archive
Economy
Study: Nearly Half In U.S. Lack Financial Safety Net
January 30, 2013 In his inaugural address, President Obama envisioned a nation where even "the poorest child knows she has the same chance to succeed as anyone else." But a new report finds that 44 percent of Americans do not have the savings to cover basic expenses for three months if they lose their income.
It's All Politics
The GOP And Taxes: In The States, It Can Get Complicated
January 27, 2013 Republican Mike Pence just began his term as Indiana governor with a plan to cut the state income tax rate, joining Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, Wisconsin's Scott Walker, Nebraska's Dave Heineman and other GOP governors in pushing for similar plans. But some Republican state legislators aren't convinced.
Simon Says
A Thought That's Worth More Than A Penny (Or A Nickel)
January 19, 2013 With candy bars or a pack of gum costing a dollar or more these days, perhaps it's time to get rid of pennies and nickels altogether. The problem, NPR's Scott Simon says, is picking which historic profiles should get the boot.
The Salt
Whole Foods Founder John Mackey On Fascism And 'Conscious Capitalism'
January 16, 2013 The outspoken Whole Foods founder tells us why he hates "Obamacare" and why we have trouble cutting the sugar, fat and salt out of our diets. But now he's told CBS he used a poor choice of words when referring to the health law as fascism.
U.S.
The 'Second Disaster': Making Well-Intentioned Donations Useful
January 12, 2013 After a crisis, not all of the help that's given is necessary: People send stuffed animals when they should be sending diapers. New ways of managing donations are now getting the appropriate help to the right people.
Economy
Three New 'Cliffs' Threaten The Economy
January 10, 2013 Three more fiscal cliff-type deadlines are fast approaching. They involve: 1) raising the debt ceiling 2) imposing automatic spending cuts and 3) funding the federal government to avert a partial shutdown.
Crisis In The Housing Market
New Mortgage Rules Would Limit Risky Lending
January 10, 2013 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new rules that are scheduled to be released Thursday come at a time when regulators and banks are trying to find a middle ground between overly lax and overly tight lending standards. The rules will go into effect next January.
Havens Are Turning Hellish For Tax Avoiders
January 8, 2013 The U.S. and other countries are cracking down on banks that are known to help clients hide their assets, and the international push is beginning to have a major effect.
U.S.
The Phantom Tax That Made The Deficit Look Better
January 3, 2013 Congress finally made a permanent fix to the alternative minimum tax, which threatened to boost the tax bills of millions of Americans each year. But the AMT also created a "useful fiction," as one analyst says, by appearing to shrink future budget deficits.
The Two-Way
Inside The Fiscal Cliff Budget Compromise Bill: Tax Cuts and Tax Hikes
January 1, 2013 The Senate-approved budget compromise that is meant to allow the U.S. government to avoid higher tax rates and austere budget cuts has tax rates as its central issue. We list some of the bill's effects, from tax credits to rising rates.
