Tag: Economy
The Takeaway
Breaking down the big economic numbers
Friday, May 02, 2008
New York Times columnist David Leonhardt joins us to discuss the newest economic figures and indicators.
The Takeaway
Video: Gas prices and scooter sales
Friday, May 02, 2008
In times of rising fuel prices, Americans are shifting from gas guzzlers to smaller cars. How small? The Takeaway went to Scooter Bottega in Brooklyn, N.Y., to investigate.
The Takeaway
I think we're in an economic downturn when I see _______
Friday, May 02, 2008
Economists have the gross domestic product, unemployment rate and consumer price index to tell them if we're in a downturn, recession or depression. But what's your personal economic index? The number of empty storefronts? The length of the line at Starbucks? And what does it tell you about the economy?
The Takeaway
Brother, can you spare a kidney?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Iran is the only country in the world not suffering from an organ shortage. It's also the only country that legally permits kidney vending. Takeaway expert and "Freakonomics" co-author Stephen Dubner tells us about us Iran's free market for organs.
The Takeaway
The economic downturn's effects on community banks
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Community banks outnumber big-name banks 25 to 1. They say they've been insulated from the subprime mortgage crisis. The Takeaway talks with Robert Palmer, chief executive of Community Bankers Association of Ohio.
The Takeaway
An economy on the brink
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Every day seems to reveal a new, grimmer economic number. This week it's a big drop in home prices, small economic growth, and a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve Board. Peter Goodman of The New York Times helps The Takeaway understand what those numbers will mean for our pocketbooks.
The Takeaway
When economic downturn hits... What's your backup plan?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The government has stepped in with an economic stimulus plan that returns $168 billion to taxpayers. The Federal Reserve continues to cut interest rates. Consumer confidence is at a five-year-low. And unemployment is at a two-year high.
What's your plan to make ends meet when an economic downturn hits you?
The Takeaway
Shock and oil
Monday, April 28, 2008
Lisa Margonelli says this could be a day we all remember, when oil finally spikes to a price that makes us change our behavior.
The Takeaway
In NFL draft, teams trade off picks" untested skills against rising salaries
Monday, April 28, 2008
This weekend, 32 NFL teams shelled out millions for what they hope are the most talented college football players. For the draftniks, the drama is over and the newly jerseyed picks become fodder for armchair analyses and fantasy match-ups. For NFL executives, it was another year of paying too much for over-hyped long shots. Gary Belsky of ESPN Magazine recaps the draft.
The Takeaway
Guest blogger Lisa Margonelli: A short history of the future of British oil
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sign up here to join Harvard's oil crisis simulation, April 28, 2008.
In 1988 I drove more than a thousand miles on a whim-fueled road trip to see an ichthysaur skeleton. The dirt cheap gas that enabled this ridiculous and ultimately unsuccessful project (the ichthysaur was closed when I got there) was partly and indirectly provided by the Forties Pipeline in the UK's North Sea, which was just closed by a strike at a Scottish refinery.
The Takeaway
Rebate check-in. Where will your money go?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
What do you plan to do with your check? If you're spending it, what are you spending it on?
The Takeaway
Betting on the oil markets
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The last time that we saw gas prices rising this quickly was in the 1970s, when Americans responded by cutting their gas use by 30 percent.
Lisa Margonelli, author of "Oil on the Brain: Adventures from Pump to Pipeline," says the high price of oil is, in part, driven by one group of people that surprised us: oil speculators.
The Takeaway
Are we stockpiling too much oil?
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Department of Energy is continuing to add to the nation's 700-million-barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a time when oil prices are at all-time highs. Taxpayers are footing the bill.
The Takeaway
Wall Street's hormone factor
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
John Coates was working as a trader in New York during the dot-com boom when he came up with a hypothesis: financial decision-making might somehow be related to hormone levels.
The Takeaway
Home, expensive home
Monday, April 14, 2008
America is facing a housing crisis, but we're not alone. Overseas, countries such as Ireland and Spain are going through the same pains.
The Takeaway
Super profitable Mario
Monday, April 14, 2008
The worsening economy is shaking apart industries like the housing market, with few winners. There is a superstar, however, when the economy sputters: video game makers.