Nov 20th, 2008 · As central banks continue to slash interest rates almost to zero, prices can plummet. It creates a liquidity trap, as it did in the 1930s and in Japan during the 1990s. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff outlines what deflation could mean for modern America.
Nov 18th, 2008 · There's a huge demand for cars in developing countries. The Economist, magazine describes Brazil, Russia, India, and China as "the car industry's big hope." Matthew Symonds, the lead author of the report, tells Steve Inskeep that countries such as Russia, China, India and Brazil represent growth opportunities for Detroit's Big Three automakers.
Nov 14th, 2008 · One year ago, economists were worried about inflation. Now, they are worried about deflation — prices for everything from corn to soybeans to gold are falling.
Nov 13th, 2008 · Some economists are concerned that the next hit to the economy may come from credit card defaults. USA Today economic reporter Kathy Chu talks about parallels between the housing bubble and the market for credit card debt.
Nov 12th, 2008 · Leaders of the world's 20 largest industrial nations and emerging economies meet this week in Washington DC to discuss the global economic downturn. Simon Johnson is a professor at MIT and a former IMF chief economist. He tells Ari Shapiro the meeting could be a springboard for a more fundamental restructuring of the international financial system.
Nov 10th, 2008 · The size of China's economic stimulus package will likely have an effect on the rest of the world. Simon Johnson, former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund and senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says the Chinese package sets an example for other countries to follow, but the real effect will likely be seen in commodity prices.
Nov 7th, 2008 · Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a freeze on pending foreclosures in an effort to help thousands of distressed homeowners in the state. But some economists say it's a bad idea that will only push California's mortgage rates higher.
Nov 7th, 2008 · The Labor Department reports the nation's unemployment rate rose 6.5 percent last month. The number of jobs lost were a lot higher than expected. The report indicates that the downturn in the economy this year has been even deeper and more dramatic than most economists had expected. The jobless rate is at a 14-year high.