers to stay home… Continue watching