Economy

As the deadline looms for the massive budgets cuts put in place by Congress last year to end the stalemate over the nation's debt ceiling, Pulitzer Prize-winning economics writer David Wessel describes the people and the politics behind the federal budget, and why it is on an unsustainable course. Wessel is the author of In Fed We Trust and Red Ink: Inside the High-Stakes Politics of the Federal Budget.

After heading up the Baltimore Development Corporation for 16 years, M.J. "Jay" Brodie stepped down earlier this month. A departing interview with the man who helped dramatically change the face of Baltimore's downtown and its neighborhoods, with a look at the city's future as a place to live, work and visit.

This conversation originally aired on January 25, 2012.

Last month BGE requested a gas and electric distribution rate adjustment with the Maryland Public Service Commission--which regulates gas, electric and water companies and sets utility rates.

Bad timing?

Are you in the zone?  The enterprise zone, that is.  Baltimore is redrawing the lines for the city's enterprise zone, which determine the companies get big tax breaks.  We talk about it with a reporter for the Baltimore Business Journal and a tax manager from the Department of Economic Development, which oversees the process.

Shakespeare asked: “What’s in a name?” but in Baltimore these days, the more important question seems to be:  “What’s in a zone?”  Enterprise zone, that is.  The Baltimore Development Corporation has been redrawing the boundaries of its enterprise zone, which provides tax breaks to companies within its boundaries.  In the new

As Wells Fargo recently settled claims that the company targeted minorities with its' subprime mortgages, Baltimore stands to gain $7.5 million from the settlement, which will award some compensation to local homeowners. We check in on the progress of the settlement with Anne Balcer Norton with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

If Congress recesses Monday without acting on the Bush-era tax cuts and the ‘sequestration’ budget cuts, the nation will get dragged even closer to a ‘fiscal cliff.’ We ask two Baltimore Sun reporters what’s at stake for Maryland--particularly its defense industry--if that happens.

Then – The national unemployment numbers for July are just out.  A Towson University economic professor is here to discuss what it means for our regional economy … and the trend for jobs in Maryland. 

Wells Fargo recently settled claims that it discriminated against African-American and Hispanic borrowers by steering them to subprime loans.

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