April 26

“What you need to know to navigate today’s economic debate.”

Fight On, Goldman Sachs! (NYT)
Frank Rich on how Goldman’s struggle to escape a reputation as the symbol of Wall St. corruption is yielding some positive results for financial reform.

Berating the Raters (NYT)
Paul Krugman invokes New Deal-era financial regulation, calling for the release of e-mails that expose the crucial role of credit ratings in the financial crisis.

They’ve Got It: Fixes for the Financial System (NYT)
Intellectually honest economic ideas from experts unhindered by practical motivations, including Roosevelt Institute Chief Economist Joe Stiglitz.

Out of the Black Hole (AmericanProspect)
The Roosevelt Administration’s implementation of financial regulation serves as a model for reigning in risky derivatives that have wrought economic havoc.

Bank of America to Name Chairman (WSJ)
Bank of America Corp. directors Frank Bramble and Charles Holliday are the leading contenders to become chairman this week of the largest U.S. bank in assets.

Financial Reform’s Big Unknowns (WaPo)
Robert Samuelson on what kind of reform we can really expect from the current bill moving through congress.

Too Big for Us to Fail (AmericanProspect)
Simon Johnson and James Kwak deconstruct the vast political power of the financial sector and what this power means for ending “too big to fail.”