Today's unemployment data are a muddle. The two surveys - of individuals and of employers - seem to say very different things. Unemployment dropped - to 9 percent, according to the "household survey." Three cheers. But the "payroll…

Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Thursday's query: Name: Merritt Dunn Question: Since the Treasury Department bailed out AIG and…

Feb 02

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One-Million Car March?

A warning to those expecting EVs (electric vehicles) to clog the roadways anytime soon, or even to meet President Obama's stated goal of one million by 2015: It's not likely to happen, despite the fact that the U.S. has as…

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. Merle (if not Beethoven) will do anything to educationally amuse. So will we. But given the gravity…

What a relief: a SOTU address without the traditional partisan whack-a-mole standing ovations. "Date night's" civility - or, if you prefer, lack of passion - had the virtue of keeping Democrats and Republicans mostly in their seats. (…