Catherine Hollander

Catherine Hollander

Policy Writer

Catherine Hollander covers domestic policy as a staff writer for National Journal. Previously, she covered the economy as a staff reporter at National Journal. Hollander graduated from Yale University.

Catherine Hollander's Latest Posts

Ready to Testify on Financial Stability, Lew Is Likely To Be Grilled on IRS Scandal

By
The poor Financial Stability Oversight Council. It's likely this will be the second year in a row where testimony on the council's annual report turns into a grill-a-thon on the scandal du jour. Read More »

So, a Fed Chairman Is Speaking at Your Graduation

By
"The future of the country is in jeopardy." It's what every college graduate wants to hear while sitting up on that stage, sweltering in the spring heat with friends and family watching. Read More »

Where Are We on Too Big to Fail?

By
Even in a week where headline-grabbing scandals seem to be dominating all of Washington's time, concern over "too big to fail" banks continues to simmer. Read More »

Good News for Doctors and Budget Hawks

By
The price tag for repealing a flawed Medicare doctors' pay formula will remain near a recent record low, according to a new estimate from the independent Congressional Budget Office released on Tuesday. It’s good news for the phys...

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We Still Don't Really Know How Much Health Care Costs

By
By releasing a big new spreadsheet Wednesday, the federal government just revealed the insane nature of health care pricing. What it didn’t do was give us information that truly explains actual health care costs. Read More »

Treasury Department's Chief Economist Bids Farewell

By
A Q&A with the Treasuary Department's cheif economist on her last day on the job. Read More »

Gene Sperling, Top Econ Adviser: 'The Era of Threatening Default Is Over'

By
Gene Sperling, President Obama’s top economic adviser, sketched out a hopeful scenario on Thursday for the next round of budget negotiations. Read More »

Is it Illegal to Impersonate the Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects (or Anyone Else) on Twitter?

By
After video of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects were released, journalists and citizen-sleuths turned to social media to find their digital footprint. They were greeted with a wealth of information. Not all of it was true. Read More »

Michelle Ash, Minority Chief Consumer Protection Counsel

By and
A Pittsburgh native, Michelle Ash, 45, had originally planned to go into law. But after a year at a local law firm, she decided on the world of policy instead. Read More »

John Gibson Mullan, Chief Majority Counsel, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade

By
John Gibson Mullan’s broad experience serves him well as chief counsel for Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, which has jurisdiction so far-ranging it covers everything from ...

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Roger Sherman, Minority Chief Counsel

By
Roger Sherman started working for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., as his defense and foreign-affairs staffer back in 1990—one week before the first Gulf War started. Read More »

Manufacturers Focus on Reforming Tax Code and Reducing Barriers to Trade

By
Manufacturers are, naturally, the biggest stakeholders in the committee’s discussion of improving the manufacturing sector. Read More »

U.S. and E.U. Will Gnaw on Trade Agreement

By
Late last month, the White House notified Congress that it planned to begin negotiating a comprehensive trade and investment agreement with the European Union. Talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are expected...

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Manufacturers, Ag Interests Will Lobby for Trade Deal

By
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership won’t be focused on already-low tariffs between the U.S. and European Union. It will be focused on so-called “behind the border” measures, like regulation—and that means the...

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How Can Congress Help Manufacturers?

By
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade kicked off 2013 with a focus on its middle name. It’s fitting. After all, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., who chairs the committee, changed the subcommitte...

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What You Need to Know About Reddit, the FBI and the Boston Marathon Suspects

By
Note: This post has been updated to reflect developments in the case. Read More »

Surprise! Fed Releases Minutes Early

By
The government closely guards potentially market-moving data until its release time. So it was a surprise Wednesday morning when the Federal Reserve announced that it had inadvertently transmitted the minutes from its latest policy-...

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It's Debt-Ceiling Madness Again. Why You Should Stay Calm (Sort Of)

By
Fighting over the debt ceiling? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Read More »

Fights Over Fed Likely to Continue if Yellen Becomes Next Chairman

By
First, however, she would have to be confirmed—and the vote could be one of the closest ever. Read More »

What That Lousy Jobs Report Means for a Spring Slump

By
A disappointing jobs report this morning is sure to renew talk of a so-called spring slump. Read More »

Who Is Janet Yellen, Bernanke's Likely Successor?

By
The Fed vice chairwoman has a long history with the central bank and is one of the most dovish members of the Federal Open Market Committee. Read More »

1960s ‘Money-Market Men’ Design Their Dream Fed Chairman

By
With Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s term set to expire in January, the handicapping of the race to replace him has begun.  Read More »

Cyprus's Steps to Stop Bank Runs Are Risky, but the Eurozone Is Likely to Survive Them

By
On Wednesday, Cyprus will announce the eurozone’s first-ever capital controls.  Read More »

Why Congress Won't Act on 'Too Big to Fail'

By
Everyone in the Senate wants to end the so-called “too big to fail” subsidy for the nation’s biggest banks. But right now, Washington is otherwise occupied. Read More »

What You Need to Know about Ben Bernanke's Evolving Views on Asset Bubbles

By
Ben Bernanke isn’t seeing hints of irrational exuberance in the stock market. Read More »

Fed Cautious About Economic Growth

By
The Federal Reserve slightly downgraded on Wednesday its forecasts for growth in 2013. It now expects gross domestic product to rise between 2.3 percent and 2.8 percent, just a hair less than the 2.3 percent to 3.0 percent it expect...

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Three Big Questions for Bernanke at Wednesday's Fed Press Conference, Plus One More

By
No changes in monetary policies are expected to be announced, but the Fed chairman's news conference could give insight into what lies ahead. Read More »

Ireland's Deputy PM: 'You Cannot Get an Economy to Recover Just by Doing Austerity Measures or Budget Discipline.'

By
A Q&A with Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore. Read More »

How the Cyprus Tempest Could Pose a Threat to the U.S. Economy

By
The situation there serves as a reminder that a dark cloud still looms over the U.S. recovery in the form of the eurozone crisis. Read More »

Are There Lessons For the United States in Ireland's Post-Crash Economy?

By
When Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny meets with President Obama in Washington next week, they should find plenty to talk about. Read More »

Former Top Economic Officials Fret About Asset Bubbles

By
A number of them worry about potential long-term consequences of the Fed's easy-money policies. Read More »

Paul Ryan Misses the Mark on Fed Policy in Budget Blueprint

By
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan mischaracterized the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the Obama administration in his discussion of monetary policy in the budget blueprint he released Tuesday. Read More »

Jobs Market Is Improving, But the Long-Term Unemployed Still Can't Catch a Break

By and
The good news? The nation is adding jobs. The bad news? Those who have been out of work the longest still can't seem to get them. Read More »

The Economy Is Sluggish and Weighed Down by Washington's Gridlock. So Why Are Stocks Soaring?

By
Wall Street is ebullient even as Main Street frets over its future. Here are some reasons for the surge in equity prices and some caveats about the gains. Read More »

What's Behind the Endless Delays on New Rules for Wall Street?

By
Just over one-third of the roughly 400 required rule-makings under the Dodd-Frank financial-reform law have been finalized. Why the holdup? Read More »

4 Things to Know About Gina McCarthy, Obama's Pick to Head EPA

By
President Obama on Monday announced his selection of Gina McCarthy, the Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. Here are a few things you should know about McCarthy. Read More »
ECONOMY

Does Ben Bernanke Care Too Much About Jobs?

By Caren Bohan and
Critics say the Fed chair has tried so hard to get Americans back to work that he may cause another financial crisis. Read More »

Budget Cuts Complicate Fed Debate Over Easy Money

By
The automatic spending cuts thatl begin Friday might not have much of an impact on the Federal Reserve’s current policy course. But they will add a layer of complexity to the central bank’s deepening debate over when to taper ...

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Bernanke Weighs In on Debate Over Ending Easy-Money Policies

By
Is this the beginning of the end of QE3? Federal Reserve watchers  have speculated  in recent days that the bank could ease off of the highly accommodative monetary policy sooner than expected as it weighs the looming ri...

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Could Bernanke's Testimony Signal an Early End to Easy Money?

By
The Federal Reserve's balance sheet continues to grow. But for how long? Read More »

Who's In and Who's Out in Obama's Cabinet

By
President Obama has chosen many of the candidates for his second-term Cabinet, but he still has eight positions left to fill . Here's a look at which positions are open, the leading contenders to fill them, and the Cabinet choices h...

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Is the Minimum Wage a Job Crusher or a Job Creator?

By
President Obama wants to hike the minimum wage , but wading into the economic debate is enough to make your head spin. Read More »

The Most Important Policies In President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address

By National Journal Staff
Everything you need to know from 2013's State of the Union address, from health care and the budget to immigration and guns. Read More »

Nemo Is Here: What We Know About Winter Storms and the Economy

By
Sandy was a reminder of the economic consequences of a massive storm. But usually it’s winter storms that are the culprits. Read More »

Who Is Sally Jewell, Obama's Choice for Interior Secretary?

By
Here's what you need to know about the REI president and CEO, whom the president has picked to replace Ken Salazar. Read More »

Super Bowl Blackout Could Energize a Debate on Power Grid

By and
Questions remain over what caused the half-hour  power outage  during Sunday’s Super Bowl in new Orleans. What is clear is that advocates of improving the nation’s energy infrastructure see it as a metaphor. Read More »

Why the Payroll-Tax Cut May Not Be as Bad as Consumers Fear

By
Paychecks may be smaller this year, but an alternative measure of inflation holds out hope for consumers concerned about their thinner-than-usual wallets. Read More »

4 Takeaways From a Week of Mixed Economic Data

By
Three numbers will get the most attention here in the Beltway: Jobs, growth and confidence. The latter two delivered a resounding 'meh' this week. It was a reminder to Washington that the fledgling recovery is far from out of the ...

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Early Data Says the Economy Contracted at the End of Last Year. Don't Panic Yet.

By
The economy unexpectedly contracted in the last three months of 2012, according to early data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday. Read More »

The Perils of Bypassing Congress

By Erin Mershon and
If a president's first term is about reelection, his second is about history. And as President Obama made clear in his inaugural address last week, he is hoping to make history by tackling climate change. Read More »

Your Guide to the Ruling on Obama's Recess Appointments

By
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled on Friday that President Obama’s use of recess appointments to install three appointees to the National Labor Relations Board last January was unconstitutional. What’s the fus...

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Why Richard Cordray Re-Nomination Fight Won’t Be About Richard Cordray

By
President Obama’s  re-nomination  of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reignites the battle that raged last year over the structure of the regulatory agency created under the landmark Dodd-...

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Obama's Climate Vow Could Make EPA a Political Target

By and Erin Mershon
President Obama’s second Inaugural Address left no doubt about his desire to put climate change front and center in his second term. He’s likely to pursue his goals through executive actions rather than legislation, at least...

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4 Ways Obama Could Boost Economy in His 2nd Term

By
President Obama begins his second term with unemployment at 7.8 percent and forecasts for economic growth over the coming years only modest as the country continues to dig out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Read More »

A Look Behind the Fed's Curtain: Diet Pepsi, Twinkies, and Dark Humor

By
The stakes rose for the Federal Reserve in 2007. Over the course of the year, Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues would grapple with a financial crisis that would build into a global conflagration, sending the United States...

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Meet the Folks on the Short List to Replace Energy Secretary Steven Chu

By and
Several people close to the Obama administration have said that Energy Secretary Steven Chu plans to step down from his job. Bloomberg reported this week that his departure could be announced as early as this week. Here are the cand...

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The High-Profile Cases of Mary Jo White, Obama's SEC Pick

By
You've probably heard of some of Mary Jo White's clients--as well as those she prosecuted. Read More »

Economists Pan Debt Ceiling’s Very Existence

By
Congressional Republicans may enjoy the leverage the debt ceiling gives them, but economists dislike its very existence.  Read More »

Why the Fed Is So Worried About the Debt-Limit Dispute

By
A look at what the central bank may be forced to do if brinksmanship over the debt limit turns into a stalemate—and a default.   Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama Reshapes Cabinet For a Second Term

By
With Inauguration Day approaching, President Obama is reshaping his Cabinet and White House staff for his second term. In the latest change, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said he will leave his job at the end of March, creating...

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One 'Spider Chart' That Explains the Jobs Recovery

By
A handy graphic from the Atlanta Fed provides a glimpse of how far the economy has come back. Read More »

Sessions, Sanders Say Lew's Not the Man for the Treasury Job

By
White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew has been nominated to serve as the country’s next Treasury Secretary. But before he sets foot in Capitol Hill to testify for his confirmation, some GOP lawmakers say they oppose his nomination. Read More »

Jack Lew Pick Shows Obama Is Ready to Play Tough on Budget

By
The pick of White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew as the next Treasury secretary underscores President Obama’s intention to play tough with Republicans in a series of upcoming budget fights. Read More »
ECONOMY

Why the Economy Won't Blast Off Anytime Soon

By
This is not the surging economic recovery we were hoping for. Read More »
CONGRESS

Several ‘Cliff’ Battles Still Lie Ahead in 2013

By and
Congress may have pulled the country back from the fiscal cliff—the year-end threat of more than $500 billion in major tax hikes and spending cuts that could have sparked a new recession—this week, but there are still some ban...

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ECONOMY

Here's What's in the Fiscal-Cliff Deal

By
Although the legislation will avert many of the year-end tax hikes and spending cuts that were set to kick in, it failed to address some of the major issues. Read More »

Here’s What’s In the Fiscal Deal Passed by the Senate

By and
Early on New Year's Day, the Senate passed a measure aimed at pulling the country back from the "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts. The measure, hammered out by Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Min...

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Five Sleeper Issues Washington Could Face in 2013

By , Stacy Kaper, , and
The incoming Congress has big challenges ahead. But don’t be distracted by the bright shiny objects that are tax reform, entitlement reform, and maybe even gun control. There are some important issues for the U.S. economy and U.S....

Read More »

How Cliff-Jumping Could Play Out for the Economy

By
With Washington deadlocked over the mix of automatic tax hikes known as the "fiscal cliff," worries are rising about the impact on the economy. But many economic forecasters say a brief slide off the fiscal cliff might not be catast...

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ECONOMY

5 Things to Look for in the Economic Year Ahead

By
Looking toward 2013, economists see a question mark in the shape of the fiscal-cliff negotiations.  Read More »
POWER

GOP Lawmakers Weigh In on 'Plan B'

By
House Speaker John Boehner  told Republicans  on Tuesday that he was moving to a new track in negotiations, so-called “Plan B.”  National Journal  caught up with House lawmakers who attended a closed-door mee...

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CONGRESS

Newtown Shooting Provides Perspective Amid Fiscal Cliff

By and
Two days after the Newtown school massacre, Congress returned to Washington with a more subdued attitude toward partisan bickering and with a newfound focus on finding a compromise on the fiscal cliff. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fiscal Cliff, or Fiscal Slope? Lots of Names for Year-End Event

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is credited with popularizing the term “fiscal cliff” earlier this year to describe the tax hikes and spending cuts the country faces at the start of 2013. Asked during a Wednesday press con...

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ECONOMY

Fed Gloomier on Economic Forecast

By
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday issued a slightly more pessimistic  2013 forecast for economic growth and a slightly less pessimistic one for unemployment. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Takes More Bold Steps on Economy

By
The Federal Reserve announced a fresh round of asset purchases aimed at spurring borrowing and boosting the economy. Read More »

4 Things to Watch for From the Fed This Week

By
The Federal Reserve's final policy-setting meeting of 2012 wraps up on Wednesday, capping a year where the central bank has found itself a focus of attention on Capitol Hill  more than once over its efforts to boost the econom...

Read More »

Jobs Market Strong, but Fiscal-Cliff Worries Hit Consumers

By and
The jobs market is showing resilience in the face of the year-end fiscal cliff, despite economists' fears that the mere threat of the tax hikes and spending cuts might cause employers to put the brakes on their hiring plans. Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Rate Falls to 7.7 Percent

By
U.S. employers added a bigger-than-expected 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell unexpectedly to 7.7 percent, the Labor Department said. Read More »
SPECIAL REPORT: 2013 OUTLOOK

The People, Not Washington, Will Solve America's Everyday Problems

By James Oliphant, Stacy Kaper, , Adam Mazmanian, James Kitfield, Ben Terris and
Beyond the fiscal cliff, entitlement reform, and a tax overhaul, a host of other issues continue to vex Americans. They include burgeoning traffic, the shrinking pool of affordable housing, escalating gun violence, and the rising in...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Holiday Shopping Could Still Go Over the Cliff

By
Despite brisk sales on Black Friday and rising consumer confidence, concerns about the fiscal cliff could still mar this holiday shopping season. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fundamentals of Recent Economic Growth Are Not Fine

By
The economy is growing faster than initially thought, according to a Thursday report, but it may be taking on more fat than muscle, which could slow down growth in the final few months of the year, economists say. Read More »
ECONOMY

Economic Growth Faster Than Thought

By
Real gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, up from an initial estimate of 2 percent. Read More »
BANKING AND FINANCE

Schapiro Departure Could Slow Dodd-Frank Implementation

By
Mary Schapiro’s departure from the Securities and Exchange Commission will leave the agency’s rule makers evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, which could slow progress on many Dodd-Frank rules the agency still has to...

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ECONOMY

The Silver Lining in Bernanke's Remarks on the Fiscal Cliff

By
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke issued a dire warning on Tuesday about the threat that the fiscal cliff poses to the economy. But amid the doom and gloom, Bernanke held out a silver lining.   Read More »
POWER

Greenspan's Idea of 'Cheap Price' to Pay for Tackling Deficit Crisis

By
One of the biggest challenges posed by the fiscal cliff is enacting reforms that don’t hurt the economy in the short run while establishing a sustainable long-run solution to the country’s rising budget deficits. Read More »
INFLUENCE

Larry Summers Vs. Ben Bernanke: Who is Smarter?

By
The world of Ivy League academics is a small one. Read More »
POWER

CEA Chair: Beware Psychological Effects of Cliff Jumping

By
White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman  Alan Krueger  said Thursday that it's the psychological consequences of falling off the fiscal cliff temporarily, not the cash ones, that cause him the greatest concern. Read More »
POWER

House Subcommittee: Consider Merging SEC and CFTC

By
Congress should consider combining the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a House Financial Services subcommittee said on Thursday. Read More »

Geithner: Don’t Delay on Cliff Deal

By
The Treasury secretary said the absence of a long-term solution would both leave the U.S. economy in its current state of uncertainty over its fiscal future, and apply a new layer of uncertainty on top of that: Whether there would e...

Read More »
BUDGET

CBO Outlines 'Cliff' Options and Consequences

By and
Two reports released on Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office give new ammunition to lawmakers in an already-contentious battle over the nation’s fiscal future. Read More »
ELECTION 2012: ISSUES TO WATCH

The Issues: What to Expect in Obama's Second Term

By Jim Tankersley, , , Jim O'Sullivan, , Adam Mazmanian, and James Kitfield
National Journal looks at the litany of thorny problems that face Washington over the next two years and how President Obama and the new Congress might address them.  Read More »
POWER

Former Fed Economist Warns of Cliff Jumping Hazards

By Catherine Hollander
The former chief economist of the Federal Reserve Board has a message for folks who would consider jumping off the fiscal cliff at the end of the year: Don't do it. Read More »
ELECTION 2012: ISSUES TO WATCH

What to Expect on the Budget in Obama's Second Term

By
The budget policy outlook for 2013 Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Incumbents Duke It Out in the West

By
The GOP may have maintained its stronghold on the House of Representatives nationwide, but House races were a bloody battle in the West. Many victors emerged by the skin of their teeth. Some races haven’t been called yet; others h...

Read More »

Former Senator Can't Overcome State's GOP Bent

By
Republicans picked up a Senate seat in Nebraska on Tuesday, according to NBC News and CBS News, with State Sen. Deb Fischer besting former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey to replace retiring Democrat Ben Nelson. Read More »

Fischer Beats Kerrey in Nebraska

By Catherine Hollander
Republican state senator Deb Fischer won the Nebraska Senate race, beating former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey . NBC and CBS called the race shortly before 10:30 p.m. Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobs Report Caps Solid Week for Obama

By
Friday's jobs report doesn’t change what we know about the recovery: The economy is moving forward, if slowly. But it still gives Team Obama something to cheer about in the final four-day push of a campaign in which his handling o...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Job Gains Stronger Than Expected

By
With Election Day four days away, the latest jobs report showed the economy added a stronger-than-expected 171,000 jobs in October but the unemployment rate inched higher to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent. Economists  sur...

Read More »

Michigan, 5th House District

Michigan’s 5th District is sending another Democrat to the House, and not only that, it’s sending one from the same family as the current occupant. When Rep. Dale Kildee retires after 36 years of service in January 2013, nephew ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

5 Things to Watch for in Friday's Jobs Report

By Catherine Hollander
Landing just four days before Election Day, Friday’s jobs report is sure to be a conversation piece on the campaign trail.   Read More »
INFLUENCE

Pawlenty Urges Two-Step Approach on Fiscal Cliff

By Catherine Hollander
Tim Pawlenty , the new head of the Financial Services Roundtable , called on Thursday for Congress and the White House to take a two-step approach to address the twin threats of year-end tax hikes and spending cuts known as the fi...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobs Report To Be Released on Time

By
The Labor Department will release its October employment report at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, as scheduled, the department confirmed on Wednesday. Read More »

Treasury Says Debt Limit Likely Hit by End of Year

By
The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it expects the U.S. debt limit will be reached by the end of 2012, but that it can use so-called "extraoardinary measures" to push the actual date of default to early 2013. Read More »
ECONOMY

Labor Department 'Working Hard' to Get Jobs Report Out on Time

By
The Labor Department sought on Monday to quell worries that Hurricane Sandy, which had closed federal offices as it bears down on the East Coast, could delay the scheduled release of its monthly employment numbers on Friday. Read More »
ECONOMY

GDP Report Suggests Fiscal Cliff, Global Growth Concerns

By
Business investment fell in the last three months, suggesting but not confirming that concerns over global growth and the impending fiscal cliff have weighed on businesses’ spending decisions. Read More »
ECONOMY

Economy Grew 2 Percent in Third Quarter, Mostly In Line With Expectations

By and
The economy picked up slightly in the third quarter of the year, growing at an annual rate of 2.0 percent, the Commerce Department reported in a Friday estimate. The change in the real Gross Domestic Product was just above e...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Federal Reserve Stands Pat

By
The Federal Reserve decided to take no new monetary policy actions at its two-day meeting that ended Wednesday and underscored its worries about tepid economic growth and high unemployment. Economists had expected the Fed...

Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Report: Man Plotted Attack on New York Fed

By
Federal authorities arrested a man on Wednesday they say was plotting to attack the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NBC 4 New York reports . Read More »
INFLUENCE

Americans Give Almost $8M to Pay Down the Debt

By
  More than any time since the mid-1990s, citizens are pitching in to help the government pay its debt. Read More »
POWER

Republican Senators Press Treasury on Debt Limit Plans

By Catherine Hollander
Two senior Republican senators, Orrin Hatch , R-Utah, and Jeff Sessions , R-Ala., are pressing Treasury for regular updates on how close the country is to hitting the statutory debt limit and what steps the administration might ta...

Read More »

Experts Dismiss Claims of 'Cooking Books' on Jobs Data

By and
The high-wire act of keeping the country’s economic data secret is guided by a hyper-precise atomic clock and a dryly named 27-year-old rule, Statistical Policy Directive Number 3. Read More »

Jobs Data May Cool Romney's Post-Debate Momentum

By and
A drop in the unemployment rate below the psychologically important 8 percent mark will blunt some of Mitt Romney's post-debate momentum, but it is unlikely to swing huge numbers of voters toward Obama. Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Rate Below 8 Percent, Lowest Since Obama Took Office

By and
Jobless rate falls unexpectedly to 7.8 percent, lowest since January 2009, when Obama took office. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Fact Checking the Presidential Debate

By Meghan McCarthy, Katy O'Donnell, , and
The first presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney on Wednesday night covered topics ranging from taxes to health care to job creation. Here is a look at some of their statements and how firmly they are grounded i...

Read More »
POLITICS

Jobs and Deficit Likely to Dominate Debate

By and
A look at some of the key issues likely to come up in Wednesday evening's presidential debate. Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke Thrown Curveball Question on Baseball

By
Between the European sovereign debt crisis, the looming fiscal cliff and the country’s stubbornly high unemployment, there are plenty of natural questions for Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke when he makes a public appearance. Th...

Read More »

Bernanke Mounts QE3 Defense

By
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the central bank’s controversial new round of bond-buying in an Indianapolis speech on Monday, responding to the wide range of criticism the bank has faced since announcing the move. Read More »
ECONOMY

Federal Reserve Reveals Names of Banks That Sought Its Help

By
Bank borrowing from the Federal Reserve’s discount window declined in the months after the passage of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law, possibly reflecting concerns over new disclosure requirements under the law as well as...

Read More »
ECONOMY

IMF: 'Profound' Changes Likely for U.S. Financial Sector

By
The International Monetary Fund predicted “profound” changes in the U.S. financial sector as a result of new regulations, according to a report released on Tuesday. Read More »
ECONOMY

IMF May Trim Global Growth Forecast

By
The International Monetary Fund is expected to cut its forecasts for global growth when it convenes in October—but not by much, the fund’s managing director Christine Lagarde said on Monday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed to Politicians: We’re Not Swayed

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke doesn’t care about Capitol Hill or campaign-trail bullies. He has said repeatedly as the central bank has come under a political magnifying glass this year: The Fed bases its decisions on econ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Cuts GDP Forecast for 2012

By
Members of the Federal Reserve’s policy-setting committee cut their economic growth forecasts for 2012 slightly, but kept their unemployment projections the same when they met this week. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Launches New Bond Buying

By
Fed announces new round of bond buying in bid to shore up sluggish economy. The Federal Reserve announced a new round of bond-buying on Thursday, known as QE3, in an attempt to boost the lackluster recovery by pushing down...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Income Inequality on the Rise, Census Data Show

By
Economic inequality is on the rise, driven by growth in income among the wealthiest Americans. Read More »
ECONOMY

Dismal Jobs Data Could Prompt Fed Action

By
The Federal Reserve had made clear for months that it is leaning toward launching a fresh round of bond buying if the sluggish economy does not show signs of improvement. The Fed could be ready to act as early as this week.  Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Warren Takes on Wall Street, Big Oil in Feisty Speech

By
Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren electrified the crowd at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night with her trademark feisty rhetoric and populism, casting Wall Street and big oil as villains while praisi...

Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Elizabeth Warren, 'The Sheriff of Wall Street,' Set to Underscore Populist Message

By
Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is controversial in Washington and unpopular on Wall Street, but her rock-star status among the Democratic base has led her to a prime-time speaking slot ahead of former President Clin...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Poised to Act, Watches Risks

By
The Federal Reserve is poised to take action as soon as this fall to help the weak economy if growth does not perk up. But as it considers whether to do so, most of the bank’s policymakers feel that a new round of bond-buying, so-...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Food-Price Surge Not Expected From Drought

By
The United States is in the midst of its worst drought in half a century, with significant impacts on food production, but economists say that global consumers rather than U.S. shoppers are likely to shoulder the biggest burden of...

Read More »
ANALYSIS: BUDGET

Anti-Fed Movement Goes Mainstream

By
Mistrust of the Federal Reserve is rising among members of Congress. Ben Bernanke is worried about the institution’s independence—and he should be.  Read More »
ECONOMY

House Approves Fed-Audit Bill

By
House approves legislation that would open up the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions to government audits. The bill is not expected to advance in the Senate. The vote, winning the necessary two-thirds majority ...

Read More »
BANKING AND FINANCE

Awkward Timing for Dodd-Frank Critics

By
Just days after the Libor-rigging scandal came front and center at a hearing with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is out with a new report arguing that one of Dodd-Frank’s corner...

Read More »
POWER

Two Ways the House Libor Hearings Could Play Out

By Catherine Hollander
Rep. Barney Frank , D-Mass., wants to investigate. Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y., wants to talk about reforms. How Congress will choose to deal with the unfolding Libor manipulation scandal is unclear - at least for now - but the...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke: Economy Faces Dire Risk From Fiscal Cliff

By
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a bleak assessment of the U.S. economy on Tuesday, warning of dire risks surrounding the approaching fiscal cliff. Read More »
POWER

Bernanke In Congressional Hot Seat Over Bank Rate Scandal

By Catherine Hollander
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will be in the hot seat when he delivers his prognosis on the economy before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday and the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. But more than...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke to Face Grilling on Rate-Rigging Scandal

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will be in the hot seat when he visits Capitol Hill this week. His testimony on the economy and financial conditions will give lawmakers the first chance to publicly question a regulator on a...

Read More »
ECONOMY

IMF Trims U.S. Growth Forecast, Warns on Fiscal Cliff

By
The International Monetary Fund lowered its forecast for the United States’ growth on Monday in an update to its World Economic Outlook and warned of risks to the economy as fears grow about the "fiscal cliff." Read More »
POWER

House GOP More Talk Than Action in Opposition to Dodd-Frank

By Catherine Hollander
House Financial Services Committee Republicans are ratcheting up their claims that the Dodd-Frank Act kills jobs, in a campaign to discredit one of President Obama 's crowning achievements as the law's two-year anniversary is hera...

Read More »
ECONOMY

New York Fed Identified Possible Libor Manipulation in 2007

By
In the wake of revelations about bank manipulation of a key global rate, everyone’s wondering: Where were the regulators? On Friday, one of them--the New York Federal Reserve--made the case that it wasn’t asleep at the switch by...

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COVER STORY

Washington’s Women: We Still Face Discrimination

By
Washington is a tough town, and it’s even tougher for women. A National Journal survey of female professionals shows that almost three-fourths of women say that men have more opportunities to get ahead than women. Read More »
ANALYSIS: ECONOMY

Weather or Not

By
An extremely hot summer, like this one, isn’t as disruptive to the economy as a very cold winter. Read More »
COVER STORY

Workplace Compensation, An Incomplete Picture

By
Spotty or outright missing data can yield at best an approximation of what women in Washington make. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Pace of Recovery More Frustrating Than Jobs Report Will Suggest

By
Good news: The United States appears to be on the path of slow, steady growth. The bad is that it’s probably even slower than you thought.  Read More »

More OECD: Income Inequality Is a Big Problem in the U.S.

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »

OECD Outlines Troubles with Innovation in the U.S.

By Catherine Hollander
Innovation is a topic we  often  write about here at Restoration Calls, so I was pleased to see the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development included a special section on innovation in its biannual survey of t...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Lowers Growth Forecasts

By
Members of the Federal Reserve Board’s policy-setting committee cut their economic forecasts for 2012 when they met this week. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Extends Operation Twist

By
The central bank is doing the Twist again. Read More »
ECONOMY

How Wine Growing in Walla Walla Supports the Economy

By
Walla Walla boomed to life in the mid-1800s on the dry, fertile soil of southeastern Washington, supplying gold prospectors on their way to Idaho and Montana with shovels, bacon, and whiskey. Its first storefronts were made of wood ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Senate Approves Powell to Fed Board

By Stacy Kaper and
The Senate confirmed the second of President Obama’s two nominees, Republican Jerome Powell, to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in a 74-21 vote on Thursday, bringing the board to full, seven-member strength for the...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Senate Approves Stein to Fed Board

By Stacy Kaper and
The Senate confirmed Jeremy Stein, the first of President Obama’s two nominees to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, in a 70-24 vote on Thursday. Read More »

The Persistent Problem of Youth Unemployment

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »

The Persistent Problem of Youth Unemployment

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »
ANALYSIS

April Employment Report Is Bad News for Team Obama

By
The latest jobs report is bad news for the economy and for the Obama administration. April’s disappointing payroll numbers confirm that the economy is slowing again on the heels of a winter in which the recovery appeared to be fin...

Read More »

Despite Weak Jobs Growth, Unemployment Dropped in April

By Catherine Hollander
The U.S. economy picked up 115,000 jobs in April as the politically important unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Despite Weak Jobs Growth, Unemployment Dropped in April

By
The U.S. economy picked up 115,000 jobs in April as the politically important unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The number follows a disappointing March report, in which payrolls grew...

Read More »

Working and Working...

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »

Working and Working...

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »

A golden adventure (in currency)

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »
ANALYSIS

The Fed’s Political Predicament

By
Rising fiscal uncertainty ahead of the November elections and lame-duck period could create the climate for the Federal Reserve Board to take action to help the U.S. economy. But as the clock ticks toward November, it will be harder...

Read More »
ECONOMY

IMF Issues Sunnier Outlook for Global Economy

By
The International Monetary Fund issued a rosier outlook for the global economy in its latest World Economic Outlook, published on Tuesday, than its previous edition in September. The WEO is typically prepared twice a year and is the...

Read More »

Mr. Principal, tear down these walls

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »

The best seat

By Catherine Hollander
Read More »
ECONOMY

Obama Pushes 'Buffett Rule,' Strikes 'Fairness' Theme

By and
An election-focused White House on Monday argued its proposed “Buffett Rule” makes good economic sense, setting the stage for a weeklong attack on Republican front-runner Mitt Romney’s tax plan that the president says benefits...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Don’t Jump to Conclusions on Jobs

By
Friday's jobs report disappointed economists, but it’s really too soon to tell whether the country is in for another extended round of job-market losses. Read More »

Unemployment Dropped in March, Despite Underwhelming Job Growth

By Catherine Hollander
The unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percentage point to 8.2 percent in March but the economy added just 120,000 jobs, significantly below economists' expectations and breaking a three-month streak of payroll growth in excess of ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Unemployment Dropped in March, Despite Underwhelming Job Growth

By
The unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percentage point to 8.2 percent in March but the economy added just 120,000 jobs, significantly below economists’ expectations and breaking a three-month streak of payroll growth in excess o...

Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: ECONOMY

Why Employment Will Return to Pre-2008 Levels

By
The post-recession “new normal” unemployment rate could end up looking a lot like the “old normal.”  Read More »
ECONOMY

Dartmouth President Wins Nod for World Bank President From Obama

By and
In a surprise move, President Obama said on Friday that he was nominating Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim to serve as World Bank president. Kim's name was not among those reportedly on the president’s short list, which...

Read More »
Q&A

Ray Fair, the Predictor

By
To divine election results, the Yale economics professor doesn’t assess voters, just the economy. What does he have to say about 2012?  Read More »

Four of 19 Banks Fail Fed Stress Test, Including Citigroup

By
Most large U.S. banks would meet the Federal Reserve’s capital standards if the economy took a serious turn for the worst, the regulator announced Tuesday. But four of the banks -- including Citigroup, Ally Financial and SunTrust ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Slightly Sunnier About Economy, but Still Cautious

By and
The Federal Reserve issued a slightly sunnier economic outlook on Tuesday following a single-day meeting of its policy-setting committee, but remained cautious about the overall state of the recovery, echoing its previous statement ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Ohio's Economic Extremes Complicate GOP Jobs Message

By
Political attention has turned to Ohio, a state that boasts a diverse economy that could confound Republican presidential campaigning. Read More »
ECONOMY

Paul Confronts Bernanke, Again - Fed Chair Buys Groceries

By
GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul , R-Texas, took some time off the campaign trail to confront one of his most frequent targets: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke .   Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Hopefuls Move to Two of Nation's Hardest-Hit Economies: Arizona, Michigan

By
The GOP presidential candidates will duke it out on Tuesday for a primary victory in two of the hardest-hit economies in the nation. They will need to prove they can chart the course there, but that could be a tough sell given both ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

White House to Propose Corporate Tax Cut, Ending Some Deductions

By
An Obama administration plan would cut the top corporate tax rate but raise revenue overall by closing loopholes and ending subsidies -- an election-year proposal meant to draw a contrast with Republican contenders for the Whit...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Kicking the Can on Greece Could Be Best Deal for U.S. Economy

By
Kicking the can down the road isn’t always a bad thing. When it comes to the Greek bailout agreement reached on Tuesday, it’s actually a very good thing for the United States.  Read More »
ANALYSIS

Next Debt Fight Will Be Ugly, But After Election

By
The U.S. economy appears to be gaining strength, but that won’t necessarily prevent another bitter showdown over raising the debt limit this year. Read More »
ECONOMY

Geithner Says Debt Limit Likely to Be Reached in 2012

By
The U.S. economy appears to be gaining strength, but that won’t prevent another bitter showdown over raising the debt limit this year, according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Read More »
BUDGET

FINANCIAL REGULATION: Obama Seeks More Funds for Dodd-Frank Agencies

By
President Obama bumped up his proposed budgets for the agencies charged with implementing the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law. It’s wishful thinking, given Republican criticism of the regulatory agencies and promises to unwin...

Read More »
BUDGET

TREASURY: White House Seeks Treasury Savings through Streamlining

By
The White House proposed saving money through improved efficiency at the Treasury Department in fiscal year 2013 as it introduced a new fee on large financial firms that would compensate Americans for their losses during the financi...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Massive Mortgage Settlement a Win for Obama Administration

By Stacy Kaper
The $25 billion mortgage-servicing settlement with the nation’s largest lenders is a much needed boost to the Obama administration’s dismal housing record.  Read More »

Unemployment Dropped to 8.3 Percent in January

By Catherine Hollander
The U.S. economy picked up 243,000 jobs in January as the unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The surprise decrease boosts President Obama 's election-year narrative of slow, steady ec...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Unemployment Dropped to 8.3 Percent in January

By
The U.S. economy picked up 243,000 jobs in January as the unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
ANALYSIS

GOP Candidates Face Nevada's Busted Economy

By
The candidate whose economic policies hold up in Nevada, where unemployment and foreclosures are worst in the nation, could make a good case they will do the same in November. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Cain Says Similarity of Tax Plans Behind Gingrich Endorsement

By
Former GOP hopeful Herman Cain says current candidate Newt Gingrich's tax plan could start to look like his own 9-9-9 flat-tax proposal. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich, Romney Trade Barbs on Morning Shows

By
GOP presidential hopefuls Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney traded barbs in separate appearances on Monday morning news programs, a day ahead of the Florida primary. Read More »
ECONOMY

GDP Growth Slowed in 2011

By
Real Gross Domestic Product rose by just 1.7 percent in 2011, the Commerce Department reported on Friday. That's not great news for President Obama, who oversaw 3 percent GDP growth in 2010 and cannot use the latest GDP da...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Bob Dole Criticizes Gingrich, Supports Romney

By
Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole ripped into Newt Gingrich in a statement on Thursday, adding to the list of establishment Republicans who have sharpened their attacks on the GOP hopeful. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Adopts Inflation Target In Bid to Anchor Inflation Expectations

By
The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday it is formally adopting an inflation target of 2 percent in an effort to keep long-term inflation expectations stable. The news followed a two-day meeting of the central bank’s policy-...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Blasts Gingrich as 'Highly Erratic'

By Sarah B. Boxer and
TAMPA, Fla. -- An aggressive Mitt Romney on Monday made it clear that he will seek to make rival Newt Gingrich's record the central issue in the days leading up to Florida's primary, launching a multipronged attack on several past c...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Florida's Housing Mess Puts GOP Hopefuls on Uncomfortable Turf

By
GOP hopefuls have talked economy in other primary states, but Florida’s housing pain could lead to some campaign-trail disconnect with voters.  Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum: As President, Romney Wouldn't Appoint Conservative Judges

By
Rick Santorum is worried that, if elected president, Mitt Romney won’t appoint judicial conservatives to the Supreme Court. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney's Retirement Account Worth Millions -- Report

By
Mitt Romney is going to have a very comfortable retirement. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum: Romney's Tax Rate Isn't the Problem, His Perception of $300,000 Is

By
Rick Santorum doesn’t think its GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney’s fault that he pays a lower tax rate than most middle-class Americans. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Don't Expect 'Populist Backlash' in Palmetto State

By
South Carolina is a long way from Iowa and New Hampshire. The Palmetto State has boiled peanuts to Iowa’s deep-fried butter, and January rain to New Hampshire’s blizzards. It also has nearly double the unemployment rate of the f...

Read More »

QUICK TAKE: Huntsman's Faith in Political System 'Reborn' After Third-Place Win

By
GOP hopeful Jon Huntsman credited his third-place finish in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary to old-fashioned, on-the-ground campaigning in New Hampshire. Read More »

QUICK TAKE: Paul Focuses on Revolution, Not White House, in Post-Primary Speech

By
Rep. Ron Paul  of Texas, fresh off a surprisingly strong second-place showing in New Hampshire’s primary, focused not on his bid for the White House, but on the goals of the libertarian revolution he espouses when he addr...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

QUICK TAKE: Ron Paul Says It's Two-Man Race Now

By
“We’re next in line to [Romney]. I would say we’re the only ones really in the race with him,” Texas Rep. Ron Paul told CNN on Tuesday night after learning of his second-place finish in the nation’s first primary. Read More »
ANALYSIS

In New Hampshire, the (Bad National) Economy Will Shape the Primary

By
While Iowa caucus-goers voted on ideology, New Hampshire Republicans will not. Economic troubles are likely to return to the fore in the nation’s first primary and despite the state’s relative economic strength, voters in the Gr...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Five Breaks the U.S. Economy Needs (And Why We Might Get Them)

By Jim Tankersley and
Hoping for a brighter 2012, economically, in America? You’ll need several big things to break your way. Great news – and, yes, we’re playing optimist here – it’s quite possible they all could. Here are the five breaks the ...

Read More »

Economy Added 200,000 Jobs, Unemployment Reaches Three-Year Low in December

By Catherine Hollander
The economy added 200,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest level in nearly three years, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Economy Added 200,000 Jobs, Unemployment Reaches Three-Year Low in December

By
The economy added 200,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest level in nearly three years, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul: New Hampshire Primary is “Wide Open”

By
Texas Rep. Ron Paul came in third in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, but he is confident heading into the New Hampshire primary next week. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Paul Surprised by Twitter Controversy

By
Before the Iowa caucus results were tallied on Tuesday night, a message appeared from the official campaign Twitter handle of Rep. Ron Paul  of Texas teasing fellow GOP hopeful Jon Huntsman for his lack of support in the Hawke...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

McCain to Endorse Romney in New Hampshire

By
Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., will travel to New Hampshire this week to endorse his former rival Mitt Romney. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney: Santorum Did a 'Heroic Job,' Paul Did a 'Heck of a Job'

By Julia Edwards and
After one and a half hours of sleep, Iowa caucus winner Mitt Romney made the rounds on morning TV shows touting his victory and defending himself against the attacks to come. He told FOX and Friends that close second place winner ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

How Do the Caucuses Work?

By
The 2012 presidential election season will kick off on Tuesday evening when Republicans gather in schools and homes across Iowa to cast their votes among nine GOP hopefuls. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Walks Back Prediction That He Will Win Iowa Caucuses

By
GOP hopeful Mitt Romney on Tuesday walked back his previous prediction that he will win the Iowa caucuses, saying on MSNBC’s Morning Joe "I don’t think I quite said that." Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich: Romney's a Liar

By
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich thinks Mitt Romney is a liar, but he would back him for president over Barack Obama. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Taking a Second Look at Iowa’s Economic Success

By
In the run-up to an election that will hinge on the economy, Iowa looks pretty good. But the relatively low unemployment rate there makes it easy to gloss over the impact of the downturn on this Midwestern state. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Swing State Job Trends Point to Trouble for Obama

By
The national unemployment rate is not good for the president’s reelection campaign. And if Team Obama digs a bit deeper, it will find something even worse, exactly where it matters – the swing states. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich Calls for Return to the Reagan Years

By
A few weeks ago, Newt Gingrich said that if people doubt his ability to win the election, they should look at Ronald Reagan’s 1980 victory over President Carter. Read More »
ECONOMY

Debt-Ceiling Lift Could Trigger Fight Before Elections

By Stacy Kaper and
A White House request this week to tap into the third and final round of scheduled increases in the nation’s borrowing limit means the countdown toward another nasty debt-ceiling fight has begun. And it could strike before the Nov...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Obama to Nominate Democrat, Republican to Serve on Fed Board

By
President Obama will nominate Jerome Powell and Jeremy Stein to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the White House announced on Tuesday. Their nominations will need to be confirmed by the Senate. Read More »
ECONOMY

The Politics of Economics in 2012

By
The economy will once again drive politics and be driven by it in 2012. National Journal examines how four economic scenarios could play out at the polls next November. Read More »
ECONOMY

European Leaders Take Crucial First Step

By
The Obama administration can breathe a little easier for a little longer. It’s not doomsday in Europe—yet. Read More »
ECONOMY

QUICK TAKE: Jobless Claims Tumble

By
Initial claims for jobless benefits dropped to 381,000 for the week ending Dec. 3, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

QUICK TAKE: Frank, Clyburn Describe Working With a Temperamental Gingrich

By
GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has a temper, will say anything to make his point, and engages in personal attacks, according to the statements from two veteran House Democrats in separate appearances on MSNBC’s  Morni...

Read More »
CONGRESS

QUICK TAKE: Frank Expects to do 'Lots of Public-Policy Advocacy' in Retirement

By
Retiring Rep.  Barney Frank , D-Mass., says he expects to do a lot of public-policy advocacy when he says good-bye to Capitol Hill. Read More »

Unemployment Fell in November, Hitting Lowest Level in Two and a Half Years

By Catherine Hollander
The unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent in November, the lowest level since March 2009, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Unemployment Fell in November, Hitting Lowest Level in Two and a Half Years

By
The unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent in November, the lowest level since March 2009, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Ron Paul Criticizes Fed Action in Global Markets

By
When the Federal Reserve and five other central banks announced on Wednesday that they would inject liquidity into the global financial system, markets around the world cheered, but Ron Paul , the chief Fed-hater in the Republican ...

Read More »
SUPER COMMITTEE

Toomey: We Were 'Never Very Close' to a Deal

By
Democrats and Republicans on the congressional committee charged with finding $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction were “never very close” to a deal, despite several late proposals that looked like they could gain bipartisan suppo...

Read More »
SUPER COMMITTEE

Boehner, Reid Duel Over Super Committee Failure in Op-Eds

By
House Speaker  John Boehner , R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader  Harry Reid , D-Nev., squared off in dueling  USA Today  op-eds over the super committee's failure to produce a plan to reduce the deficit, each bl...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Again? Debt-Ceiling Fight Could Be Back Before 2012 Election

By
Remember the debt ceiling? Thought that was all squared away by the Budget Control Act and the super committee? Maybe not. Read More »
ECONOMY

Obama Was Wrong: U.S. Downgrade Didn’t Send Interest Rates Soaring

By
As the clock ticked toward default over the summer, President Obama took aim at Republican intransigence on taxes, warning that interest rates would soar if the United States lost its coveted AAA rating. He was wrong. Read More »
SUPER COMMITTEE

U.S. Consumer Confidence Less Vulnerable to Super-Committee Failure

By and Jim Tankersley
Washington is focused on the super committee, but the rest of the country is paying far less attention to the special panel charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit savings by Nov. 23. And that's good news, o...

Read More »

QUICK TAKE: Concerns Growing That FHA Could Go Broke -- WSJ

By
The Federal Housing Administration has played a key role in the housing market since the mortgage crisis, backing about one-third of all new mortgages for home purchases. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is a growing con...

Read More »
ECONOMY

QUICK TAKE: Bernanke Says Proposals to Eliminate Fed Not Realistic

By
GOP candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul ’s proposal to abolish the Fed is “not… very realistic,” Fed Chair Ben Bernanke said at a town hall meeting at Fort Bliss, outside of El Paso, Texas. Read More »

Cornyn Says Holder Didn't Acquit Himself on 'Fast and Furious'

By
Attorney General Eric Holder failed to acquit himself at a Tuesday hearing on the botched investigation of arms traffickers known as Operation Fast and Furious, Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas, charged in a Wednesday morning appearance ...

Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Man Charged With USS Cole Bombing Will Face Judge

By
A Saudi man charged in the attacks of the USS Cole and a French oil tanker in 2000 is finally going before a judge after nearly a decade of confinement, the Associated Press reports . He is the first Guantanamo prisoner to be charg...

Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Bill Clinton Proposes Economic Fixes, Supports Third Presidential Terms

By
Former President Bill Clinton toured morning talk shows on Tuesday to discuss his new book,  Back to Work , in which he proposes solutions to boost the U.S. economy. Read More »
SUPER COMMITTEE

Rep. Van Hollen: Super Committee Not Seeking an Extension

By
Despite speculation otherwise, the deficit-reduction super committee will not seek an extension on its Nov. 23 deadline, committee member Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said on Monday. Read More »

Unemployment Rate Ticks Down to 9.0 Percent in October

By Catherine Hollander
The unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked down to 9.0 percent. The U.S. gained just 80,000 new jobs in October, less than economists expected, but the number of jobs added in previous months were both revised up in October's jobs re...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Unemployment Rate Ticks Down to 9.0 Percent in October

By
The unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked down to 9.0 percent. The U.S. gained just 80,000 new jobs in October, less than economists expected, but the number of jobs added in previous months were both revised up in October's j...

Read More »
ECONOMY

U.S. to Europe: Do As We Did, Not As We’ll (Probably) Do

By Jim Tankersley and
European leaders are attempting to beat back a growing economic crisis, and President Obama is urging them to take cues from America, circa 2008. But not everyone believes the American model is worth copying. Federal lawmakers are m...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke Ready to Open Lending if He Must

By Jim Tankersley and
Ben Bernanke doesn’t want to rescue the United States from an escalating European financial crisis, but he says he’ll try. That makes the Federal Reserve Board chairman a rare—and possibly unique—policymaker on either side o...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Slashes Economic Outlook, Keeps Door Open for Action

By
The Federal Reserve slashed projections for U.S. economic growth and held the door open to new monetary policy action in the face of a euro-zone debt crisis, stubbornly high unemployment and a weak U.S. housing market. Read More »
LOBBYING

NYT: Obama Supporters With Lobbying Ties Raise Millions

By
President Obama has pledged not to take money from lobbyists. But The New York Times reports that the president has relied on supporters who are active in the lobbying industry, even though they aren’t registered lobbyists. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama Calls for Global Cooperation to Fix Economy in Op-Ed

By
The Group of 20 major economies needs to cooperate to grow the global economy, President Obama said in a Financial Times  op-ed  published in advance of next week’s G20 meeting in France. Read More »
ECONOMY

Good News: Rise in GDP Growth Shows Long-Term Trends

By
On the surface, it seems surprising that the U.S. economy nearly doubled its growth in the third quarter. But economists say it reflects a gradual climb out of recession rather than a rapid shift in the country’s fortune. Read More »
HOUSING

Freddie Mac CEO to Resign

By
The CEO of mortgage-finance giant Freddie Mac will resign, Bloomberg reports. Read More »
ECONOMY

U.S. Economy Grew By 2.5 Percent in the Third Quarter

By
The U.S. economy grew at an annual pace of 2.5 percent in the third quarter, nearly double its second-quarter growth, according to data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Report: Europeans Reach Debt Deal

By
European leaders took a “significant step” towards solving the euro zone financial crisis early Thursday morning, according to reports. Read More »
CONGRESS

Ryan Slams Obama for Class-Warfare Rhetoric

By
President Obama is exacerbating class warfare, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan , R-Wis., said Wednesday. Read More »
CONGRESS

Kevin McCarthy Co-opts Obama's 'We Can't Wait' Slogan, Touts GOP Jobs Plans

By
If President Obama “can’t wait” to fix the economy, he should consider Republicans’ job-creation plans, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif., said on Fox & Friends Wednesday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry Calls Romney a 'Fat Cat,' Says Obama-Birther Issue Still on the Table

By
GOP hopeful Texas Gov. Rick Perry thinks his rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is a "fat cat." Read More »
IRAQ

Lieberman: Keep Small U.S. Force in Iraq Beyond 2011

By
U.S troops should be kept in Iraq beyond this year, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., argued in a USA Today op-ed published on Tuesday. Read More »
BANKING AND FINANCE

Dodd Makes the Case for Dodd-Frank

By
Bashing the Dodd-Frank financial reform law has become something of a sport on the GOP campaign trail, but one of the bill's authors is pushing back. Read More »
ECONOMY

Raging Against—and Working Within—the System

By
The group huddled around a small table at Saxbys Coffee near McPherson Square looks like any other start-up. Rooj Alwazir, a 23-year-old woman with long, dark hair, taps away on a laptop. John Stanton, a bearded Virginia native wh...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry Prepares to Roll Out Jobs Plan

By
Standing in front of a steel plant in Pittsburgh, Pa., Texas Governor Rick Perry will lay out his job-creation plan on Friday morning. Perry says his plan will create 1.2 million jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil b...

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TAXES

Report: Quarter of Millionaires Pay Less Taxes Than Many in Middle Class

By
Good news for Warren Buffett: A new government analysis finds support for the billionaire's controversial call to raise taxes on the wealthy, as he released his own tax data to back up the argument. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Cain Says Advisers Would Get It Right on Economy

By
GOP hopeful Herman Cain said that although he failed to foresee the housing bubble and collapse of Lehman Brothers, he wouldn’t miss a downward economic spiral this time, thanks to his economic advisers. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum Slams Cain’s '9-9-9' Tax Plan

By Julia Edwards and
. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Says He'd Consider Christie as Running Mate

By
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Mitt Romney didn’t promise him anything in exchange for his endorsement, but the GOP front-runner didn't dissuade the running-mate rumors. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Economic Crisis Not Wall Street's Fault but Government's, GOP Presidential Hopefuls Say

By
When Republican presidential candidates were asked who they'd like to have head the Federal Reserve, the youngest person they named was north of 70 and the father of one of the contenders. Read More »
ECONOMY

Looking Overseas for Job-Creation Inspiration

By
The United States’ job market has shown lackluster growth recently, to put it mildly. Read More »

September Unemployment Steady at 9.1 Percent as 103,000 Jobs Added

By Catherine Hollander
Unemployment held steady at 9.1 percent as the economy added 103,000 jobs in September, beating economists' expectations but remaining below the level economists say is needed to dent unemployment. Read More »
ECONOMY

September Unemployment Steady at 9.1 Percent as 103,000 Jobs Added

By
Unemployment held steady at 9.1 percent as the economy added 103,000 jobs in September, beating economists’ expectations but remaining below the level economists say is needed to dent unemployment. Read More »

Three Women Receive Nobel Peace Prize

By
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first female president, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and prominent Yemeni human rights activist Tawakul Karman received the $1.5 million prize. The award acknowledged th...

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HOUSING

Mortgage Delinquencies Climb During Second Quarter

By
The number of homeowners behind on their mortgages rose during the second quarter of 2011, according to a report released by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Read More »
ECONOMY

Better-than-Expected Economic News, But Still a Long Way to Go

By
Thursday brought better-than-expected readings for both weekly jobless claims and second-quarter gross domestic product growth, suggesting that, for now, the United States is warding off a double-dip recession. Read More »
ECONOMY

Pew Study: Hispanics Make Up Largest Group of Children in Poverty

By
Hispanic children are now the largest group of kids in poverty, according to a new study released on Wednesday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney: Obama 'Failed the Test of Leadership'

By
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney critcized President Obama on Wednesday for failing to reach out to the GOP, saying on MSNBC's Morning Joe that, if elected, he would maintain an open line of communciation with Democrats. Read More »
ECONOMY

The Economic Impact of a Near-Shutdown

By
Senate Democrats and Republicans have narrowly averted a government shutdown for the third time this year. But the stop-gap funding measure only lasts through Nov. 18, at which point Congress will probably again inch toward the same...

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ECONOMY

How Officials, Banks Are Preparing for the Looming Euro Zone Disaster

By Stacy Kaper and
As policy leaders struggle to solve the euro zone debt crisis, banks and their regulators in the U.S. are grappling with how to insulate our financial system but are running into challenges preparing for a world of potential unknown...

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ECONOMY

Susan Collins: Economy Needs a 'Time-Out' From Regulations to Grow

By
Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine, called for a one-year moratorium on issuing any “significant” new regulations, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published on Monday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Senior White House Advisers Outline Measures to Help Women in the Workforce

By
The National Science Foundation will announce new steps on Monday to promote careers for women in engineering and the sciences, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Tina Tchen, said in a ...

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ECONOMY

The Fed Does the Twist

By
As expected, the Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday it will shift the balance of its bond portfolio in an effort to drive down long-term interest rates, so-called Operation Twist. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Likely to Act, but With Minimal Impact

By
The Federal Reserve reassured investors this summer that it is poised to act if the economy deteriorates. The central bank is likely to make good on that promise when its policymaking committee meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. Read More »

Sanders: It's Time to "Lift the Veil of Secrecy" in Oil Futures Market

By
Temperatures dropped 20 degrees in Washington on Friday, a sign that fall is about here—and Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., wants to know how his home state is going to pay for heat this winter. Read More »
SUPER COMMITTEE

Boehner Urges Super Committee to Take Up Tax, Entitlement Reform

By
House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday urged the joint congressional committee charged with cutting $1.2 trillion from the budget to take up tax reform, even if it just makes some headway. Speaking at the Economic Club of Wash...

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ECONOMY

New Data Show Unemployment, Inflation Rising

By
Plenty of economic data were released on Thursday morning. Little of it was good. Read More »

Cain Touts 9-9-9 Economic Plan in WSJ Op-Ed

By
GOP presidential hopeful and former businessman Herman Cain again laid out his plan to revive the economy in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Reuters: Washington's Growing Concern with Euro Zone Crisis

By
President Obama expressed concern over the euro zone crisis in an interview with Spanish journalists published on Tuesday. Read More »
LOBBYING

New Report Shows Lots of Traffic in Revolving Door Between Congress and K Street

By
The symbiotic relationship between Congress and lobbying firms is still strong, the Washington Post reports. Read More »
EMPLOYMENT

Obama to Send Jobs Bill to Congress on Monday

By
President Obama will send a $447 billion jobs bill to Congress on Monday night, according to an administration official. Read More »
ECONOMY

Another Disappointment: No Net Jobs Added in August, Unemployment Steady

By
In yet another bit of bad summer economic news, the United States added no jobs overall in August and unemployment held steady at 9.1 percent, revealing a stalled labor market. Read More »
ECONOMY

Administration Reduces Deficit Projection in Mid-Session Review

By
The Obama administration lowered its projection for the 2011 deficit on Thursday to $1.316 trillion, down 20 percent from February’s projection of $1.645 trillion.   Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Some Jobs Proposals Obama Could Make in His Big Jobs Speech Next Week

By
President Obama is slated to deliver a major speech on job creation next Thursday night. The job-boosting measures in the address will build on ideas the president has already urged Congress to complete and include new measures to...

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ECONOMY

Fed Minutes Reveal Deep Divide on Economy Moves

By
Minutes from the latest meeting of the Federal Reserve’s policymaking committee, released on Tuesday, reveal a deep divide among members. Read More »
ECONOMY

Reassuring Words but No New Policies From the Fed at Jackson Hole

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered reassuring words, but no action, in his annual speech at Jackson Hole, Wyo., on Friday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Likely to 'Keep Its Powder Dry' in Jackson Hole

By
All eyes will be on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke when he takes the podium on Friday morning at the central bank’s annual confab in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Analysts don't  expect the Fed chair to announce policy, but the...

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ECONOMY

Business Advocates Skeptical of Regulatory Review

By
The White House on Tuesday released over two dozen finalized plans—more than 800 pages of text—for streamlining regulations in government agencies. But congressional Republicans and business advocates say the effort doesn’t go...

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CONGRESS

Barrasso: Obama’s Regulations Are a 'Giant Wet Blanket' on Recovery

By
President Obama hasn’t eliminated regulations to boost the economy, as he promised last year. Instead, he has increased burdens, costs, and rules, Sen. John Barrasso , R-Wyo., wrote in an op-ed on Tuesday. Read More »
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Agencies to Release Plans for Streamlined Regulations

By
The government agencies and departments tasked by President Obama earlier this year to streamline their regulatory requirements will release their final plans on Tuesday. Read More »
LIBYA

Could We See a ‘Libya Stimulus’?

By , Olga Belogolova and Jim Tankersley
Now that Libya’s civil war appears near its end, could a restored flow of Libyan oil push crude prices down and give the global economy a much-needed lift? Don’t get your hopes up, several economists say. Read More »
ECONOMY

Wall Street Closes in Fourth Straight Weekly Loss

By
Markets in Europe followed Asian markets into negative territory on Friday as fears about the state of the economy in the U.S. and debt-laden Europe worried investors. Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Claims Climb Back Over Key 400,000 Level

By
Jobless claims for the week ending August 13 rose to 408,000, climbing over  400,000, the threshold that economists say claims need to drop below to dent unemployment, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Stocks Fall on Doses of Bad News, Global Concerns

By
Stocks tumbled on more bad news for the U.S. economy on Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Backpack-Wearing Ambassador Causes a Stir in China

By
Photographs of candidates and elected officials standing in line for fried foods at county fairs are a dime a dozen in the United States. But a photograph of a government official buying coffee is getting a lot of attention across t...

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ECONOMY

Producer Prices Rose In July

By
Producer prices rose 0.2 percent in July, double economists’ expectations, providing little good news to calm volatile markets. Read More »
ECONOMY

Farm States Planting Seeds of National Recovery?

By Jim Tankersley and
The unemployment rate sits at 5.6 percent in Dubuque County, Iowa, where President Obama stopped his bus tour on Tuesday for a forum on the state of America’s rural economy. That’s the county’s highest rate for a summer month ...

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POLITICS

White House Warns Perry Should Watch What He Says

By Aamer Madhani and
White House press secretary Jay Carney chastised Texas Gov. Rick Perry for suggesting on the campaign trail that some economic policy decisions the Federal Reserve is considering border on “treasonous.” Read More »

New Home Construction Declines in July

By
Construction on new homes slowed in July, highlighting the continued weakness of the housing sector as the economy struggles to recover. Read More »
ECONOMY

18 Ways to Jump-Start Economic Growth: Spending Money Edition

By and Jim Tankersley
With markets trampolining up and down, Washington lawmakers appear to be getting the message that the U.S. economy needs more help—specifically, a renewed push for job creation. Here are some ideas that would increase the deficit. Read More »
ECONOMY

11 Ways to Jump-Start Economic Growth: Not Increasing the Deficit Edition

By and Jim Tankersley
National Journal has looked at ways to boost job creation and economic growth that would require an increase in the budget deficit. In this installment, NJ turns to ways to jump-start the economy without spending any money. Read More »
ECONOMY

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall Below Key 400,000 Level For the First Time Since April

By
Initial claims for jobless benefits fell slightly to 395,000 for the week ending August 6, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. They had not dropped below the key 400,000 threshold that economists say is...

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ECONOMY

Dow Opens Sharply Lower After Best Day in Two Years

By
Stocks opened sharply lower on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling more than 300 points -- and dropping below 11,000 -- just a day after its biggest gain since 2009. Read More »
ECONOMY

Dow Rallies, Closing Up More Than 400 Points

By
In a stark reversal, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed more than 400 points higher on Tuesday after a late-afternoon rally. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Opens Door to Stimulus But Doesn't Jump Through

By and Jim Tankersley
The Federal Reserve didn't announce any new monetary jolts for the fading economic recovery on Tuesday, but it signaled that help could be on the way soon if conditions don't improve. Read More »
ECONOMY

Dow Off to Positive Start in Morning Trading After Monday Plunge

By
Stocks rebounded slightly Tuesday following the sixth-biggest drop in the Dow Jones industrial average’s history on Monday. Read More »
HOUSING

Fannie and Freddie Downgrades Obscure Real Trouble in Housing Market, Analysts Say

By Kelsey Snell, Katy O'Donnell and
The credit ratings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation's largest mortgage lenders, were lowered Monday by Standard & Poor's, adding to the stock market plunge. Read More »
ECONOMY

Stocks Plummet On First Session After Downgrade

By
U.S. stocks plunged on Monday in the first session following Standard & Poor’s announcement late Friday that the country’s top AAA credit rating would be cut to AA+. The Dow closed down more than 634 points, for a loss of mo...

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ECONOMY

Jobs Report Will Cap Volatile and Gloomy Week

By
If we ever need a good jobs report, it’s now. Read More »
ECONOMY

Markets Fall More Than 3 Percent in Morning Trading

By
Stocks tumbled Thursday after the Labor Department reported that the number of people who filed for jobless claims last week was 400,000, the level below which economists say they must drop to dent unemployment. Read More »
ECONOMY

Weekly Jobless Claims Little Changed

By
Initial claims for jobless benefits declined slightly for the week ending July 30, according to data released by the Labor Department on Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Stocks Tumble Sharply in Mixed Session

By
In a volatile session, stocks dropped sharply Wednesday morning following the release of data showing weak service-sector growth. The S&P 500 stock index hit a new 2011 low as the Dow Jones industrial average dropped more tha...

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NATIONAL SECURITY

New Report Shows Sweeping Cyber-Spying

By
A new report reveals that over 70 corporations and government organizations, including the Associated Press, United Nations secretariat, and International Olympic Committee, were hacked over the course of many months. Read More »
ECONOMY

Debt-Ceiling Deal Fails to Calm Global Markets

By
It’s August 2, the deadline by which the Treasury Department said the country would default without an increase in the debt ceiling. A deal to do just that passed the House last night and is expected to glide through the Senate...

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DEBT TALKS

CBO Confirms Debt Deal Savings

By
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed Monday that the debt-reduction deal struck by the White House and congressional leaders would cut deficits by at least $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years, provided lawmakers in...

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ECONOMY

Stocks Open Higher on News of Debt Deal

By
The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 125 points in the first few minutes of trading Monday morning, after the White House and congressional leaders reached a compromise on a deficit-reduction agreement Sunday night. Read More »
BUDGET

LIVE UPDATES: House Votes on Debt Bill; Giffords Returns to the House

By , Ethan Klapper and Julia Edwards
7:00 a.m. After an exciting evening, we're back live with debt deal developments. A good starting place this morning: National Journal 's Major Garrett weighs in on the winners and losers of last night's agreement. Read More »

Treasury Meets With Wall Street on Risks of Default

By and Julia Edwards
The Treasury Department and New York Federal Reserve met with some of the biggest banks on Wall Street today to discuss the possibility of the U.S. defaulting on its debt. Reuters reports that the meeting was originally slated to ...

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ECONOMY

Reports: Stocks End Worst Week of Year on News of Weak GDP Growth, Debt Impasse

By
U.S. stocks fell on Friday on news of the debt impasse and weak second-quarter Gross Domestic Product growth, capping off the worst week of the year for the markets, according to reports. Read More »
DEBT TALKS

The Morning After: Lawmakers React to Delayed Boehner Bill

By , Lindsey Boerma, and
National Journal rounds up lawmakers' reactions to an 11th-hour decision to delay a vote on House Speaker John Boehner 's deficit-reduction legislation. Read More »
ECONOMY

Carney: Treasury Will Deal with Overdue Bills Closer to Deadline

By
The Treasury Department will explain how it will deal with overdue bills in the event of a default “as we get closer to [August 2],” White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday. But he also described the process as...

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HOUSING

Pending Home Sales Rose in June, Surpassing Expectations

By
Pending home sales rose 2.4 percent in June, exceeding expectations and providing some bright news for the persistently weak housing market, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors on Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall Below Key 400,00 Level

By
Weekly jobless claims dropped to 398,000 for the week ending July 23, according to data released by the Labor Department on Thursday, ending a fifteen-week streak above the 400,000 level economists say claims need to drop below ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Moody’s Economist Says Ratings Downgrade Wouldn't Be 'End of the World'

By
The main impact the consumer would see if the United States’s credit rating is downgraded would be higher interest rates, says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. Read More »
ECONOMY

Single-Family Home Prices Unchanged in May

By
Single-family home prices were unchanged in May, according to the according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Poll: Obama's Policies Are Hurting the Economy, More Than a Third of Americans Say

By
More than a third of Americans believe President Obama’s policies are hurting the economy, according to a new Washington Post -ABC News poll. Read More »
ECONOMY

Global Markets Slide as Debt Negotiations Continue

By
Markets slid, but didn’t tumble, on Monday as U.S. lawmakers failed to reach an agreement during budget negotiations over the weekend. Read More »
ECONOMY

In Dueling Op-Eds, Top Banking Senators Weigh in on Dodd-Frank

By
It's the one-year anniversary of President Obama signing the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, and the controversial law remains, well, controversial, with the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate's Banking Committee taking ...

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ECONOMY

Existing Home Sales Fell in June

By
Existing home sales dropped in June, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday. Read More »
BUDGET

Poll: Majorities Say Congress and Obama Should Compromise in Budget Talks

By
Majorities of Americans see both congressional Republicans and – to a lesser extent – President Obama as being too unwilling to compromise in deficit-reduction negotiations. Read More »
BANKING AND FINANCE

Geithner: Obama Should Veto Any Legislation to Undermine Dodd-Frank

By
It’s the eve of the one-year anniversary of a financial reform bill that is at risk of being dismantled. And Geithner won’t have it. Read More »
ECONOMY

Housing Starts Hit Five-Month High

By
Housing, one of the persistent drags on the United States’ economic recovery, showed a sign of revival on Tuesday. Read More »
ECONOMY

WSJ Survey: Lack of Demand, Not Uncertainty, Keeps Hiring Down

By
U.S. companies are reluctant to hire—but not because of uncertainty over government policies, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke mentioned in his testimony before Congress last week. Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke: Default Would Offset Benefits of Fed Policy

By
If the United States defaults on its debt, any benefits from the Federal Reserve’s accommodative monetary policies will be “immediately offset” and the Fed will have little ability to stanch the economic fallout, according to ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Level Since April

By
Weekly jobless claims hit the lowest level since April, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday. Read More »
ECONOMY

The Fed Weighs Its Options

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he’s open to another attempt by the Fed to stimulate the economy if growth slows and deflation looks like a risk again. Speaking before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednes...

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ECONOMY

Fed Lays Out Exit Strategy Roadmap

By
After spending years implementing extraordinary monetary policies, the Federal Reserve now has a formal exit strategy. Read More »
ECONOMY

Administration Sending Officials to Help Struggling Cities

By
In a new effort to encourage economic recovery, the Obama administration is sending federal officials to work with six struggling cities for a year, The Wall Street Journal reports. Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Lieberman, Collins, Carper Seek 'Gold Standard' in Cybersecurity

By
The alternative to better cybersecurity measures “could be a digital Pearl Harbor," warn Sens. Joe Lieberman , Susan Collins , and Tom Carper . Read More »

Only 18,000 Jobs Added in June, Less Than One Fifth of Analyst Estimates

By Catherine Hollander
The U.S. economy added 18,000 jobs in June, less than one-fifth of consensus estimates. Unemployment changed slightly to 9.2 percent, the Labor Department reported. Read More »
ECONOMY

Few Jobs Added in June as Unemployment Rose Slightly to 9.2 Percent

By
Unemployment rose slightly to 9.2 percent in June, as only 18,000 jobs were added, less than one-fifth of analysts' estimates. President Obama will deliver a statement on the report at 10:35 a.m. on Friday. Read More »
BUDGET

Five Congressmen, Four Views on Debt Negotiations

By
Ahead of Thursday's White House debt negotiations, members of Congress from both parties weighed in on the debate, calling for everything from a constitutional balanced-budget amendment to a return to Clinton-era tax rates. Read More »
ECONOMY

Report: 157,000 Jobs Added in June, More Than Double Estimates

By
Private nonfarm payroll employment increased by 157,000 from May to June on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from a disappointing May gain of just 36,000, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report. Analysts had only ex...

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ECONOMY

New York Post: Investigator Says It’s 'A Certainty' DSK Charges Will Be Dropped

By
Prosecutors will agree to drop the charges against former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn within two weeks, The New York Post reports. Read More »
ECONOMY

Talk of a Geithner Departure Highlights Administration’s Weak Econ Bench

By Stacy Kaper and
If Timothy Geithner steps down as Treasury secretary, it would spotlight an increasingly apparent liability for the Obama administration as it searches for a way out of the economic crisis -- the weakness of its bench on economic an...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich: Americans 'Will Be Looking for Substance' in Campaign

By
His senior staff departed en masse in June, he is expected to report fundraising troubles, and the media is zeroing in on rumors that his wife runs his life. But Newt Gingrich remains upbeat. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Geithner Considers Leaving Administration, Reports Say

By
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has indicated to White House officials that he is thinking about leaving the administration after President Obama and Congress reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, according to reports. Read More »
ECONOMY

Home Prices Drop Again, Extending a Double-Dip

By
Home prices dropped for the year ending in April, extending a double-dip as the housing market continues to frustrate the nation's economic recovery. Read More »
ECONOMY

J.P. Morgan Drops More Than 1,000 Credit Card Debt-Collection Lawsuits

By
Though the bank would not say how many cases were dismissed or why, state judges told The Wall Street Journal that cases were dropped in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York. Read More »
ECONOMY

Stocks Tumble in Response to Weak Jobless Claims, IEA Announcement

By
Major U.S. stock indexes fell over 1 percent Thursday morning following a surprise gain in weekly jobless claims and an announcement that the International Energy Agency would release crude oil from its strategic reserves. The Dow J...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Claims Higher Than Expected

By
Weekly jobless claims climbed to 429,000 for the week ending June 18. It was the 11th consecutive week above 400,000, the level claims need to drop below to dent the unemployment rate. Read More »
POLITICS

Americans Least Confident in Congress, Most Confident in Military, Gallup Finds

By
Americans are less confident in Congress than in other national institutions, including the police, public schools, and the presidency, according to a new Gallup poll. Read More »
ECONOMY

Bernanke: No Timeline for Ending the Fed’s Accommodative Policies

By
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke wouldn’t get into specifics when it came to discussing a time frame for the Fed’s accommodative policies. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Policies Remain on Track

By
As expected, the Federal Reserve Board’s policies will remain essentially on hold going into the summer. The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed’s policy board, announced on Wednesday that it will keep its federal funds rate ...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Huntsman Plays Up Credentials as He Makes the Rounds on TV

By
The former Utah governor didn't back down on three issues that may set him back in a GOP primary: his service to the Obama administration as ambassador to China, his Mormon faith, and his support for civil unions. Read More »
FINANCE

Banks are Finally Lending, But Some Fear They Aren't Charging Enough for the Risk

By
Investors want loans. Banks want to boost their revenues. But recent data has caused analysts and regulators to fear that in their bid for business from corporate borrowers, banks aren't charging enough to cover the risks they are a...

Read More »
FINANCE

Number of Regulators Embedded With Wall Street Firms on the Rise

By
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will increase the number of in-house regulators at the banks and securities firms they oversee, The Wall Street Journal reports. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Obama Seeking to Win Back Wall Street Support

By
President Obama is seeking to regain support from Wall Street executives following a rough patch in their relationship,  The New York Times reported Monday. Read More »
ECONOMY

Weekly Jobless Claims Rise Slightly, Despite Expectations of a Drop

By
In a sign the labor market is still struggling, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose to 427,000 last week, according to data released by the Labor Department on Thursday morning. Read More »
BUDGET

Poll: Americans Disagree on Raising Debt Limit

By
While a large majority of Americans agree that failing to raise the debt limit would have negative consequences on the economy, only slightly more than half support it, according to a new Washington Post -ABC News poll. A record 20...

Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Majority of Americans Disapprove of Obama’s Handling of the Economy, Budget Deficit

By
Although the majority of Americans approve of the way President Obama handles international issues, most disapprove of his handling of the economy and federal budget deficit, according to a new USA Today /Gallup poll. Read More »
ECONOMY

Nearly 40 Percent of Homeowners With Second Mortgages Are Underwater

By
Close to 40 percent of homeowners who took out second mortgages now owe more than their homes are worth, according to a report that will be released by real-estate firm CoreLogic Inc. on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports....

Read More »
ECONOMY

Economy Picks Up Just 54,000 Jobs; Unemployment Rises Slightly

By Katy O'Donnell and
The U.S. economy added a schockingly low number of jobs in May, with unemployment rising to 9.1 percent. Read More »
ECONOMY

Analysts Expect a Less-Than-Stellar May Employment Report

By
It’s been a tough week for the economy. Stocks tumbled on Wednesday following the release of a disappointing ADP jobs report. Treasury bonds slipped to their lowest yields of the year. Consumer confidence decreased; housing prices...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Stocks Fall 279 Points, Worst Day Since August

By
After the release of a disappointing ADP jobs report, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 2.22 percent on Wednesday, the market's worst day since August. Analysts had projected an increase of 175,000 jobs from April to May; ...

Read More »
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Goldman Offered to Let Libya Become Major Shareholder After Losses

By
After losing almost all of a $1.3 billion Libyan investment, the Goldman Sachs Group offered to let the nation become one of its biggest shareholders in 2009, the Wall Street Journal reports. The negotiations during which the ...

Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Obama Welcomes Capture of Bosnian Serb Leader Ratko Mladic

By
Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb leader accused of masterminding the massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in 1995, has been captured, The New York Times reports . Read More »
NATURAL DISASTER

PICTURES: Devastation in the Plains

By
More than 100 people died as a result of a massive tornado sweeping through Joplin, Mo., on Sunday. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as residents salvage belongings from their homes. Read More »
POLITICS

PICTURES: Political Commencement Speakers for the Class of 2011

By Julia Edwards, Catherine Hollander and Ethan Klapper
The class of 2011 is enjoying a parade of high-profile political figures taking the podium this spring. Read More »
INSIDERS POLL

Economic Insiders Say 'Clean' Debt-Ceiling Vote Unlikely

By Catherine Hollander and Clifford Marks
Nearly 90 percent of economic policy experts polled by National Journal said a successful vote to raise the debt ceiling would be attached to spending cuts, automatic triggers to slash spending, or entitlement cuts, despite the Wh...

Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Susan Collins: Obama Directive Would Politicize Contracting

By Katy O'Donnell
Sen. Susan Collins excoriates the Obama administration over a proposal requiring government contractors to disclose political spending. Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

PICTURES: Who Wants to See bin Laden's Photo?

By Ethan Klapper and Julia Edwards
Before President Obama decided against releasing the photos of Osama bin Laden's bullet-ridden corpse, administration officials, Congress, and other political observers weighed in. The debate is rare for Washington in that it kno...

Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

MAP: World Leaders React to Death of Bin Laden

By Julia Edwards
Not everyone was as jubilant as Americans upon the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Click on the highlighted locations around the globe to reveal world leaders' range of reactions. Read More »
APPROPRIATIONS

Countdown to Shutdown: NJ Liveblogs the Remaining Hours of Negotiations

By and Katy O'Donnell
National Journal brings you the lastest updates in the appropriations negotiations as the deadline for a government shutdown approaches. Read More »
MAP

Union Protests Spread Across the U.S.

By Julia Edwards
It appears that 2011 is the year of the protest—both foreign and domestic--and it's not just a Wisconsin phenomenon. The National Conference of State Legislatures is tracking an explosion of 744 bills that largely target publ...

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BUDGET

Shutdown Gallery: Who Is Essential?

By Julia Edwards
A government shutdown would furlough all "nonessential" federal employees. We take a look at some of the jobs that are essentially shutdown-proof. Read More »
POLITICS

What Presidential Hopefuls Say About Libyan Intervention

By Julia Edwards
Criticizing Obama’s defense of taking military action in Libya appears to be the top talking point of GOP presidential hopefuls, even days after his speech to the nation. Read More »
LIBYA

Cost of Libyan Intervention: $550 Million and Counting

By Julia Edwards
How much military intervention in Libya is going to cost the U.S. is high on the list of questions for the Obama administration. Although the forecast is still murky, we’re taking a look at the price tag on the equipment American ...

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