New York Times
Jim Tankersley is a tax and economics correspondent for the New York Times. He formerly reported on economics for the Washington Post and National Journal, and on energy and the environment for the Tribune Company.
PROFILE
Jim Tankersley
Guest
FROM Jim Tankersley
Left, Right & Center
Re: That Nunes Memo Now that the Nunes memo has been released...well, what's in it?
To the Point
Tax Cuts: Who gets the benefits? Who pays the cost? Political veterans call the promise of tax reform a "cruel hoax," because it always amounts to just shifting money from one group to another. With President Trump needing something to call a "win," Congress is looking at big tax cuts for the top one percent and little ones for everyone else.
To the Point
Economic Inequality Fuels an Angry Electorate Five days before the Iowa caucuses, the presidential campaigns of both political parties are more chaotic than ever. Donald Trump is dropping out of tomorrow's final debate in a battle with Fox News. Bernie Sanders spent part of today with the President in the Oval Office.
To the Point
"It's the Economy, Stupid…" The economy was the subject of last night's fourth Republican presidential debate, and you could almost hear Bill Clinton's slogan from 1992. But the eight candidates struggled to define their differences, when they were almost unanimous: ‘cut taxes, cut spending; don't raise the minimum wage.'
To the Point
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.
To the Point
Can Barack Obama Go It Alone in His Second Term? In his fifth State of the Union address last night, President Obama asked a divided Congress to increase the federal minimum wage. But he also conceded that a divided Congress is not likely to embrace his agenda.
To the Point
Income Inequality, Economic Anxiety and the Minimum Wage Fast food workers are back on the streets in 100 cities today. Walmart saw strikes on Black Friday. Yesterday, in a speech about the economy, President Obama said "the defining challenge of our time" is the decline of upward mobility, and called for a hike in the minimum wage.
To the Point
Lukewarm Jobs Report in the Campaign's Final Days The last report before the Presidential election shows more new jobs than had been expected in October, but an increase in unemployment. Mitt Romne y made the most of that in a speech in Wisconsin, saying that the President's promise of lowering unemployment had fallen short by 9 million jobs.
To the Point
Obama and Romney Square Off in the Swing State of Ohio President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney are staging dueling events — simultaneously -- in the swing state of Ohio. In the past hour, the and Romney were in Cleveland and Cincinnati respectively in appearances scheduled to happen just five minutes apart.
Which Way, L.A.?
Tax Fairness and the Presidential Campaign Is America's tax system fair? President Obama calls progressive taxation " the defining issue of our time ," an question of "economic fairness." The Republicans call it "class warfare."
To the Point
Tax Fairness and the Presidential Campaign When Mitt Romney released his tax returns, they showed a rate of just 14 percent on $20 million in profits, dividends and interest. The next day in his State of the Union address, President Obama called for tax reform that's become known as the Buffett Rule, calling economic fairness "the defining issue of our time."
To the Point
Unemployment Drops, but Not Payroll Taxes Unemployment unexpectedly dropped last month from 9 to 8.6 percent, good news for President Obama. Jim Tankersley is economics correspondent for the National Journal .
To the Point
Central Bankers Join Forces in Response to European Debt Crisis While heads of state are debating the prospects for another global recession, a coalition of central banks today took some action. It could be the first step in avoiding a financial crisis in Europe that could spread worldwide. Jim Tankersley is economics correspondent for the National Journal .
To the Point
Washington Watches as Economy Slips Just 54,000 new jobs were created last month, compared to 232,000 in April. After the jobs report came out Friday, President Obama went to Ohio to celebrate the auto-industry bailout of 2009. The Republicans blamed him for unemployment and talked about long-term improvements in reducing the deficit.
Which Way, L.A.?
Obama, Republicans Bring Out the Budget Knives This week, Republicans plan to set records with proposed spending cuts. Today, President Obama offered what he's calling a "responsible alternative." It hits hard at programs dear to Democrats — to provide increases for education, infrastructure and clean energy. It also raises some taxes. Republicans call it an "abdication of leadership."
Recommended
The Mixer
The march toward a teachers strike sounds familiar Higher salaries, larger class sizes, more counselors, librarians and nurses. Those are just some of the demands that members of United Teachers, Los Angeles - the union that represents teachers' at LAUSD - are asking for.
KCRW Features
What are charter schools? LAUSD teachers were picket lines for a second day Tuesday. And this morning the teachers union organized a march to the California Charter Schools Association office downtown, to draw attention to their criticisms of local charter schools. But what are charter schools anyway?
To the Point
National Security: An Adult in the Room America’s mainstream media are obsessed with President Trump’s off-hand policymaking in military and foreign affairs. But his mistakes don’t justify the unquestioned authority given the Pentagon, the CIA and the FBI.
KCRW Features
Who are the political players in the LA teachers strike? Thousands of LA public school teachers are going to be back out on the picket lines for a second day. They walked off the job Monday after failing to reach a contract agreement with the LA Unified School District, despite months of negotiations.