An important point to keep in mind, says commentator David Frum, is that the government's new role in banking, insurance and other industries is for emergency purposes. Ultimately, that role needs to go away.
The line for federal bailout money keeps growing. Now it's state and city governments that need a hand. State budget deficits are huge coast-to-coast.
Steve Henn has the story.
Now that the Fed's cut the interest rate to 1%, can it cut it any further? Will it? How low can the interest rate go? Kai Ryssdal turns to Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff for his perspective.
The Federal Reserve cut the interest rate to 1% in an effort to encourage lending and stimulate the economy. Will it work? What about inflation? Washington Bureau Chief John Dimsdale reports.
The Marketplace mailbox gave us a lot to think about this week. Kai Ryssdal picked comments on his interview with Rep. Henry Waxman and on Robert Reich's column on the idea of "too big to fail."
Last year's securities industry shindig took place in Boca Raton and had big name entertainment. Oh, what a difference a year makes. New York City Bureau Chief Amy Scott reports on the pared-down version planned this year.
The unpredictability and wild up and down surges of the markets stem in part from the low volume of trading. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on how volume affects market volatility.
More than 2 million people have lost jobs this year, Businesses are hurting. But companies with a little extra cash are finding this an excellent time to poach new talent from competitors. Stacy Vanek-Smith reports.
Foreclosures, gas prices, Wall Street wipeouts — the daily barrage of bad news has taken a toll on the American consumer, whose confidence in the economy has dropped to almost 50%. Steve Henn reports.
GM is back looking for government help, and the automaker says it can't afford to wait this time — it needs $10 million to merge with Chrysler. Together, the argument is, the two companies can survive. Mitchell Hartman has more.
