Outside the Beltway

Rebecca J. Rosen explains why “Ridiculously Long CVS Receipts Will Remain Ridiculously Long.” And Mitch Hedberg ponders why they give you a receipt for a donut.

Non-rich people are in favor of taxing the rich and using the proceeds to fund programs for non-rich people

What you think you know about the U.S.-China trade relationship may not be entirely true.

Michele Bachmann is claiming that the debt downgrade proves she was right about not raising the debt ceiling.

Will the Fed announce another round of Quantitative Easing?

Joseph Nye explains why China’s “demand the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China’s dollar assets” is really just talk.

Any politician telling you that solving our problems will be easy is lying to you.

Lost in the hubbub of S&P downgrading the US bond rating is news that the Italian government has the ratings agencies under criminal investigation.

We are being warned once again that the Postal Service is on the verge of financial collapse. There really is only one solution.

The immediate reaction among the political class to the debt downgrade was the play the same old stupid games.

Like the rest of us, financial analysts across the globe are trying to figure out what the U.S. debt downgrade means.

While it’s hard to argue with S&P’s political analysis, its economic judgment is a head-scratcher.

So, it happened………

There is little to cheer in the jobs report released by the Labor Department today.

Apparently, getting the debt deal done was not a panacea.

Don’t worry be happy!

Rumors of Timothy Geithner’s departure from the Treasury Department may have been exaggerated.

Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff says we’re undergoing much more than a mere recession.

Following on Doug’s cheery post about the weak state of the economy here are some more things to consider.

One year ago, Timothy Geithner said them things about the economy he probably wishes he could take back right now.

Fascinating exchange from the late 1970s.

Another round of economic statistics raises questions about the health of the economy.

Now that America’s political leadership have probably averted a self-inflicted global economic calamity, it’s time to assess the winners and losers.

Another government program isn’t going to bring health care costs under control.

Economic figures released today demonstrate clearly why the irresponsible talk surrounding the debt ceiling must end.

Christine Lagarde believes the impact could be large and global.

Contrary to myth, China holds only 8 percent of US federal debt.

In the 80’s it was yachts, today it’s private jets. The argument is the same, and it’s still without merit.

On paper, the U.S. lost $1.3 billion on the Chrysler bankruptcy, but the true cost is far higher than that.

Borders Books is closing, because the free market works.

Workers picketing a Chicago Hyatt hotel yesterday got an unpleasant surprise: Heat lamps.

The House Republicans are functionally insane.

It isn’t just President Obama who should be worried about the economy next year.

Netflix will charge $7.99 for streaming video; it’s now a $2 add-on.

Right now, it’s more prudent for the Federal government to borrow money than to pay cash.

Two economists look at a 30 year investment in a home versus putting the same money in the stock market.