Senior Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast
Senior Economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast
PROFILE
David Shulman
Guest
FROM David Shulman
To the Point
A Recession on the Horizon? In the past few days, the word "recession" has worked its way out of the business sections onto the front pages of newspapers and the covers of magazines. "Everyone knows…another recession is inevitable sooner or later. Some indicators now suggest that it might be sooner." The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times are headlining stories about a coming recession. Back in August, the Economist asked, does America need one? The sub-prime mortgage crisis and the end of easy credit are putting a damper on consumer spending, which has been driving the economy. Does that mean recession's inevitable? Could it be stopped or at least postponed? Would there be benefits to getting it over with sooner rather than later?
To the Point
Economy Sheds Jobs in First Downturn in Four Years Economists expected some slowdown in the economy because of the turmoil in the mortgage and housing markets, but the news this morning was far worse than expected. The Labor Department said that job growth had not just slowed, but reversed course in August for the first time in four years. The country lost 4,000 jobs. The stock market swooned. Is a recession looming? David Shulman is a senior economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast.
To the Point
Home Loans and Easy Money, until Times Get Hard No less an authority than Alan Greenspan, former Chair of the Federal Reserve , called sub-prime mortgages a tool for democratizing credit. Sub-prime mortgages with no down payments are advertised as the road to home ownership for families who can't afford regular loans. They often gamble that they'll be able to re-finance after the house goes up in value, but before new interest rates and higher payments kick in. Now, with the housing market is cooling off, the formula is failing to work for more and more people. Foreclosures are up and they're likely to increase even more. Did stock analysts paint an overly rosy picture of the sub-prime mortgage market to generate investment? Do risky loans to millions of vulnerable borrowers threaten the whole economy? We hear from economists, consumer advocates, a state official who's going after shady lending practices, and John and Delia, two homeowners caught in the sub-prime squeeze.
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?