Congressional politics stands in the way of looming student loan crisis
The coming student loan debt crisis has been widely discussed but it remains low on the list of problems facing Congress and the priorities of the American people. In fact,…
Despite improving jobs report, unemployment remains the same
The Labor Department is reporting that the economy added 200,000 jobs in June, beating the expectations of analysts by about 35,000 jobs. The effective rate of unemployment remained the same…
Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, rules against Prop 8 defenders
In a landmark but mixed decision the US Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act that prohibited federal recognition of gay and lesbian couples.…
MOOA’s needed to reign costs of bloated college administrations
Benjamin Ginsberg, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University, has recently proposed an innovative idea for college’s and universities to save money during this austere budget climate. Following the…
Debating the Economics of Decline
Thomas Edsall, a professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of The Age of Austerity, has an interesting discussion in the New York Times “Opinionator” section today in which…
Mergers return but is it real growth?
Despite weak economic growth and dim forecasts for more robust growth in the future, large corporations are taking advantage of weak sales and declining profits to make big on mergers…
Justice Department sues S&P over fraud in rating mortgage securities
This week the Justice Department announced a civil lawsuit against the credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s after a lengthy investigation. The suit alleges that the agency issued faulty credit…
U.S. economy contracts slightly
The U.S. economy contracted by a fraction of a percent in the final quarter of last year, catching investors off guard. According to a Commerce Department report released yesterday GDP…
Since Congress will not do its job, the “fiscal cliff” will do it for them
The failure of Congress to make substantial economic reform is nowhere more visible than in the present hysteria regarding the “fiscal cliff” and its consequences for the federal budget and…
MI workers resist “right-to-work” law
Michigan lawmakers began debate today on controversial “right to work” legislation that would forbid requiring workers to pay union dues. The legislation is expected to pass despite widespread protests in…