Topic: Henry M. Paulson

Who are China's next leaders?

On Nov. 15, the new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party – the group that rules China presented itself to the world. Here are the bios of the seven men who take the reins of China.

Briefing Who are China's potential new leaders?

China's once-a-decade power transition in November may promote these five party members.

China's leadership shakeup: Bo Xilai and 4 other names to watch

Five names to keep an eye on as China prepares for a once-in-a-decade leadership change.

Goldman Sachs culture 'toxic'? Letter confirms suspicions about Wall Street.

Polls show that Americans hold a very low opinion of Wall Street, and a damning public letter of resignation from a Goldman Sachs executive could only amplify that perception. 

Fed prints more money, but consumers won't see it

The central banks are bailing out speculators, bankers, and the feds, not households. The money only reluctantly gets to the consumer level…or not at all.

Greeks' choice–and ours: Democracy or finance?

Greek Prime Minister George Papandereou called for a national vote on the budget cuts Europe has proposed for his country. Shouldn't US voters have had the same choice?

Goldman Sachs: Superstar firm falls back to Earth

Goldman Sachs posts higher-than-expected loss of $428 million. Quarterly loss is only the second since the firm went public.

Top Picks: a musical tribute to Bob Dylan, 'Too Big To Fail,' Azam Ali's latest album, and more

Recordings of famous musicians performing Bob Dylan classics, an HBO movie about the 2008 economic crisis, a collection of lullabies sung by music superstar Azam Ali, and more recommendations.

Opinion: 'Atlas Shrugged': With America on the brink, should you 'go Galt' and strike?

In the face of onslaught, the heroes of Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' (now in theaters) decided to stop working, retreat to a valley, and try to rebuild only when the country had collapsed. What we really need to reject, Rand advised, are the flawed moral ideals that cause our economic troubles.

Causes of the financial crisis? Commission ends in hung jury.

In its final report, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission offers three views of the crisis -– essentially one from Democrats and two dissenting views by Republicans on the panel.

Ideas for a better world in 2011

In many ways, 2010 is a year you may want to relegate to the filing cabinet quickly. It began with a massive earthquake in Haiti and wound down with North Korea once again being an enfant terrible – bizarrely trying to conduct diplomacy through brinkmanship. In between came Toyota recalls and egg scares, pat downs at airports and unyielding unemployment numbers, too little money in the Irish treasury and too many bedbugs in American sheets. Oil gushed from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico for three months, mocking the best intentions of man and technology to stop it, while ash from a volcano in Iceland darkened Europe temporarily as much as its balance sheets. Yet not all was gloomy. The winter Olympics in Canada and the World Cup in South Africa dazzled with their displays of athletic prowess and national pride, becoming hearths around which the world gathered. In Switzerland, the world's largest atom smasher hurled two protons into each other at unfathomable speeds. Then came the year's most poignant moment – the heroic and improbable rescue of 33 miners from the clutches of the Chilean earth. There were many transitions, too – the return of the Republicans in Washington and the Tories in Britain, the scaling back of one war (Iraq) and the escalation of another (Afghanistan), the fall of some powers (Greece) and rise of others (China, Germany, Lady Gaga). To get the new year off to the right start, we decided to ask various thinkers for one idea each to make the world a better place in 2011. We plumbed poets and political figures, physicists and financiers, theologians and novelists. Some of the ideas are provocative, others quixotic. Some you will agree with, others you won't. But in the modest quest to stir a discussion – from academic salons to living rooms to government corridors – we offer these 25 ideas.

"Decision Points": George Bush's view of his presidency

In his new memoir "Decision Points," George W. Bush weighs in on the Iraq war, the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, John McCain's 2008 campaign, and other episodes in his presidency.

Inside Job: movie review

Matt Damon narrates 'Inside Job,' a meticulous exploration of what led to the crash of 2008.

Best political books of 2010

There have been plenty of political titles this year – from the left and the right. But which were best?

What's the best political book you've read this year?

Finance bill: A mountain of paper, a molehill of reform

The American people will continue to have to foot the bill for the mistakes of Wall Street’s biggest banks because the legislation does nothing to diminish their economic and political power.

Economic collapse: Don't blame the free market

A more realistic view is that a housing boom and bust happened to strike a fragile financial system whose fragility was worsened by ill-conceived government interventions.

Government spending and the façade of a successful economy

May's dismal consumer spending numbers could be an early sign that the government's stimulus funding has been unsuccessful in boosting the economy.

Financial reform: Will the next crisis be handled differently?

Financial reform debate centers around a key question: Will reform mean that the economy is better protected? Here is a look at pros and cons in the debate.

Getting Wall Street out of Washington and Washington out of Wall Street

If Washington knew what was good for it and the nation, it would sever its financial connections with Wall Street. Better yet, it would enact legislation seeking to limit the impact of corporate money in politics. But that's not happening any time soon.

There's nothing wrong with Social Security

That's the claim made by a "progressive" web site. Boy, are they wrong.

On the Brink

READER RECOMMENDATION

Ticking prime bomb: Fannie Mae delinquencies rise

The level of mortgage delinquency at Fannie Mae continues to mount.

Fraud on Wall Street: Where has SEC been?

In the wake of recent confirmation that Lehman Brothers' balance sheet was bogus, the Securities and Exchange Commission has announced it will look into the accounting practices of two dozen other financial firms.