Sep 11 If the FDIC Asks for More Credit from Treasury, What Happens to Inflation? Question: With the FDIC’s funds diminishing, what are the chances it will tap its credit line to the Treasury? And what does that mean for inflation? Paul Solman: The more the… Continue reading
Aug 19 Watch IRS Deal Pierces Veil of Swiss Banking Secrecy A New York Times reporter assesses the impact of Swiss banking giant UBS agreeing to give the U.S. Internal Revenue Service names of some account holders. Continue watching
Jul 17 A Little Poetry for California's Crisis Paul Solman: Questions keep coming in about the likelihood and consequences of a California default on its bonds. One unexpected result might be anger for the ages. Here’s Lake Poet William Wordsworth on the 1842 bond default of Pennsylvania,… Continue reading
Jul 01 Several States Fail to Pass Budgets for Fiscal Year By PBS News Hour With revenues dwindling in the recession, legislators in several states frantically worked Tuesday to avoid government shutdowns and service cuts. Continue reading
Jun 08 Health Care Reform Tops Obama's Priority List By Admin, PBS News Hour With Congress poised to debate sweeping health care legislation in the coming weeks, President Barack Obama has renewed his focus on health care reform as a top administration priority. Continue reading
May 12 What's the Real Madoff Math? By Business Desk Tonight, FRONTLINE tackles the Bernard Madoff affair, attempting to decipher the puzzle of the financier’s multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. The program delves into the cast of characters involved in the case, including the… Continue reading
Apr 15 Tax Havens Hamper Development in Poor Countries By Admin, PBS News Hour Tax havens are typically thought of as enclaves where the world's rich can shelter their fortunes from the prying eyes of governments. But citizens of developing countries may be tax havens' hidden victims. Continue reading
Mar 24 With Budget Fight Brewing, Obama Defends Economic Recovery Plan By PBS News Hour In his continuing public campaign of interviews and speeches, President Obama pledged Tuesday to fight for spending initiatives in his $3.6 trillion budget and defended efforts to stabilize the faltering economy. Continue reading
Mar 24 Who Qualifies as Middle Class These Days? Question: What dollar figure or income is in mind when all the politicians and news media speak of the middle class? Who is the middle class at this point in time? Paul Solman: “Middle class” has long been a fuzzy… Continue reading
Mar 20 How Worried Are You About the National Debt? Question: How concerned should we be about (1) our level of national debt and (2) China holding a large portion of our national debt? Paul Solman: These are among the great debates of our time, of course. Short-term,… Continue reading