May 16 Will the rich always get richer? By Laurence Kotlikoff Our regular Social Security columnist takes issue with French economist Thomas Piketty's inequality theory. Income inequality is real, he thinks, but it doesn't stem from the rich accumulating and hoarding ever more private wealth. Continue reading
May 15 The fast food strike: the hard facts behind the Big Mac attack By Simone Pathe Fast food workers in dozens of American cities and across the world walked off the job Thursday to demonstrate for a $15 an hour minimum wage. Talking to a McDonald's worker trying to make ends meet on $9.85 an hour,… Continue reading
May 15 Student debt hurts household wealth for decades By Simone Pathe Nearly 40 percent of households headed by young, college-educated Americans are burdened with student debt, and that debt is likely to depress net worth for years to come, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. Continue reading
May 14 Watch Bill Clinton reflects on fixing the wealth gap, embracing the Affordable Care Act and Hillary’s health By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 14 Dean Baquet replaces Jill Abramson as New York Times executive editor By Colleen Shalby Jill Abramson, the New York Times’ first female executive editor, is leaving her post after three years. Taking her place is the Times’ managing editor Dean Baquet, the first African-American to hold the position. Continue reading
May 14 Piketty on the U.S.: The birthplace of freedom and progressive taxation By Thomas Piketty French economist Thomas Piketty acknowledges that every society needs some degree of inequality. But when the bottom 50 percent of America owns only 2 percent of the wealth, we've strayed too far from America's legacy of progressive taxation and are… Continue reading
May 14 Bill Clinton discusses debt, deficit and economic inequality with Gwen Ifill By News Desk Former President Bill Clinton discusses debt, deficit, economic growth and inequality Wednesday with Gwen Ifill. The discussion is part of the 2014 Fiscal Summit sponsored by the Peterson Foundation in Washington, D.C. Continue reading
May 13 Watch Debating Piketty’s theory on how wealth begets wealth, widens the economic gap By PBS News Hour In "Capital," French economist Thomas Piketty explores how wealth and the income derived from it magnifies the problems of inequality. Gwen Ifill gets debate on his data and conclusions from Heather Boushey of Washington Center for Equitable Growth and Kevin… Continue watching
May 13 How Piketty’s inequality theory explains Mr. Darcy’s wealth By Thomas Piketty French economist Thomas Piketty has made a splash with his prediction that inequality will grow in America. But the economic relationship that explains that inequality is hardly new; it's the same phenomenon that allowed Pemberley Mansion to enrich Mr. Darcy… Continue reading