Paulson Tipped Hedge Funds About Market Meltdown

Staff / Truthdig Nov 29, 2011 Back in July of 2008, when most of us were still blissfully ignorant about the approaching economic apocalypse, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was very aware of some important market distress signals, and he chose to share some of those with an elite group of financial executives, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Life and Times of Bush the Clueless

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Nov 10, 2010 The Harvard MBA is the degree that George W. Bush and his last treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, had in common, and their shared ignorance as they presided over the collapse of the U.S. economy is on full display in the former president’s newly published memoir.It takes a Harvard MBA to raze an economy. Perhaps that is too narrow a judgment given that a law degree from that institution or from Yale University seems to serve as well. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Bernanke Gets Our Hopes Up

Staff / Truthdig May 5, 2009 The good news: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke believes the U.S. economy may show signs of bouncing back before 2010 -- yay! The bad news: Bernanke also believes that aftershocks from the recession may continue to wreak havoc for a good while to come -- sigh. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Jon Stewart’s Not Buying What Jim Cramer’s Selling

Staff / Truthdig Mar 14, 2009 In this highly anticipated face-off between Jon Stewart and CNBC's Jim Cramer on Thursday's "Daily Show," Cramer furiously backpedals as he's zinged repeatedly by a (mostly) courteous but relentless Stewart, who questions whether Cramer isn't a snake-oil salesman who has supported the myth that there is one unified economic system that works the same for everybody while knowing that's not the case. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Daily Show’: Stewart vs. Cramer

Staff / Truthdig Mar 11, 2009 Jon Stewart is on a tear these days, taking on the wild world of financial punditry one shouty bald guy at a time. This episode is dedicated to CNBC's Jim Cramer, who, try as he may to deny it, just seemed to have a thing for Bear Stearns stock -- mere days before the company tanked. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Toyota Takeover Could Save GM

Michael Intriligator / Truthdig Dec 6, 2008 Considering only two options for an imperiled General Motors -- either bailout by the U.S. government or bankruptcy -- omits an important alternative, which I see as the best option: a takeover of GM by Toyota Motor Corp. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Just How Fat Are Wall Street’s Fat Cats?

Staff / Truthdig Oct 7, 2008 Sure, we've all heard the stories about Wall Street bigwigs lining their pockets with gold dubloons while the rest of us scramble to save pennies, but The New York Times has drawn out that contrast in graphic detail with a handy series of charts showing the total earnings (including bonuses) of 12 top executives from 2003-2007. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Timeline: The Global Credit Crisis

Staff / Truthdig Oct 6, 2008 To help all those still reeling from sudden onset econo-tastrophe syndrome, the BBC has put together a handy timeline, which connects the dots between events over the last couple years but doesn't quite take the long view, thus leaving out a few key moments and players from, say, the 1990s (paging Phil Gramm). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Markets Brace for More Turbulence After Monday’s Drops

Staff / Truthdig Sep 16, 2008 President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. attempted to head off mounting market woes and investor freak-outs at the pass on Monday as Wall Street suffered its worst losses since right after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Decriminalization of Corporate Crime

Stanley Kutler / Truthdig Mar 29, 2008 With our economic and financial crises deepening, government insiders reportedly are debating whether we need to restore some regulation -- or not. Given the state of things, we can expect further woes and no regulation. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Bush’s Legacy of Failure

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Mar 18, 2008 That idiotic "what, me worry?" look just never leaves the man's visage. Once again there was our president, presiding over disasters in part of his making and totally on his watch, grinning with an aplomb that suggested a serious disconnect between his worldview and existing reality. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Greenspan: Dark Days Ahead for the Global Economy

Staff / Truthdig Mar 17, 2008 Those hoping for better news about the state of the U.S. economy -- not to mention the bigger picture -- aren't going to hear it from former Fed chair Alan Greenspan anytime soon, judging by his ominous forecast released Monday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )