U.S. Economy

2009

• Why Not Tax Wall Street?

  William Greider : Corporate Responsibility & Accountability

  In Washington, big ideas for financial reform are suddenly gaining momentum.

• Green Jobs for Recovery

  Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins : Energy

  Clean-energy sectors, which hold the promise of being major engines of job growth, are creating opportunities for those communities hit hardest by the recession: low-income communities and communities of color.

• Charitable Capitalism

  William Greider

  Goldman and the other big dogs of Wall Street are afflicted with the stink of greed, having harvested swollen fortunes from the calamity they caused for the rest of the country.

• Unemployment and the Afghan Debate

  GRIT TV : Afghanistan War

  The Nation's John Nichols discuss the correlation between the low unemployment numbers and our foreign policy.

• Will the Real Obama Please Stand Up?

  Robert Scheer : Barack Obama

  What's up with Barack Obama? Finally someone has a good idea about how to deal with Wall Street and the White House condemns it.

• Getting Tough on Exploitation

  Amy Traub : Immigration to the US

  Vigorously enforcing labor law and stopping the crackdown on the nation's undocumented immigrants can boost the American economy.

• Financial Crisis Inquiry Kicks into High Gear

  Greg Kaufmann : Economic Policy

  Americans want to know what went wrong during last year's economic meltdown. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission will find the answers.

• A Year of Obama

  Alexander Cockburn : Barack Obama

  Since the president took office, his administration has yielded one surrender after another.

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  The Money Man's Best Friend

  William Greider : Democratic Party

  Blue Dog Democrats are undermining prospects for financial-industry regulation and reform.

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  Fixing Too Big To Fail

  Mike Konczal : Economic Policy

  How well will Representative Barney Frank's proposed regulatory reform legislation address the "too big to fail" problem?

• Save the Children, in Zimbabwe and at Home

  Ophelia Hu : Youth

  What is poverty? One volunteer's perspective shows us it's all relative.

• The New Okies: Brain Drain in Class of '09

  Jeanette Blalock-Davis : Youth

  Going abroad is no longer just a school-time pleasure cruise. It's an employment opportunity.

• Graduating in the Recession

  Michael Cohen : Youth

  A struggling young journalist is forced to take up a job on the side delivering pizza, but with tips dwindling, he wonders if it's really worth it.

• The Weight of Our Problems

  Aleena Durrani : Youth

  The looming presence of debt collectors makes high school an even harder.

• Did Republicans Rally the Stock Market?

  CNBC

  The Nation's Christopher Hayes disproves claims that the November 4 jump in the markets is directly correlated with "the Republican sweep" on election day.

• Battered But Never Broken

  Jacob Stokes : Youth

  After fifteen years as a production manager, one man is now forced to haul trash out of abandoned public housing. Instead of panicking, he is turning the crisis into an opportunity to do good.

• Economic Adaptation

  Christine Chang : Youth

  The recession has been a rite of passage for Generation Y, who are now more than prepared for the struggles of adulthood.