inflation and deflation

As drivers travel aging roads and crumbling bridges, federal highway funding is failing to keep pace with inflation in nearly every state — and some such as Maryland are experiencing a sharper decline than others, according to an analysis of transportation spending.

Johns Hopkins University scientists are building a telescope meant to look at the sky in a way no one has before, hoping to probe the blackness between planets, stars, galaxies, into deep time and the mystery of how it all began.

If the Fed does not want inflation to get out of control, it best start tightening monetary policy soon.

Maryland's minimum wage will rise to $10.10 by July 2018 under a bill granted final passage by state lawmakers Monday. The measure goes to Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley for his promised signature.

The House of Delegates voted Friday to raise Maryland's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over the next three years.

The minimum wage bill advancing in Maryland's House of Delegates falls short in two respects.

Calls this year to raise the state and federal minimum wages from $7.25 to $10.10 brought the expected political responses from both sides of the aisle. Regrettably, neither side's response is clearly supported in reality. The final outcome will minimally impact employment and poverty. Politicians would more effectively spend their time passing legislation for making future adjustments to the minimum wage by regulation or by a commission.

At an Annapolis rally to raise the minimum wage last month, the crowd chanted "10-10," a refrain that refers to the $10.10 hourly rate proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The real reason the minimum wage needs to be raised is because its macroeconomic benefits would shore up the middle class. One has to wonder why a law that only affects a limited percentage of the labor market elicits such strong political opposition. The obvious reason is that its benefits are broader than opponents would like you to believe.

The next big battle for federal workers might not be over another government shutdown, but how to measure inflation.

COLA for Social Security is 1.5 percent next year

A powerful voice joined the growing chorus to raise the state's minimum wage Thursday as Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said it was time for Maryland to act.

Republicans offer realistic alternatives to higher taxes, fees and tolls

Maryland for years benefited from its close proximity to the nation's capital, but the mandatory federal spending cuts called sequestration will be a drag on the state's economy for the next couple of years, said the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Liberals are fuming at President Obama's proposed entitlement cuts, but the president's plan offers a way out of Washington's damaging cycle of manufactured budget crises.

Robert Reich says writes that Democrats are wrong to compromise prematurely on entitlement programs.

The problems of Social Security and Medicare sustainability can be solved with much less drastic changes than the president is considering.

The House of Delegates turned back a series of amendments Wednesday night seeking to derail a transportation revenue bill backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, a strong indication that Democratic leaders have enough votes to raise the state's gas tax for the first time in more than two decades.

Gas tax proposal is a compromise that lawmakers ought to support

Replacing our inaccurate measure of inflation would produce budget savings and more tax revenue.

Robert Reich says cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits is the wrong way to tame the debt

For better or worse, Marylanders may be more affected by the fiscal cliff tax deal than residents in other parts of the country.

Peter Morici says the Fed's efforts to reduce the deficit and keep interest rates low will end badly

A pair of reports critical of military spending, from health care costs to Pentagon-ordered beef jerky production, are part of the latest round of scrutiny of the Defense Department's budget as the fiscal cliff approaches.

Morningstar rates the best 529 plans, with T. Rowe Price-managed plans taking home gold

Cummings, Sarbanes support 'reckless monetary policy,' deserve to be voted out of Congress

New I Bonds earning 2.2 percent

When will the public wake up to the risks posed by the Federal Reserve's easy money policy?

Applying the Maryland sales tax toward gasoline would be a move toward fiscal responsibility

Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed 6 percent tax on gasoline may be a tough sell in Annapolis, but it's the right thing to do for Maryland's future

Maryland officials offered a lukewarm response Friday to a White House proposal to raise civilian federal employee pay by a modest half-percent beginning next year.

Maryland officials offered a lukewarm response Friday to a White House proposal to raise civilian federal employee pay by a modest half percent beginning next year.

Without a national solution, consumers are left on their own to plan for the possibility that someday they might need outside help to remain in their house, or might even spend time in a nursing home.

Social Security announces 3.6 increase

Maryland's dependence on federal jobs and contracts is likely to decline in the years ahead as Congress cuts the budget, but we have the resources to make up for it with a more diverse economy.

Far from a Ponzi scheme, Social Security is mostly healthy except for two recent developments.

If there's one silver lining to the market volatility of the last two weeks, it's that it gives us a peek at our real appetite for risk.

Former candidate says Md. is spending too much on health, human services, not enough on infrastructure

Economic shocks battered some neighborhoods, spared others, Hopkins study of Baltimore finds