Apr 15 Consumer Prices Fall in March on Energy Costs By Admin, PBS News Hour Consumer prices fell in March, the government reported Wednesday, indicating that weakened demand for goods and services during the economic downturn has kept a damper on energy and food costs. Continue reading
Apr 13 Where Is the Bailout Money Hiding? Question: You did a great job explaining where the money for the bailouts comes from. Can you now tell us where, exactly, it is going? If there are so many trillions of dollars sloshing about, how come the… Continue reading
Mar 26 Watch Geithner Details Plan for Major Federal Financial Regulation Reforms Telling lawmakers that the U.S. financial system has grown "too unstable and fragile," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner rolled out the Obama administration's plans Thursday for a massive overhaul of the government's financial oversight role. Continue watching
Mar 24 Watch Geithner and Bernanke Testify on AIG, Regulation Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before Congress on the administration's handling of executive compensation for companies receiving federal loans and asked for expanded federal regulatory powers. Jeffrey Brown reports. Continue watching
Mar 19 Is the Federal Reserve Public or Private? By Business Desk Question: Is the Federal Reserve “federal” as the name implies, or is it as “federal as Federal Express,” meaning a private, for-profit corporation? I’ve heard it both ways and would like the answer clarified by a hard-hitting reporter whose willing… Continue reading
Mar 18 Watch Fed to Pump Another $1 Trillion Into Economy The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will devote another $1.2 trillion to unfreeze credit markets and help stimulate the sluggish economy. Greg Ip of The Economist provides details on the move. Continue watching
Mar 18 How and Why Is the Fed Creating $1 Trillion? By Business Desk Question: How and why is the Fed creating $1 trillion in new funds to buy securities? Paul Solman: They’ve been calling Fed chairman Bernanke “Helicopter Ben” since he told conservative economics icon Milton Friedman, in a speech a few… Continue reading
Mar 17 Watch When the Government Writes Checks, Where Does the Money Come From? With billions of dollars paid out or promised for financial industry bailouts and the stimulus bill -- and more requests on the way -- Paul Solman looks at where the government is getting the money to pay for the rescue… Continue watching
Mar 17 New Home Construction Jumps as Wholesale Prices Edge Up By PBS News Hour The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 22.2 percent in February compared with January, pushing total activity to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 units. Continue reading
Mar 16 Obama Cites ‘Outrage’ Over AIG Bonuses By PBS News Hour President Barack Obama said Monday that he intends to stop American International Group from paying out millions in executive bonuses, as concern intensified over the insurance giant's handling of federal rescue money. Continue reading