ECONOMY

Economy

Op-Ed: Emerging Labor Movement Is A Presidential Opportunity

3:57pm June 24, 2013

Retail and fast-food workers protesting for higher pay are creating a new kind of U.S. labor movement. Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page argues that the president could "set a good example" by requiring fast-food vendors who have contracts with the federal government to pay minimum wage.

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Jim White of Pennsylvania pumps gas at a BP station in Ocala, Fla., in April. The price of gasoline remains stubbornly high, which may put a crimp on summer travel plans.

Economy

If Supplies Of Oil Are Up, Why Is Gas Still Pricey?

8:00pm June 20, 2013

Supplies of oil have been surging this year, and U.S. drivers, who have been switching to more fuel-efficient cars, are using less gasoline. That would seem to be the right economic combination to push down prices at the pump, but gasoline prices have remained stubbornly high this summer.

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The Business And Politics Of Air Quality Regulation

2:35pm June 20, 2013

In a speech in Germany Wednesday, President Barack Obama said it's time to take "bold action" on climate change. Many believe that major changes to policies on carbon emissions lie ahead, which would mean a host of new regulations for businesses.

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Economy

Will Work For Free? The Future Of The Unpaid Internship

11:20am June 20, 2013

A New York Federal District Court judge ruled that Fox Searchlight Pictures broke the law by not paying two interns for work on the film Black Swan. As a result, private employers may be considering revising their internship programs, or scrapping them altogether.

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Economy

Fed Warns Stimulus Package Will Be Ratcheted Down

7:07am June 20, 2013

by John Ydstie

Investors have been nervous about the Federal Reserve's intentions after hints that it might reduce its massive bond buying program. Amid volatile markets, traders and investors complained they wanted more clarity. Chairman Ben Bernanke obliged on Wednesday after a regular two-day meeting of Fed policymakers.

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Leaders take part in the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Their discussions included tax-avoidance issues.

G-8 Nations Pledge To Crack Down On Corporate Tax Evaders

10:18pm June 19, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

This week's meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized countries concluded with a pledge to end the use of tax shelters by multinational corporations. But there are still big questions about how they will make a dent in the problem.

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A worker installs parts on a Chrysler SUV engine at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. Plants in the U.S. are now operating above 90 percent capacity, but automakers are wary of adding large numbers of new workers.

U.S. Automakers Are On A Roll, But Hiring Is Slow And Steady

9:40am June 19, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

Profits for the nation's carmakers are on the rise, but after years of doing more with less, higher profits are unlikely to translate into significant numbers of new jobs. There are eight fewer plants and hundreds of thousands fewer workers in the industry than before the Great Recession.

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Clearly, he's as surprised by the allegations as the rest of us.

Economy

Dirty Spuds? Alleged Potato Cartel Accused Of Price Fixing

4:09pm June 18, 2013

by Maria Godoy

A civil lawsuit that shifted into U.S. district court in Idaho last week alleges that the United Potato Growers of America has become a veritable OPEC of spuds. The group is accused of using high-tech, strong-arm tactics to inflate potato prices.

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Economy

Long-Term Interest Rates Start Moving Higher

1:13pm June 17, 2013

The bond market has pushed interest to the highest levels in 15 months, and that includes mortgage rates. David Greene talks to David Wessel, economics editor at The Wall Street Journal, about rising interest rates.

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Poor Economy Encourages Scientists To Leave Spain

1:13pm June 17, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

More than 40,000 scientists in Spain have signed a petition calling on their government to freeze budget cuts blamed for an exodus of the country's best and brightest researchers. As the Spanish government struggles to avoid a bailout, it has cut the number of university jobs and research grants.

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