All the talk about restarting the economy has focused on President-elect Obama's stimulus plan. Commentator Clyde Prestowitz says we need to focus on international trade imbalances and production for the stimulus to work.
A lot of news came from banking institutions this week, and very little of it was good. Kai Ryssdal takes a look at reports from Citigroup and Bank of America with T. Rowe Price's Andy Brooks and Wall Street columnist Heidi Moore.
Consumer prices have dropped and inflation has slowed, which could push consumers to start spending again. But there's a potential downside that has some economists concerned — deflation. John Dimsdale reports.
Many troubled banks are weighed down with mortgage and credit-card assets they can't sell or value. One solution that some are pushing for is creating "bad banks" to buy up toxic assets. Steve Henn reports.
The term "zombie bank" comes from the Japanese, who use it to describe banks kept on life support by the government. So when does a bank become a zombie — beyond help and unable to get off the operating table? Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Small business advocates have been lobbying to get a piece of Obama's stimulus plan. Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman explores where some of the bailout money could go specifically to directly benefit small businesses.
The government is giving Bank of America a $20 billion rescue package for losses incurred by the acquisition of Merrill Lynch, which the Feds encouraged the bank to buy. The bank reported its first quarterly loss in 17 years. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Among the lawmakers unhappy with how the TARP funds are being administered is Oregon Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio. He speaks with Kai Ryssdal about how the money's being spent and Obama's stimulus plan.
House Democrats unveiled their $825 billion stimulus plan today. The package devotes billions to new spending and tax cuts, and is likely to grow. Steve Henn reports on the details.
The Senate approved President-elect Obama's request to release the second half of the $700 billion bailout. Obama's team was scrambling to convince wary Senators that there would be more accountability for the rest of the bailout package. John Dimsdale reports.
