To the Point
Stimulus or Austerity?: That Is the Question
Federal stimulus spending has fueled economic recovery. Has the time come to worry about the deficit? Will spending reductions and increased taxes be needed for long-term stability? If they're imposed too soon, will austerity measures lead back to recession? Also, the season’s first hurricane creates problems for the Gulf oil clean-up. On Reporter's Notebook, can Google survive in China?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenFederal stimulus spending has fueled economic recovery. Has the time come to worry about the deficit? Will spending reductions and increased taxes be needed for long-term stability? If they're imposed too soon, will austerity measures lead back to recession? Also, the season’s first hurricane creates problems for the Gulf oil clean-up, and Google in China and the battle over Internet censorship.
Banner image: President Barack Obama and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag discuss the federal budget in the Oval Office Monday, January 26, 2009, during the President's first week in office. Orszag announced last week that he's stepping down. Official White House Photo: Pete Souza
In this episode
3 storiesSeason’s First Hurricane Complicates Gulf Oil Clean-up
Hurricane Alex won't hit the Mississippi Delta directly, but it's causing six-foot waves to push more oil ashore from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Tom Breen is a staff writer for the Associated Press in New Orleans.
Read the story7 minStimulus or Austerity?: That Is the Question
The consensus is that federal stimulus spending helped to prevent recession from becoming depression and got recovery under way. President Obama is committed to pumping up the recovery with continued spending and to his campaign promise not to raise taxes on households earning less than $250,000 a year.
Read the story38 minCan Google and China Make Amends?
Earlier this year, Google announced it would no longer submit to Chinese censorship, but would re-route Internet users to sites in Hong Kong. China called it “unacceptable,” and today was the day that Google's license to operate in China expired. The deadline passed without any announcement from China.
Read the story5 min
