• Colleges appeal to Congress to cut regulations they say drive up costs

    Colleges appeal to Congress to cut regulations they say drive up costs

    Feb 23, 2015 05:43 PM EST

    ... federal money”—but also of private, for-profit institutions that get almost all of their revenue from taxpayers through federal student grants, loans and GI Bill benefits, and some of which have very low graduation rates, very high numbers of student-loan defaults and questionable recruiting practices. “The for-profits ...

  • On the eve of the Super Bowl, an illegal bookie tells all

    On the eve of the Super Bowl, an illegal bookie tells all

    Jan 30, 2015 06:35 PM EST

    Editor's Note: For his story on Super Bowl betting, Paul Solman interviewed an illegal bookie named Tim. We don't know his last name, and he asked us not to show his face on the NewsHour. But what he had to say about how betting works was so interesting ...

  • Reverse incentives of VA health care made fixing the numbers easier than fixing the system

    Reverse incentives of VA health care made fixing the numbers easier than fixing the system

    Jun 10, 2014 12:41 AM EST

    ... Former Doctor, Phoenix VA Health Care System: I think what I was surprised at is so many brave individuals came forward, GS4s through GS6s being interviewed by GS14s and 15s. And we learned from this that 76 percent of facilities had at least one or more employee that had the ...

  • After decades, dirty power plant to get clean

    After decades, dirty power plant to get clean

    May 27, 2014 08:06 PM EST

    ... L.P. sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block the rule, saying it would cause it grave harm and bring a painful spike in electricity bills. None of those dire predictions came to pass. Instead, the massive western Pennsylvania power plant is expected in a few years to turn from ...

  • Why one economist isn't running with the bulls: Dow 5,000 remains closer than you think

    Why one economist isn't running with the bulls: Dow 5,000 remains closer than you think

    May 21, 2014 04:00 PM EST

    ... has pursued three very aggressive and unusual macroeconomic policies: Quantitative easing: The Federal Reserve has directly purchased trillions of dollars of assets. Very low interest rates: The Federal Reserve has kept short-term interest rates at zero. (This policy is known on Wall Street as Zero Interest Rate Policy or ...

  • Why obsessing over economic indicators may hinder economic improvement

    Why obsessing over economic indicators may hinder economic improvement

    Mar 07, 2014 01:04 AM EST

    The monthly jobs report is big news on the first Friday of every month, swaying the financial markets and prompting immediate analysis. But should these numbers matter so much? A new book, “The Leading Indicators,” argues we overvalue data like the GDP and inflation. Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to author and analyst Zachary Karabell.

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    Why Robert Reich cares so passionately about economic inequality

    Oct 15, 2013 08:26 PM EST

    Friday's Making Sen$e segment featured economist Robert Reich and the film about his eternal struggle against "Inequality for All." Here's the transcript of the first part of his extended conversation with Paul Solman about what motivates his passion. Friday night's NewsHour featured about six-and-a-half minutes of an interview with newly minted movie star Robert Reich,...

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    Shutdown's seventh day begins with political sniping

    Oct 07, 2013 01:25 PM EST

    House Speaker John Boehner at the U.S. Capitol Saturday. Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images "He knows what my phone number is, all he has to do is call." That was House Speaker John Boehner appearing on ABC's "This Week," clearly frustrated with President Barack Obama. Boehner on Sunday stressed he just needs a "simple conversation"...

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    House Republicans Huddling on Immigration With No Clear Consensus

    Jul 10, 2013 01:05 PM EST

    House Speaker John Boehner on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images House Republicans will have a meeting of the minds Wednesday, but it remains unclear if the fractious group of lawmakers will be able to reach a consensus on a path forward with immigration reform. Despite pressure from the Senate, which last month...

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    Will Government Probes Crowd Out Policy Debates?

    Jun 03, 2013 01:45 PM EST

    Tea party activists protest against the IRS last month in West Palm Beach, Fla. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Official Washington begins the month of June with a massive agenda set against a backdrop of scandal politics that have kept the White House on the defensive and won't be letting up any time soon. On...