USPS Loses $ 8.5 Billion, Warns Of Bankruptcy

The U.S. Postal Service is warning Congress that it could run out of cash next year without a government bailout. Meaning that this is the perfect opportunity to reform an organization that has been out-of-date for a decade now.

The Senate’s Most Conservative Member: Eliminating Earmarks Won’t Save One Dime

Okahoma’s James Inhofe has a message for the Tea Party movement — don’t be fooled by the “War On Earmarks.”

Liberals, Tea Party Seem United In Ire For Debt Commission Proposal

The immediate reactions from left and right to the proposals from the Chairmen of the Debt Commission are about what you’d expect.

Amazon Pulls E-Book Promoting Pedophilia After Protests

Yesterday’s outrage of the day involved an odd book written by a creep, and it has lessons galore for everyone.

Debt Commission Draft Report Calls For Spending Cuts, And Tax Increases

The Chairmen of the National Debt Commission have released a draft report for consideration. It’s got some very good ideas, but it’s most likely Dead On Arrival.

USA a Banana Republic?

NYT columnist Nick Kristoff says America’s income inequality makes us a banana republic.

How The Federal Government Is Helping Make Americans Fatter

While health experts warn Americans to cut the amount of fat in their diet, the Federal Government helps businesses like Domino’s and Taco Bell promote high-fat products to the public.

US News Goes Web Only, Except College Guides

US News & World Report is going to stop printing magazines, except for a handful of niche issues like the annual college and graduate school ranking guides.

Social Security Payouts Too Low

While Social Security has radically lowered the elderly poverty rate, it hasn’t eliminated it. Should we do more?

Finally, A Jobs Report With Some Good News

There’s some good news in the October jobs report.

What, Exactly, Is The Federal Reserve Up To?

The Federal Reserve is injecting $ 600,000,000,000 into the economy, primarily in the hope that it will boost stock prices and, in turn, the economy. It might work, but if it doesn’t the consequences could be severe.

Times Paywalls a Bust?

After three months, Rupert Murdoch’s strategy of walling off the Times websites isn’t looking so smart.

Too Many Law Schools, Too Many Lawyers

Neither Law Schools nor law students are admitting the fact that the legal market has changed significantly.

Merkel Wins Again

Once again, Angela Merkel has held her ground and forced the other EU leaders to accommodate Germany’s policy concerns. This time, it’s a set of amendments to the Lisbon Treaty to deal with sovereign debt emergencies.

Slow Economic Growth: The New Normal?

Another round of GDP growth figures are out, and they show that the U.S. economy continues to grow far slower than necessary to sustain job growth. Is this a temporary problem, or something we can expect to live with for the foreseeable future?

Treasury Offers Negative Yield Securities!

Has Uncle Sam got a deal for you: Lend the Treasury money for five years and it will only cost you negative 0.55 percent!

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Credit Cards Going High Tech

New multifunction credit cards will soon change the way Americans handle simple transactions.

Government Unions, Not Chamber, Top Spender

The biggest outside spender in 2010 isn’t the Chamber of Commerce but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

In Defense of Gentrification

While the displacement of poor blacks from their neighborhoods by affluent whites may be lamentable, it’s better than the alternatives.

Beatle Economics: Hard Day’s Night

The blogosphere spends more time dissecting the lyrics of a classic Beatles song than John Lennon did in writing them.

Taxing the Successful

High earners are going to have to pay more than our fair share of the costs of government to make things work. But how we frame the debate matters.

Death of the Middle Class?

Lots of jobs that existed in recent memory — secretaries, travel agents, gas station attendants, cashiers — have been replaced by technology. The middle class may be disappearing with them.

Mortgage Foreclosure Fiasco

Banks are faced with a huge number of foreclosures and that resources they’ve allocated towards handling them was woefully inadequate.

Barney Frank Revises History

Greg Mankiw notes a curious revisionism in Barney Frank’s pronouncements on Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac.

Taxes and Incentives

Greg Mankiw argues that, the more of his money the government takes, the less incentive he has to earn more. That’s debatable.

Report: Unemployment Crisis May Last Until 2020

If job growth continues at the anemic pace that it has been on in 2010, it could be quite some time before we return to the “Good Old Days” of 5% unemployment.

IRS Considers Licensing Tax Preparers, Exempting Lawyers

The IRS wants to license tax preparers but exempt lawyers and CPAs from the requirement.

Breaking: Stock Market is Weird

Dow closes above 11,000 for first time since May after a decline in jobs boosts hopes of stimulus measures from the Fed.

September Jobs Report Confirms Economy Remains Anemic

Another month, another bad jobs report.

MSNBC.com Changing Name?

MSNBC.com is contemplating a name change to distinguish their brand from that of a left-leaning cable news channel.

Facebook’s Inevitability

If Mark Zuckerberg hadn’t invented Facebook someone else would have. Probably within a month or two of his invention.

American Life Within Living Memory

It’s worth reminding ourselves, in a country where so many are trying to figure out the best way to keep excess fat off our bodies, how recently abject poverty was widespread here

Is The Game Fixed?

A third of the Forbes 50 were born billionaires. Does that mean the game is fixed?

Recession Over ? Most People Don’t Think So

The numbers tell us we’re not in a recession, but the public thinks otherwise.

Quote of the Day – NFL Edition

Just because somebody pay you money don’t mean they’ll make you do whatever they want or whatever.

Death Of The Salesmen

Thanks to the Internet, there are a lot more Willy Lomans out there.

Facebook’s Business Model

Facebook’s 26-year-old founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is one of the wealthiest men in America. Most of his work force is unpaid.

Blockbuster Goes Bust

Blockbuster is trying to reorganize itself, but it’s probably too late.

College Wage Premium

The earnings gap between those with and without a college education continues to grow. But this masks other realities.

Union Hires Non-Union Workers to Protest

The UFCW of Nevada pays temporary workers minimum wage to demand fair treatment and wages from Wal-Mart.

Lady Gaga Stole My Pie

The super rich have a lot larger share of total income than they did a generation ago. Are they taking it from the rest of us?

The Risk of a Fiscal Crisis

The CBO sees a clear threat of a fiscal crisis during the next two decades unless we’re saved by magic ponies.

Warren to Oversee Creation of Consumer Protection Agency

Warren to appears set to oversee the establishment of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.