Rebuilding the Economy

Post-Depression first: Americans get more money from government than they give back

For the first time since the 1930s, personal taxes paid by Americans aren't enough to cover the payments that the government sends out through transfer programs like Social Security and food stamps. The trend, visible in government data on personal incomes, reflects both a deep recession and government efforts to prop ...

Stocks soar. Is Wall Street’s party premature?

If the economy's as weak as many analysts think it is, someone forgot to tell Wall Street. The major indexes soared Monday with the Standard & Poor's 500 index notching a streak of seven up days and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at its highest level in 13 months. The ...

Maclaren stroller recall: What to do if you have one

If you own a Maclaren umbrella stroller, stop using it immediately. That's the advice of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after it announced a voluntary recall Monday of an estimated 1 million strollers made by Maclaren, a British company. The reason: When parents unfold the strollers, children ...

Home-buyer tax credit: Do you meet the time limit?

Updated 12:45 PM Monday, Nov. 9. The NAHB has updated their Web site with information on the new home-buyer credit. When President Obama signed an extension and expansion of the home-buyer tax credit into law Friday, he gave Realtors, homebuilders, and prospective home buyers a reason to cheer. But the legislation also ...

Highest unemployment rate in 26 years: Obama’s jobs challenge

America's unemployment rate crossed the 10 percent mark Friday, as the economy continued to shed jobs despite recent signs of improvement. The news underscored that job creation is the big political imperative for President Obama and Congress as 2010 elections loom on the horizon. The jobless rate jumped to 10.2 percent in ...

After dismal jobs report, unemployment rate could hit postwar high

It's beginning to look like America's unemployment rate is going to get worse before it gets better. That's a political problem. Now that the rate is officially in double-digits, the pressure is certain to build on President Obama and Congress to find ways to create new jobs. Economically, however, the picture ...

Home-buyer tax credit: more questions answered

When Congress moved extended the first-time home-buyer tax credit Thursday, it also allowed existing homeowners to participate in the program. After reporting on who the new program would help, readers already in the process of selling and buying homes had questions. Although we don't know the specifics of any ...

What the $6,500 homebuyer tax credit means for you

For answers to several questions raised by comments and questions on this article, see our subsequent report. During the first round of the government's homebuyer tax-credit program, only first-time purchasers could qualify for up to $8,000 in tax credits. But this time, many current homeowners could get in on the deal, ...

Unemployed? This week’s Top 7 job offers

Got the skills to be a full-time e-mail czar? What about making sure that all of Idaho's anadromous salmonids are looked after? Or you could help crush cars. We've got a little bit of everything, from Phoenix to Danbury, Conn., in this week's top jobs. 1. E-mail Czar Employer: Village Voice Media. Wages/salary: ...

Do college presidents need a pay czar?

Updated 3:10 p.m. EST with spreadsheet of data used in this report. Somebody needs to get Ken Feinberg a ladder. That's because after the president's "pay czar" finishes mastering Wall Street pay, he might try storming America's ivory towers. Between 2007 and 2008, the top 25 highest paid college presidents saw their total ...