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Analysis

Wednesday

As Commodity Prices Slide, Layoffs And Restructurings Follow

Capterpillar says it plans to lay off up to 10,000 workers, with many of those cuts coming in Illinois, amid a slide in equipment orders. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Two-Way

As Commodity Prices Slide, Layoffs And Restructurings Follow

So far, most Americans have benefited from falling commodity prices: Consumer inflation has remained low. But now the pain is spreading as companies like Caterpillar and Alcoa respond to hard times.

Monday

Thursday

For China's President, An Evening Of Lobster, Lamb and Ne-Yo

The tables are set in the State Dining Room of the White House for Friday's state dinner honoring visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The Two-Way

For China's President, An Evening Of Lobster, Lamb and Ne-Yo

President Obama is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a state dinner Friday. The menu features American favorites with "nuances of Chinese flavors." Ne-Yo, a part-Chinese R&B artist, will perform.

Wednesday

Wednesday

The Downside Of Keeping Interest Rates So Low For So Long

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testifies before the Senate Banking Committee in July. This week, Yellen and other policymakers are weighing the Fed's first rate increase in nine years. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

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Susan Walsh/AP

The Two-Way

The Downside Of Keeping Interest Rates So Low For So Long

Some economists say the Federal Reserve should leave rates alone, but many say super-low rates have big risks, too. They argue that the central bank needs to push rates back up to historic norms.

Tuesday

Do You Use Money? If So, You'll Want To Read This By Thursday

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and other policymakers will meet in Washington, D.C., this week to weigh a possible increase in interest rates. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The Two-Way

Do You Use Money? If So, You'll Want To Read This By Thursday

This week, the Federal Reserve will be making decisions that could affect your ability to borrow. Because it works behind closed doors, it can seem mysterious. Here's what the Fed is and does.

Scott Walker's Anti-Union Push May Not Prove So Easy As President

Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., holds up a $1 bill during a town hall in Las Vegas where he announced his plan to take on labor unions. Isaac Brekken/AP hide caption

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Isaac Brekken/AP

It's All Politics

Scott Walker's Anti-Union Push May Not Prove So Easy As President

His candidacy has floundered, so the Wisconsin governor is going back to what made him a hero to Republicans — taking on labor unions. But his sweeping efforts will likely run into stiff resistance.

Scott Walker's Anti-Union Push May Not Prove So Easy As President

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Sunday

Thursday

Why A White Poet Posed As Asian To Get Published, And What's Wrong With That

Ken Chen is the executive director of the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York. Courtesy of The Asian American Writers' Workshop hide caption

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Courtesy of The Asian American Writers' Workshop

Code Switch

Why A White Poet Posed As Asian To Get Published, And What's Wrong With That

A white man called Michael Derrick Hudson used the name Yi-Fen Chou as a strategy to get published. Ken Chen of the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York says the writer wanted to be "special."

Why A White Poet Posed As Asian To Get Published, And What's Wrong With That

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Friday

Tuesday

For Most Of Us, The 'Real' Economy Matters More Than Markets

Specialist Michael O'Mara on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Stocks closed down 200 points after starting the day with a rally. But there's more going on in the economy than the drama on Wall Street. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

The Two-Way

For Most Of Us, The 'Real' Economy Matters More Than Markets

Stock prices may be having a meltdown, but consumers and homebuyers are still pushing the economy forward. In fact, a new round of data suggests the economy is gaining strength even as markets fall.

Monday

Saturday

Friday