Ilya Marritz

Congress isn't hot on spending more money on banks. Neither are taxpayers.

So what to do if one of the megabanks falters?

Treasury has hinted it could convert its preferred stock holdings to common shares.

What magic wand can make $100 million in common shares more valuable to the ...

New York, NY —

Treasury mulls converting stock, Cuomo releases Ken Lewis transcripts. Guest: James Kwak.

Snagged a few minutes today with former Governor George Pataki, at a conference his law firm was hosting on "smart grid" energy transmission (standing room only, hundreds of lawyers in suits, this area looks hot...seriously.)

Unlike some Congressional Republicans, Pataki is strongly supportive of the Obama administration's push ...

New York, NY —

Comptroller DiNapoli on the alleged state pension fund kickbacks, former Governor Pataki on cap-and-trade.

New York, NY —

Hank Morris’ work as a placement agent may have been unethical, but was it illegal? Brian Lehrer interviews Peter Lattman of The Wall Street Journal and Tom Robbins of the Village Voice.

Today the NJ Turnpike Authority issued $1.375 billion in bond debt - $175 million more than the Authority said it intended to raise. Not just a routine bond sale, says The Bond Buyer's Amy Resnick. She tells the Financial 411 it's a promising sign that new, federal government-backed Build ...

New York, NY —

Jobs keep disappearing in the state of New York. 73,000 of them vanished in March, the seventh consecutive month of job losses. Yet the month-to-month unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent. James Brown is an economist at the State Department of Labor.

BROWN: it might ...

NYT columnist Paul Krugman posited last week that banking worked better in the 1960s, when finance was a ho-hum career choice, and mortgage-backed securities were a faraway dream/nightmare.

Exhibit A in Krugman's case for boring banking is a study by co-authored by NYU's Thomas Philippon, who appeared on ...

The Fed keeps a close eye on the New York economy in its quarterly Beige Book (out yesterday). Some key findings:

- Manhattan hotel revenues are down 35% from last year.

- A lot of new retail space will be completed in 2009. Little of it has been leased.

New York, NY —

Since the economy went into tailspin last fall, librarians have been fielding some serious questions.

THORNTON: Everything from I’ve just lost my job how to I file for unemployment or I’m considering a career change where do I start?

Ann Thornton is director of reference and research ...

New York, NY —

Part II of Amy Edding's interview with Mark Peters of the NY Liquidation Bureau.

New York, NY —

Greg David of Crain’s interviews New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

Last December I hit up Christmas Party by ASSME (The American Society for Sh**canned Media Elites). Delightful affair. Pink champagne. Unemployed and underemployed writers and editors made sparkling conversation. Resulted in a nice little feature on the media jobs bloodbath.

Evidently, the Elites have still not found jobs. How ...

New York, NY —

How the Liquidation Bureau is like the FDIC. Guest: Mark Peters, head of the NYS Liquidation Bureau.

New York, NY —

The worst economic crisis in decades couldn't stop the New York State Lottery from posting record sales. The lottery reports New Yorkers spent $6.7 billion on jackpot and scratch games in the fiscal year that just ended and close to $1 billion at video gaming ...

New York, NY —

Why the Mayor is wooing Facebook. Guest: Greg David, Crain’s New York Business.

Just back from the NY Auto Show.

Every car maker is touting green creds and/or affordability...Great ideas, but very same-y after a while. How to stand out then?

Honda broke out of the pack with their 'dog friendly' Element, including 'leash ready' ...

New York, NY —

The New York Auto Show opens to the public today at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. WNYC's Ilya Marritz attended a preview for industry people and found no one has escaped the down economy.

REPORTER: Rene Abdallah is a good example of how the Detroit's problems ...

Spring-time flowers bloom on a tree in front of the U.S. Treasury Department building. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

New York, NY —

How bad bets are sinking life insurers. Guest: Aaron Elstein, Crain’s New York Business.