May 02 Watch New Federal Rules Target Deceptive Credit Card Practices The Federal Reserve proposed new credit card regulations Friday in response to growing rancor over credit practices that are widely regarded as unfair and deceptive. Robin Farzad of BusinessWeek Magazine explains the details and possible effects. Continue watching
Mar 26 Watch Paulson Urges Oversight in Wake of Bear Stearns Bailout Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday that investment banks may require the same government oversight that commercial banks face if they will borrow federal money. Economic analysts weigh the pros and cons of increased federal regulation. Continue watching
Mar 04 Do you think that overproduction or declining profit rates have contributed to the present subprime loan crisis? Question/Comment: Karl Marx, in his work “Capital,” alluded to the idea that overproduction contributed to a general historical tendency of capitalism to be undermined by declining returns on capital. Do you think that overproduction or declining profit rates have contributed… Continue reading
Feb 12 Watch Lenders Sign-on for Plan to Help Prevent Home Foreclosures The Bush Administration and six of the nation's largest banks agreed on a plan Tuesday that would delay some home foreclosures by 30 days, allowing lenders to negotiate more affordable terms. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson discusses the details of the… Continue watching
Jan 30 Watch Fed Cuts Key Interest Rate Again in Bid to Avert Economic Anxieties The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a point Wednesday -- the second rate reduction in eight days in a bid to help ease pressure on jittery financial markets. Wall Street Journal economics editor David Wessel examines… Continue watching
Jan 23 Watch Congress, White House Hammer out Stimulus Package Details U.S. House leaders met with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Wednesday to shape the details of a economic stimulus package amid fears of a recession and concerns over volatile financial markets, both in the U.S. and abroad. Two economists assess the… Continue watching
Jan 21 Watch Bernanke Put to Test as U.S. Economy Struggles Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has called for government action to revive the slowing U.S. economy, in a key test of his tenure as the head of the central bank. Two business reporters consider how Bernanke is responding to the… Continue watching
Jan 17 Watch Amid Economic Woes, Push Intensifies for Stimulus Package President Bush spoke with congressional leaders Thursday about an economic rescue package as Fed chief Ben Bernanke testified on Capitol Hill that it is "critically important" that a stimulus effort take effect quickly. Members of the House budget panel detail… Continue watching
Jan 04 President Weighs Economic Options As Unemployment Tops 2 Year High By Admin, PBS News Hour President Bush met with economic advisers Friday to consider possible stimulus packages, as the Labor Department announced that low hiring in December pushed the U.S. unemployment rate to 5 percent, a two-year high. Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch Fed Backs New Rules Aimed at Curbing Risky Home Loans The Federal Reserve proposed new mortgage regulations Tuesday that would help protect home buyers from shady lending practices following losses suffered in the risky "subprime" home loan category. A Wall Street Journal reporter looks at the recent mortgage crisis and… Continue watching