Jul 21 More children are in poverty today than before the Great Recession By Laura Santhanam, Megan Crigger Today, 22 percent of children live in poverty, up from 18 percent in 2008. Continue reading
Jul 20 If Social Security tells you you’re dead, don’t believe them By Laurence Kotlikoff What do you do when Social Security informs you and your credit card company that you're deceased? One reader shares her story. Getting Social Security to admit that she was alive proved no easy task. Continue reading
Jul 20 The profundity of Germany versus Greece, via Monty Python By Paul Solman An Olympian view of the — at heart — surprisingly similar weltanschauungen of the two nations, courtesy Monty Python. Continue reading
Jul 18 Is China manipulating its currency? The Big Mac Index says yes By Kristen Doerer The Economist came out with their annual index of McDonald’s Big Mac, priced in different currencies. The index is a light-hearted measurement of “whether currencies are at their ‘correct’ level.”… Continue reading
Jul 17 What we know — and what we don’t — about global warming By Gernot Wagner, Martin L. Weitzman With sea levels rising and global temperatures increasing, Gernot Wagner and Martin L. Weitzman, co-authors of “Climate Shock,” argue that we should insure ourselves against climate change. Continue reading
Jul 16 Watch 8:22 The economic options for combatting climate change By PBS News Hour As greenhouse gases accumulate and global temperatures slowly rise, what can we do to insure against the catastrophes of climate change? Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to the authors of "Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet."… Continue watching
Jul 16 Watch 7:22 IMF chief: Europe must do much more to reduce Greek debt By PBS News Hour Even as Greece moves closer to a new European bailout deal, the International Monetary Fund has been pushing for debt relief for the struggling nation, adding tension to an already fraught situation. Gwen Ifill speaks to managing director Christine Lagarde… Continue watching
Jul 16 A cheap but dangerous global warming fix By David Keith Harvard environmental scientist David Keith sees solar geoengineering as one solution that wouldn't hit our pocketbooks. It would, however, come with both scientific and geopolitical risks. Continue reading
Jul 15 Watch 3:24 Threat of tough bailout conditions spreads turmoil in Greece By PBS News Hour The austerity bill struck to earn Greece a new bailout and stay in the Eurozone was approved by that nation’s Parliament, but not without stiff opposition from members of the prime minister’s own party. Protesters condemned the austerity bill, clashing… Continue watching
Jul 15 Two seismic shifts in Medicare, and what they mean for you By Philip Moeller Beginning in 2016, doctors will get paid by Medicare for having voluntary consultations with patients and their families about end-of-life medical planning and needs. Medicare will also set standard fees for all hip and knee replacements. Phil Moeller explains what… Continue reading