independent economics journalist
Independent economics journalist and contributor to Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research; author of of Just What I Said: Bloomberg Economics Columnist Takes on Bonds, Banks, Budgets, and Bubbles; former columnist for Bloomberg News
Is America Losing Its Middle Class? There's good news today: the US economy grew 5% in the summer quarter. But bad news continues: that growth is not trickling down to everyone. The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is now the biggest on record, and it's not likely to get much smaller any time soon. Opportunities are not what they were before the Recession—let alone before high-paying manufacturing jobs went overseas. We hear about the under-employment of educated people, the bleak outlook for Millennials and the financial plight of racial minorities.
Federal Take-Over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Ma Led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the Bush Administration seized control of the country's two largest mortgage finance companies yesterday. In his announcement of the takeover, Secretary Paulson said, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are so large and so interwoven in our financial system that a failure of either of them would cause great turmoil...at home and around the globe." Will the Paulson plan work? How will it affect consumers? What will it mean to the housing market? How much will it cost taxpayers?
Federal Take-Over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the Bush Administration seized control of the country's two largest mortgage finance companies yesterday. In his announcement of the takeover, Secretary Paulson said, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are so large and so interwoven in our financial system that a failure of either of them would cause great turmoil...at home and around the globe." Will the Paulson plan work? How will it affect consumers? What will it mean to the housing market? How much will it cost taxpayers?
Stock Market Sell-Off, Easing Up or Just Beginning? After yesterday's partial recovery, international financial markets dropped again today, but not as drastically as they did on Tuesday. Today, the Down Jones Industrial Average dropped 200 points in the first minutes of trading. Since then, it and other indexes have been creeping back up. In the US--the world's largest economy--various measures sent mixed messages as analysts tried to figure out what's going on. Is there a slowing economy or just a bump in the road?
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?