Debt

Obama To Press Congress On Student Loan Rates

Scott Horsley — Fri, 31 May 2013 07:23:00 +0000

President Obama surrounded himself with college students at the White House on Friday and warned that the cost of student loans is about to go up.

Interest rates on government-backed college loans are set to double July 1 — unless Congress agrees on a fix before then. Obama has threatened to veto a House-passed bill that would let the cost of student loans go up and down with the market.

If the alarm bells over rising student loan rates sound familiar, that's because the same thing happened last year.

With Gorgeous Dorms But Little Cash, Colleges Must Adapt

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:23:00 +0000

Many high school seniors who are heading to college this fall have just paid their tuition deposits — the first real taste of what the college experience is going to cost them. These students are heading to school at a time that some consider a transformative moment for American colleges and universities.

The Federal Deficit Is Actually Shrinking

Scott Horsley — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:37:00 +0000

During the housing bust, taxpayers were forced to bail out mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But thanks to the real estate recovery, Fannie Mae could end up paying tens of billions of dollars back to the Treasury this summer.

That's just one of the factors behind a better bottom line for the federal government.

IMF Lowers 2013 Economic Growth Forecasts

Scott Neuman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:23:00 +0000

The International Monetary Fund has lowered its projections for global economic growth, including in the United States, citing sharp cuts in government spending and the struggling eurozone.

The Washington, D.C.-based international lender's World Economic Outlook shaved its 2013 forecast to 3.3 percent from 3.5 percent. It also trimmed its projection for 2014 to 4 percent from 4.1 percent.

The IMF on Tuesday also pared back its forecast for growth in the U.S.

Liberal Watchdog Group: 'Fix The Debt' Movement More Astroturf Than Grassroots

Peter Overby — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:35:00 +0000

The liberal watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy says Fix the Debt — a key unit in philanthropist Pete Peterson's corps of organizations to battle the national debt — is a pro-business effort masquerading as a grassroots movement.

In a conference call with reporters Friday, CMD director Lisa Graves called Fix the Debt "an Astroturf supergroup that is exceedingly well funded." The term "Astroturf" refers to groups that appear to be citizen-organized but actually have their roots at consultants' offices inside the Capital Beltway.

A spokesman for