"The Fed chairman's message, though scholarly in tone, was unusually blunt," wrote the Wall Street Journal, "laying blame for inflationary pressures in emerging markets and for tensions over currencies on countries like China." The Financial Times underscored another…

Nov 18

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Joe Nocera’s Hall of Shame

"We titled the book 'All the Devils are Here'," said Joe Nocera's co-author, Bethany McLean, "because in the wake of the crisis there has been this search for a simplistic answer. Ah! Fannie and Freddie, they must be the…

The [Fed's announcement](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/11/fed-slow-growth-disappointing-will-engage-in-second-round-of-quantitiative-easing.html) of another round of so-called "quantitative easing" (QE2) is much in the news. Basically, it's an announced commitment to create $600 billion dollars or more of new "Federal reserves" - i.e., U.S. dollars - and [pump them…

The Sunday Times recently featured an exercise that it might make sense for all Americans to try, and certainly members of Congress pressing to balance the budget- Budget Puzzle: You Fix the Budget. And, if you prefer to get…

Nov 15

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The Sunday Times featured an exercise that it might make sense for all Americans to try, and certainly members of Congress pressing to balance the budget- Budget Puzzle: You Fix the Budget. And if you prefer to get out…

Editor's Note: A bit more about the interplay between Chinese currency and U.S. debt. First, a simple graphical explainer as to how the Chinese government gets so many dollars in the first place, using Ford Motor Company and…