Feb 13 Should the Government Give Money to Consumers to Pay Off Credit Cards, Mortgages? Editor’s Note: Paul recently answered “Five Good Questions” on the economy for the PBS Engage blog. You will also be able to find those answers here on the Business Desk all week. Question/Comment:… Continue reading
Feb 12 Watch Zimbabwe Power-sharing Agreement Finalized Longtime Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai entered into a formal power-sharing agreement Wednesday. NPR correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton updates the story from Harare. Continue watching
Feb 12 Watch Other News: Wall Street Slumps, Satellites Collide In Thursday's other news, stocks fell on Wall Street and a Russian and U.S. satellite collided over Siberia in the largest accident of its kind. Continue watching
Feb 12 What is the Worst Case Scenario if the Consumer Becomes a Saver? Question/Comment: What is the worst case scenario if the consumer becomes a saver? Or if nations, including United States, raise trade barriers? Or if the financial bailout fails? Paul Solman: Hmmm. Well, the first is happening as we speak:… Continue reading
Feb 12 New Jobless Claims Drop; Retails Sales Up Slightly By Admin, PBS News Hour Government reports show the number of new jobless benefit claims dropped to a seasonally adjusted 623,000, from 631,000 the previous week, while U.S. retail sales jumped 1 percent in January, reversing a six-month downward trend. Continue reading
Feb 11 Congress Reaches Agreement on $789 Billion Stimulus Bill By Admin, PBS News Hour House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement Wednesday on a $789 billion economic stimulus plan aimed at creating millions of jobs and providing tax cuts for millions of lower and middle income taxpayers, lawmakers say. Continue reading
Feb 11 Watch Detroit Program Aims to Provide Job Training, Hope in Tough Times Eleanor Josaitis co-founded the Detroit program Focus: Hope more than three decades ago to provide job training and other opportunities to the city's residents. With the U.S. mired in a recession and the auto industry future uncertain, her group is… Continue watching
Feb 11 Will Any Plan That Puts People Back to Work Actually Stimulate the Economy? Question/Comment: Everyone seems to have an opinion on what will stimulate the economy and what won’t. Won’t anything that puts people to work stimulate the economy, and are there entities, and their analyses, that can project stimulatory effects of different… Continue reading
Feb 11 Forecasting Our Economic Future Paul Solman: Historians sing of what has passed; journalists, of what is passing; economic forecasters, of what is to come. Over the years, and especially during presidential campaigns, we’ve featured the forecasting model of Yale economist Ray Fair here… Continue reading
Feb 10 Watch Geithner Revamps Bank Rescue Plan The Treasury Department outlined an overhaul of the financial rescue plan Tuesday as the stimulus bill moved forward. Economists and analysts react to the developments. Continue watching