Most Toyota Plants in Japan Remain Idle

Toyota Motor (TM) reportedly won’t resume vehicle production at any of its plants in Japan on Tuesday, as the automaker had planned. The continued stoppage leaves in question just how soon the world’s largest automaker will be able to resume operations…

Why Is the Fed Letting Banks Boost Dividends?

The Fed’s decision to allow big banks to pay sharply higher dividends makes no sense, and not just because the results of the so-called “stress tests” are secret. Based on facts that are public knowledge, the banks are actually…

People@Work: The Sorry State of America’s Wage Earners

Everyone knows that the typical American household has been running in place or falling behind financially, thanks to stagnant wages and rising prices. But a new study from the the Economic Policy Institute shows that the probl…

Earthquake Rattles Japanese Animation Industry

One of Japan’s best-known exports, its unique style of animation, faces a new crisis — a disruption in production following the recent earthquake and tsunami. The multi-billion-dollar “anime” industry has already been challeng…

Asian Markets Follow Oil Prices Higher

Markets in Hong Kong and China climbed Monday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.7% to 22,685 and China’s Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.1% to end the day at 2,909. Japanese markets were closed today, taking a much-neede…