Washington’s focus has shifted to immigration reform this week as a bipartisan group of Senators put forward a comprehensive plan on Monday and President Obama followed with a proposal of his own yesterday. The debate thus far …
Economics
The Great Central-Banking Experiment: Will Unlimited Cash Solve Problems or Cause Them?
The Bank of Japan folded as easily as a hot slice of New York pizza. After a few weeks of pounding by newly installed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the BOJ’s (officially independent) managers capitulated on Jan. 22 to his demands …
Are Today’s Business Leaders Too Afraid of Risk?
During this year’s TIME Davos panel “Leading through Adversity” — video highlights of which you can watch below — TIME International editor Jim Frederick asked some of the world’s biggest players in the global economy a simple question: Are leaders too risk-averse in their efforts to bring the economy back on track?
It’s not an …
Four Keys to Decoding the World Economic Forum
As we speak, business leaders and heads of state are gathering in Davos, Switzerland, for their annual dose of brainstorming and cocktail partying. Bloggers have been placing bets on whether the U.S. or hobbled Europe will get …
Can Electronic Cigarettes Challenge Big Tobacco?
NJOY’s King is the first e-cigarette that looks (and feels and smokes) like the real thing. It’s put traditional cigarette makers on notice.
Mississippi River Could Close to Barge Traffic Within Days
Traffic on the Mississippi River – which transports everything from grain to petroleum to coal – could come to a halt as soon as this weekend.
Four Misconceptions About Taxes and the Deficit
A misguided response to the fiscal cliff could risk a recession while doing little to solve long-term financial problems
Do We Have Another Financial Bubble On Our Hands? Or Three?
Multiple debt markets are facing big trouble because of excessive borrowing and the Fed’s easy-money policies.
Why Yesterday’s Fed Announcement Is a Big Deal
The Federal Reserve is a famously inscrutable institution. Given their ability to move markets, Fed officials have long been in the habit of speaking in careful, jargon-laced language that is often constructed with the express …
Fixing Inflation Adjustments Is the Smart Way to Shrink the Deficit
Limiting future increases in government spending will be less painful than making sudden deep cuts in current programs.
The Best Way to Cut Government Spending: Get Really Tough on Fraud
Fraud and improper payments for government programs amount to $125 billion a year. Reducing those losses substantially would avoid a lot of painful cuts.
The Other Side of Warren Buffett’s Common Sense Tax Argument
Over the years, Warren Buffett has gotten a lot of miles out of his folksy charm and ability to distill elaborate financial concepts into plain English. And recently, proponents of higher tax rates for the wealthy have gotten a …
