US Economy

Budget Battles

  • The Threat from Saudi Arabia’s Oil Power Play

    By Suzanne McGee, The Fiscal Times

    If it succeeds, Saudi Arabia can dampen investor enthusiasm for shale oil in the U.S. and starve companies of the capital they need, forcing them to shut down wells in response to lower prices.

  • Two New Signs the Economy Really Is Getting Better

    By Yuval Rosenberg

    Bill McBride at Calculated Risk points out a fresh indicator of just how far the economy has come from the depths of the Great Recession and the housing bust that left so many Americans underwater on...

  • The Minimum Wage Backlash

    Tuesday’s Minimum Wage Hikes Could Inspire More States

    By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

    Minimum wage proponents had a huge victory on Tuesday—with four new states joining the growing wave of state and local governments pushing to boost the pay of their low wage workers. On Tuesday,...

  • Why Investors Give Company Founders a Longer Leash

    By Tim Mclaughlin and ROSS KERBER, Reuters

    For good stock market bets, some top investors can't be too bothered by details like corporate profits: instead, they pick companies run by their founders. Four of the top six performing companies on...

  • Aging Americans Push for More Flextime

    By Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, The Conversation

    There are two quiet trends that might very well transform the structure of work in the near future. First, a majority of today’s employees expect to work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65,...