Mar 04 February Unemployment Numbers: Good, But Don’t Pop the Champagne By Elizabeth Shell The unemployment numbers for February are in and though economist Peter Morici says " Don't Break Out the Champagne Just Yet," the data are encouraging. There are two separate surveys, remember - of "establishments" (places that employ folks) and "households"… Continue reading
Mar 03 Feelin’ Lousy- Financially Groovy In Song By Elizabeth Shell EDITOR'S NOTE: Last month, we featured a week-long series of songs by our country crooning friend Merle Hazard about the Euro-debt crisis: Spain, Ireland, Italy and Germany, and an encore of the infamous Greek… Continue reading
Mar 02 Making Sen$e: Earth to Paul- Wisconsin is Not Rhode Island! By Paul Solman EDITOR'S NOTE: Paul has spent the past few days responding to some of the many questions and comments we received regarding last week's broadcast story, "In Tiny Rhode Island, a Massive Public Pension Crisis Looms" and the Making Sen$e… Continue reading
Mar 01 Tool$ Tuesday and How States Have Responded to the Pension Crunch By Elizabeth Shell EDITOR'S NOTE: We received a number of responses from viewers like you regarding last week's broadcast story, "In Tiny Rhode Island, a Massive Public Pension Crisis Looms" and the Making Sen$e web piece, "Paying For Public Pensions." So,… Continue reading
Feb 24 Paying For Public Pensions By Elizabeth Shell Editor's Note: As the fire over collective bargaining and public worker benefits burns across the country, on Thursday's broadcast we're looking at perhaps the issue behind it all: public pensions and how to pay for them. Our story takes place… Continue reading
Feb 23 The Pain in Spain: Hard Rain Gonna Fall? By Elizabeth Shell The specter of Euro-debt default is again roiling the markets. "Worries Over Europe Pose Risks for Euro," read a headline in Monday's Wall Street Journal. "Spain Pegs Cajas' Possible Problem Debt," warned another. (Cajas are the regional Spanish… Continue reading
Feb 08 Watch Cities, States Face Tough Choices on Debt Amid Cash-Flow Concerns Wall Street investors and some in Congress recently have raised concerns about the risk of cash-strapped municipalities defaulting on bonds they issued. Judy Woodruff talks to the National League of Cities' Chris Hoene and Richard Larkin of Herbert J. Sims… Continue watching
Feb 03 AIG and Credit Default Swaps: A Clarification By Elizabeth Shell Name: Merritt Dunn Question: Since the Treasury Department bailed out AIG and AIG had underwritten a large number of credit default swaps (that I understand pay up if a certain percentage of mortgages in a portfolio go into foreclosure), then… Continue reading
Jan 28 From the Pain in Spain to Taxes in Naxos: Merle Hazard’s Euro-Serenades By Paul Solman All this week we've featured investment advisor Jon Shayne, aka Country-and-Western economist Merle Hazard, warbling his way through the European debt debacle. He started with the pain in Spain and moved on through Erin Go Broke… Continue reading
Jan 27 Ode to Germany: Merle Hazard, Backed by Beethoven By Elizabeth Shell Today's post introduces the fourth of country singer Merle Hazard's Euro-shanties, this one taking off on the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th. Teutonic C&W. Merle (if not Beethoven) will do anything to educationally amuse. So will we. Continue reading