Obama’s Debt Ceiling Gamble Depends on the GOP Being Sane

Robert Reich / Truthdig Jan 15, 2013 A week before his inaugural, Obama says he won’t negotiate with Republicans over raising the debt limit. But the president's strategy depends on there being enough sane voices left in the GOP to influence others. That’s far from clear. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Obama Is Right on the Debt Ceiling

Bill Blum / Truthdig Jan 14, 2013 According to the Obama administration, there is nothing the president can do on his own to raise the ceiling or maneuver around it. As much as some of us may disagree, Obama is correct. Here's why. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Colin Powell Talks GOP Racism, Paul Krugman Blasts Jon Stewart, and More

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Jan 14, 2013 A look at the day's political happenings, including the Treasury Department's decision about minting a trillion dollar coin and another George Bush mulls a bid for public office. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Inconvenient Truth About Jack Lew

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Jan 11, 2013 I suppose that he can't be much worse than Timothy Geithner, but that should be scant cause for cheer over the news that the president has nominated Jack Lew as Treasury secretary. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Why Bailouts Will Continue Until the Big Banks Are Broken Up

Robert Reich / Truthdig Jan 9, 2013 TARP -- the infamous Troubled Assets Relief Program that bailed out Wall Street in 2008 -- is over. The Treasury Department announced it will be completing the sale of the remaining shares it owns of the banks and of General Motors. But in reality it’s not over. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

How Bad Is Our Debt Problem and Will a Deal Fix It?

By Theodoric Meyer, ProPublica Dec 30, 2012 President Obama met with congressional leaders Friday in another attempt to avert the fiscal cliff -- the automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1 unless Congress can strike a deal. The cuts and tax hikes are so large and so sudden that many economists fear they would plunge the country back into recession. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

GOP Pollster Rips the NRA, a ‘Meet the Press’ Police Investigation, and More

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Dec 27, 2012 A look at the day's political happenings, including a new warning on the debt ceiling from Timothy Geithner and why it's probably not the most wonderful time of the year for President Obama and Congress. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

A Sign That Obama Will Repeat Economic Mistakes

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Dec 7, 2012 Reports in the business press tout a prime participant in the great banking hustle as a possible candidate to be the next Treasury secretary. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Truthdigger of the Week: Ex-TARP Investigator Neil Barofsky

Staff / Truthdig Aug 5, 2012 In late 2008, Neil Barofsky was appointed the Treasury Department’s investigator of the bank bailouts. In the time since, he has suffered dismissal and deprecation from his colleagues and the corporations they're supposed to regulate.Since he was appointed to investigate the bank bailouts in 2008, Neil Barofsky has suffered dismissal and deprecation from his colleagues and the banks they're supposed to regulate. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Obama Talks Corporate Tax Cuts and Loopholes

Staff / Truthdig Feb 22, 2012 So the official story here is that President Obama says he wants to cut the country's corporate tax rate by seven percentage points, dropping it from 35 percent to 28 percent, which gives him a nice tax-related headline on a day when similar stories are cropping up about the competition. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Geithner Eyes the Exit

Staff / Truthdig Jan 26, 2012 If you saw the broadcast of Tuesday's State of the Union address, you might have caught Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner looking a little uneasy on his perch next to a solemn Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which could have something to do with the state of his position at the White House. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Video Game Companies Cash In on Tax Tokens

Staff / Truthdig Sep 11, 2011 American video game developers are benefiting from an odd combination of tax breaks many analysts say are intended to encourage industries that serve the public good by providing broadly valuable social services. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )