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Topic: Politics & Society / Economy

Economy

Twenty Years After The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Brian Lehrer Show

November 09, 2009

On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, three authors who have written on the subject look back on the fall of communism and its continuing repercussions:

Michael Meyer, chief speechwriter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, former Newsweek Bureau chief for Germany, Central Europe and the Balkans between 1988 and 1992 and author of The Year that Changed the World: the untold story behind the fall of the berlin wall.

Victor Sebestyen, British journalist born in Hungary and author of the books Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire.

Romesh Ratnesar, assistant managing editor of Time Magazine and the author of Tear Down This Wall: A City, a President, and the Speech that Ended the Cold War.


One on One With Bill Thompson After Close Defeat

November 06, 2009

From the beginning of the mayoral campaign, incumbent Michael Bloomberg had the upper hand, including a huge lead in the polls over his Democratic opponent, Bill Thompson. But when voters actually go....


More Arrests in Insider Trading Case

November 06, 2009

Authorities have arrested seven more people in our area in a major anti-insider trading sweep, that began last month. WNYC's Ilya Marritz has the details. REPORTER: The accused are mostly stock trad....


Significant Objects

The Brian Lehrer Show

November 05, 2009

What gives an object meaning, or makes it worth anything at all. Rob Walker (who also writes the Consumed column for the Times) discusses the Significant Objects project, which picks random knick-knacks, recruits writers to write stories inspired by them, and sees what happens...


Negotiations Over Lighthouse Project Continue

November 05, 2009

A month after his deadline came and went, the owner of the New York Islanders hockey team is negotiating with town officials over a massive development proposal called The Lighthouse at Long Island. ....


WH Budget Director: Unemployment Expected to Worsen

November 04, 2009

A top Obama administration official told an audience of New Yorkers they should expect the economy to feel like it's getting worse for a while, even if it's actually improving. Peter Orszag, the Dire....


Metro-North's Yankee Station Falls Short of Expectations

November 03, 2009

The Yankees still have a chance to finish the season strong as they head back to the Bronx this week, but a new MetroNorth station built to serve the new ballpark in the Bronx came up a little short ....


Recession Over. Now What?

The Brian Lehrer Show

November 02, 2009

Richard Rahn, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and Josh Bivens, economist with the Economic Policy Institute, discuss the end of the recession and what direction economic policy should take.


Spreading the MTA Pain More in Some Places than Others

November 02, 2009

Today's the deadline for a new payroll tax that the region's employers will have to pay. It's the final piece of the rescue plan for the MTA that the state legislature approved in May. WNYC's Matthew....


Advocates Find Low-Income Latinos Hit Hardest By Recession

October 30, 2009

A new survey shows the city's low-income Latinos may be having a tougher time during the recession. David Jones, with the Community Service Society, says more than a quarter of those surveyed lost th....


Paterson: Deficit Balloons to $10B

October 30, 2009

Governor Paterson says the state budget deficit has grown yet again, to a projected $10-billion. Karen DeWitt reports from Albany. REPORTER: Paterson, following a leaders meeting in which no conclus....


City and State Still Divided on Upstate Drilling

October 29, 2009

A natural gas company's decision not to drill upstate near New York City's water supply, puts the future of drilling in that area in doubt. But, as WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports, the state and city are....


Post-Recession Retirement Planning

The Brian Lehrer Show

October 29, 2009

Roger Ferguson, president and CEO of TIAA-CREF, discusses post-recession retirement planning and whether 401(k)s still make sense.


The 401(k) Debate

The Brian Lehrer Show

October 29, 2009

In his recent Time Magazine article, Stephen Gandel makes the case for "Why It's Time to Retire the 401(k)". But Steven Butler, financial columnist and retirement planner, contends that 401(k) plans have been and continue to be successful.


Chesapeake Energy Abandons Plans to Drill in NYC Watershed

October 28, 2009

An energy company is giving up its plans to drill near the city's upstate reservoirs, citing concerns over the safety of drinking water. WNYC's Ilya Marritz has more. Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energ....


30 Issues: Job Growth in NYC

The Brian Lehrer Show

October 28, 2009

How will the candidates address jobs creation and quality in the current economy? Greg David, editorial director of Crain’s New York Business, and Bettina Damiani, Director of Good Jobs New York, share what they’ve gleaned from NYC’s mayoral candidates.


Mortgages Gone Missing

The Brian Lehrer Show

October 28, 2009

A White Plains homeowner had her housing debt cancelled when the bank trying to foreclose on the property couldn't prove it held the mortgage. Gretchen Morgenson from The New York Times and bankruptcy attorney David Shaev talk about the case and whether it has wider implications.


Report: NYC's Retention of Manufacturing Jobs Inadequate

October 28, 2009

A new report argues that the Bloomberg administration's attempts to keep manufacturing jobs in New York City are coming up short. A loophole is allowing hotels and bowling alleys to locate in places ....


Main Street NYC Returns to 161st Street in The Bronx

October 28, 2009

The first World Series in the new Yankee Stadium begins today. In the third part of our Main Street series, WNYC returns to the shopkeepers on 161st in the Bronx. They’ve seen their businesses s....


A Bittersweet Career Change at 44

October 27, 2009

The official unemployment rate for New York City has climbed to 10.3 percent, higher than at any point in the last 16 years. It is also higher than the national unemployment rate. WNYC continues its ....


Criticism Abound at NYS Budget Hearing

October 27, 2009

Schools advocates, union members and others are speaking out against Governor Paterson's proposed budget cuts. They showed up at a Senate hearing on the matter yesterday. James Parrott, an economist....


Former Hedge Fund Boss at Bear Stearns Testified Against Executives

October 27, 2009

The former hedge fund boss at Bear Stearns took the witness stand yesterday, in the first criminal trial of Wall Street executives related to the subprime mortgage meltdown. Greg Quental testified as....


Main Street NYC Returns to Victory Boulevard, Staten Island

October 27, 2009

While financial analysts closely watching the stock market, housing market and consumer consumption are predicting that the recession is likely nearly over, word on the street is mixed. As part of o....


Floating Hospital Expands Clinic in Long Island City

October 26, 2009

The Floating Hospital, which has provided health care to the poor for nearly a century and a half, has cut the ribbon on its expanded, land-based main clinic in Queens. The non-profit renovated the L....


Former Bear Stearns Execs to Testify in Trial

October 26, 2009

Two former Bear Stearns executives are expected to testify this week in the first criminal trial related to the subprime mortgage meltdown. WNYC's Lisa Chow reports. REPORTER: The government is cal....