S&P lowered the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+ amidst concerns about the government's budget and the rising debt burden. Does this mean the United States is on the verge of default?

As global stock markets tumbled over the last few trading days, pundits fell all over each other to assign blame. Not only can the finger-pointing be diverting--and perhaps politically advantageous--but it is natural to search for reason and understanding in such a harrowing time. The problem is a surfeit of suspects.

According to recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical and dental professions now account for 14 of the 15 highest paid occupations in the United States (measured in terms of annual income). Put another way, of nearly 800 occupations surveyed, doctors and dentists were at the top of the list.

Uncertainty regarding debates over the debt limit still remains. Endgame negotiations are nothing new in Washington, but the circumstances under which they are being played is different than before.

Neither Herbert Hoover nor Franklin D. Roosevelt promulgated policies that worked.

Whether in the halls of academia or broad swaths of America's news media, a watchword of liberal faith is that Democrats have the corner on smarts.

The dowdy Dow Jones industrial average has suddenly turned into the hottest game in town.

The passage of the financial-reform bill contributed to the biggest drop in equity markets in more than a year, showing markets understand the bleak future of a land of high taxes, big government, complex regulations, and indignant politicians.