According to U.S. Census data, 48.6% of the population lived in a household that received some form of government aid in the second quarter of 2010, which rose slightly from the previous quarter — another sign of how dependent on federal aid Americans have grown during the Great Recession.
Congress
One Promising Economic Sign: Demand for Coins is Up
The U.S. Mint circulated more quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies last year. And that’s a good thing.
200,000 New Jobs Is a Good Start, But Good Times May Still Be a Decade Away
Companies are hiring again. That’s the good news. The bad news is those hires might not be coming fast enough.
Obama Expected to Appoint Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Chief
President Obama is reportedly planning to name Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a recess appointment today, which means the drawn-out Congressional standoff over Cordray’s nomination to head the watchdog agency may be drawing to a close.
2012: The Year Of The Entrepreneur?
While the year of the protester has just passed, 2012 looks to be the year of the entrepreneur.
A Tax Hike is a Terrible Thing to Waste
For weeks, Democrats and Republicans have been locked in a bitter dispute over the so-called “millionaires tax” – an income tax surcharge targeting wealthy taxpayers. Democrats want to use it to pay for an extension of the …
Another Congressional Standoff Leaves Consumers Vulnerable
The Senate is scheduled to take a procedural vote concerning the nomination of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today, and pundits are predicting failure. A group of 44 Republican Senators have …
U.S. Unemployment Falls to 8.6%: Amazing News, But Is It a Game Changer?
Just when we were expecting the economy to go boom it went zoom. The unemployment rate in November dropped faster than it has in more than 11 years.
The Tragic Death of the Temporary Tax Cut
I love the holidays in Washington. Christmas trees at the Capitol, carols at the National Cathedral–and another partisan catfight over taxes.
Is This the Beginning of the End for the Dollar Bill?
Remember the $1 coin? Probably not, considering none of us really use it. That’s why there’s about $1 billion worth of them sitting in the Federal Reserve’s vault. But now, the supercommittee charged with fixing our federal …
Why Bankers May Regret Elizabeth Warren Isn’t Running the CFPB
Elizabeth Warren announced plans to run for Senate in Massachusetts next year, moving from one politically charged battle of wills to … another contentious tangle with the GOP.
Curious CapitalistThe Economy
Obama’s Jobs Plan: Will it be Enough to Revive the Economy?
President Obama’s jobs plan, which he outlined Thursday night in a televised speech to the nation, is more ambitious than many people might have predicted. It’s a $447 billion package including lots of tax cuts and some serious …