How would a CEO in the White House change coverage?
Recently, I was watching an interview with author Michael Lewis for Reuters TV and he was asked would the president make a good chief executive officer. His response was to turn the question around to would a CEO make a good president. His answer: no because they’re too used to getting what they want and […]
Covering QE3
The Federal Reserve announced Thursday another round of bond-buying, $40 billion a month for the foreseeable future, and said it would continue to hold interest rates near zero until mid-2015. The Fed also said it would continue selling short-term bonds in order to buy long-term securities under a program called Operation Twist. In order to […]
The cost of economic uncertainty
It’s no secret that our economy runs on consumers’ willingness to buy — everything from pet supplies to clothing to appliances. But leading up to the always-crucial holiday season, how are retailers supposed to make sense of the different data? Some are predicting a slight drop in sales, while a survey of retailers is expected […]
U.S. could face rating cut next year
Moody’s Investors Service, following fellow rating agency Standard & Poor’s, said the U.S. could lose its Aaa rating next year if Congress doesn’t take orderly action to reduce the nation’s debt. From the Wall Street Journal’s story: Specifically, it said if Congress repeals looming spending cuts and tax increases set to begin next year and […]
The cost of an education
With students streaming back to college campuses, flooding their favorite bars and restaurants, and shelling out for books, there have been several timely pieces on the cost of college. Several have even questioned whether the returns are worth the investment. The cost of a college education is rising 3 percent to 4 percent that of inflation […]
Treasury cuts AIG stake
News broke Sunday that U.S. Treasury Department would sell at least $18 billion of its holdings in A.I.G to slash the government’s stake. This would make the first time that less than half the company was publicly owned since its bailout four years ago, a step that’s timing may be well calculated in the election […]
Fashion Friday
On a recent trip to New York, I was sitting out a two-hour plane delay watching the U.S. Open and drinking a beer. Half of the screens in the bar were tuned into the NFL’s opening game. What follows is my best reconstruction of the conversation between two guys standing behind me: Guy 1: Move […]
So, are you better off?
Bloomberg Insider, the political convention print publication by Bloomberg News, has an interesting opinion piece by “The Editors” (whatever that means) analyzing if the country is better off than it was four years ago. The story (full version here) is a thoughtful and a wide-ranging depiction of the current economic state and outlines the many […]
What does the future hold?
After the New York Times (yes, the one in New York) broke the story of New Orleans’ Times-Picayune cutting staff and reducing its print schedule to three days a week, many pundits were calling this the beginning of the end for newspapers. And New Orleans remains in a uproar at losing an institution, one that […]
Trying to make sense of the Fed
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech in Jackson Hole, Wyo., on Friday revealed the central bank was poised to take further action to help the economy. In what several described as uncharacteristically strong language, Bernanke called continuing high unemployment rate a “grave concern” and indicated the bank was poised to take action to stimulate the […]
