Feb 24 Consumer Confidence Plunges to Record Low By Admin, PBS News Hour A private research group announced Tuesday that consumer confidence sank to a record low in February. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke told Congress the U.S. economy is suffering a "severe contraction."… Continue reading
Feb 23 What Would My Investments Look Like if the Government Nationalized Banks? Question/Comment: I’m retired and considering investing in Citigroup and BAC. However, I keep hearing the word “nationalization.” Would my prospective investment be lost should the Government nationalize Citigroup and… Continue reading
Feb 23 Watch Obama's Vow to Halve Deficit Puts Focus on Budget Plan President Barack Obama cast a new focus on the budget deficit Monday, announcing a goal of halving the $1.3 trillion gap by the end of his first term. Analysts weigh the goal. Continue watching
Feb 23 Watch Regulators Signal New Moves for Shoring Up Banks Federal regulators vowed Monday to assist struggling banks by increasing the government's ownership stakes while an Obama spokesman said the president supports a private banking system. A financial reporter discusses the deepening crisis amid large market losses. Continue watching
Feb 23 Obama Strives for Long-term Fiscal Fix at Summit By Admin, PBS News Hour President Barack Obama took a step toward cutting the nation's budget deficit at a White House summit, a difficult task facing the new president a week after he signed a $787 billion stimulus bill. Continue reading
Feb 23 Keynes' Economic Theories Re-emerge in Government Intervention Policies By Admin, PBS News Hour Amid a flurry of activity by the Obama administration to help lift the economy out of recession, the ideas of the late renowned British economist John Maynard Keynes on the government's role in helping ease an economic crisis are in… Continue reading
Feb 23 Regulators Move to Revamp Program to Boost Troubled Banks By PBS News Hour Federal regulators said Monday they are prepared to launch a revamped program to bolster troubled U.S. banks, including the option of increasing government ownership in financial institutions. Continue reading
Feb 23 Will the Next Generation Be Better Off? Question/Comment: Will the next generation be better off? Paul Solman: Who knows? But an interesting skeptic is Dallas Salisbury, head of the Employee Benefits Research Institute. I interviewed him recently for a story on what’s known as “the… Continue reading
Feb 20 In Case You Missed It: The Upside of the Downturn On Friday’s NewsHour, Paul Solman examined how some are finding the bright side of the economic downturn. You can listen to the audio or read the transcript of the segment here. ]>… Continue reading
Feb 20 Watch Some Find Silver Lining in Dark Economic Cloud The economic downturn isn't all bad for everyone. Paul Solman reports on some Americans who have seen their quality of life increase. Continue watching