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The U.S. Recovery

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Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf during Senate hearings last year: The CBO has released grim new predictions for the U.S. economy.

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The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

Is D.C.'s deficit obsession undermining the economic recovery?

Posted on February 1, 2012, at 10:51 AM

A new report forecasts sky-high deficits for years without immediate, tough cuts — but alternative approaches are just as troubling

9 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Burning Question

Traders on the floor of the NYSE: Our currency economic crisis has some troubling historic parallels with the "Long Depression" that began afflicting America in the 1870s.

Are we at the beginning of a 25-year recession?

Posted on December 15, 2011, at 10:39 AM

The world economy faced a similar slump in the 19th Century. And it wasn't pretty

29 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Best Column

If there was no paper money, says Matthew Yglesias at Slate, then the Fed could slash interest rates below zero, and Americans would have no choice but to spend money or see the value of their savings go down.

Could killing cash save the economy?

Posted on December 13, 2011, at 12:35 PM

Scrapping paper money would allow the Fed to slash interest rates below zero and jumpstart economic growth, argues Matthew Yglesias at Slate

13 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

A customer carries shopping bags on Black Friday: The first day of the holiday shopping season saw record numbers of shoppers and sales.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday's record sales: A good omen?

Posted on November 29, 2011, at 2:31 PM

The holiday shopping season is off to a booming start. But do stampedes of bargain-hungry Americans really prove the economy is back on track?

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

A couple considers purchasing a car at a Chrysler dealership in Florida: Increased vehicle sales were one factor that helped boost the U.S. economy grow at a 2.5 percent pace in the third quarter.

The economy's 'surprising' growth: 'Is the recovery back on track?'

Posted on October 28, 2011, at 9:22 AM

In a rare bit of good news, the feds announce that the U.S. economy grew at a 2.5 percent rate in the third quarter. Time to talk about green shoots again?

14 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : By the numbers

A zombie flashmob: Zombies have inspired movies, Halloween costumes, and even Occupy Wall Street garb, and in the process, they've given a boost to the near-dead economy.

America's $5 billion zombie industry: By the numbers

Posted on October 27, 2011, at 1:09 PM

As zombies invade nearly all aspects of the arts and commerce, the undead are helping to keep the U.S. economy alive

11 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Analysis

President Obama unveils his student loan plan at the University of Colorado on Wednesday: Some say the proposed debt relief may further encourage young people to attend schools they can't afford.

Obama's student loan plan: Woefully inadequate?

Posted on October 27, 2011, at 12:31 PM

The president offers debt relief to help struggling graduates cope. But critics say the proposal is so meager that it's meaningless

28 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Best Column

Unemployment line, New York City, 1930s: Even though poverty was high during the Great Depression, the American economy arguably made strides that paved the way for future prosperity.

Why the U.S. was better off in the Great Depression

Posted on October 10, 2011, at 12:03 PM

Despite the mass poverty, the U.S. was quietly making tremendous progress in the 1930s, says David Leonhardt in The New York Times. Not this time

14 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

Economists predict President Obama's $447 billion jobs plan could boost the economy, but some critics say it is still not worth the cost.

Would Obama's jobs plan really prevent a recession?

Posted on September 29, 2011, at 10:19 AM

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg think so. Is that enough reason for Congress to pass Obama's bill?

16 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : The List

In this controversial Ford commercial, a fictional Ford owner says he thought it was important to buy a pickup from a company that wasn't bailed out by the feds.

The flap over Ford's anti-bailout ad: 3 lessons

Posted on September 28, 2011, at 12:07 PM

Critics suspect White House bullying after Ford temporarily withdraws a commercial critical of competitors who took bailout money

27 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

President Obama toured the Solyndra solar-panel plant in May, 2010, after extending a $535 million federal loan to the company, which is now filing for bankruptcy.

Solyndra's bankruptcy: 'Political catastrophe' for Obama?

Posted on September 1, 2011, at 1:22 PM

Obama nurtured the solar-panel maker with $535 million in his push to create green jobs. Now it's kaput and its 1,100 employees are out of luck

14 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief

GM assembly workers install an electric battery in a Chevrolet Volt: The Obama administration has given billions to companies that produce batteries used in electric cars.

Does America still need manufacturing jobs?

Posted on August 29, 2011, at 6:03 PM

Team Obama is betting big that manufacturing can grow the economy. But arguably, the feds' initiative won't create enough jobs to justify the investment

6 Comments

The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief