Jun 06 Watch Unemployment Rate Jumps as Economic Woes Mount The nation's unemployment rate hit 5.5 percent in May as employers cut some 49,000 jobs, providing a fresh snapshot of a still-struggling U.S. economy. Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody's Economy.com, explains the new Labor Department report and what it… Continue watching
Jun 05 How much of the recent rise in oil price is caused by the decline of the dollar? Question/Comment: How much of the recent rise in oil price is caused by the decline of the dollar? Paul Solman: The easiest answer – but it’s a crude one – is the amount by which the… Continue reading
Jun 03 Watch 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' Author Discusses Costly Crude and the Future of Oil In another of the NewsHour's ongoing 'Costly Crude' series, geography professor and famed author Jared Diamond discusses the future of oil in view of current high prices. Continue watching
May 29 Watch Venture Capitalists Look to Green Businesses for Boom A recent surge in investments by venture capitalists in eco-friendly businesses is possibly triggering a boom in green and clean technology. Analysts report on the green market and its ability to make money while saving oil. Continue watching
May 16 Oil Tops $127 but Saudi Arabia Declines to Increase Production By Admin, PBS News Hour As oil soared to a record-high $127 a barrel on Friday, Saudi Arabia's leader rebuffed appeals by President Bush to increase oil production, saying they did not see enough demand to warrant increased output. Continue reading
May 15 Watch Corn Farmers Prosper, Others Lose Out with Ethanol Use As corn prices have risen with demand for ethanol in recent years, corn farmers are prospering. But others -- such as hog farmers who rely on corn feed -- are facing tough times, and some critics blame ethanol demand for… Continue watching
May 06 Indonesia Mulls Quitting OPEC; Oil Prices Leap Past $122 a Barrel By PBS News Hour Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday that his country is considering dropping out of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries based on its declining oil output. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch Gas Tax Holiday Plan Provides Fodder for Campaigns Presidential hopefuls Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., have raised the idea of suspending the federal gas tax for the summer. A tax policy expert explains whether a gas tax holiday is politically or economically feasible. Continue watching
Apr 30 Watch Fed Cuts Rate Again in Latest Bid to Shore Up Economy The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a quarter point Wednesday, bringing the federal funds rate down to its lowest level since late 2004. The move is intended to help address the ongoing housing slump and credit crunch. Continue watching
Apr 29 Will oil ever be priced in a currency other than dollars? Question/Comment: Has there been a shift from petrodollars to petroeuros in world energy trading? I read that such a shift would result in less demand for the dollar, resulting in a drop in the dollar's value. Paul Solman: "Petrodollars" was… Continue reading