WASHINGTON — Ben Bernanke says the job market isn’t as strong as the steadily declining unemployment rate might suggest. Responding to questions at a Senate hearing Tuesday, he noted that the unemployment rate doesn’t capture the plight of millions of ...

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An IPO splash by a Baltimore tech company and a look at the upcoming General Assembly legislative session are among the most-read business stories of the week. But news of the potential seizure of vehicles from a Baltimore city agency ...

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With many long-simmering issues likely to come to a boil this year, lawmakers face a legislative session that will be dominated by Maryland’s lingering fiscal woes and an agenda full of unfinished business from years past. The budget deficit stands ...

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WASHINGTON — Fitch says it will keep its rating for long-term U.S. debt at the top AAA level, despite a congressional panel’s failure to agree on long-term deficit cuts. But it is lowering its outlook to negative. The rating agency ...

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WASHINGTON — The imminent collapse of a special deficit-reduction supercommittee on Monday promises to set off yet another round of the Washington blame game as the panel officially admits failure in its quest to sop up at least $1.2 trillion ...

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WASHINGTON — Deadline nearing, the deficit-reduction talks in Congress sank toward gridlock Friday after supercommittee Democrats rejected a late Republican offer that included next-to-nothing in new tax revenue. Each side maneuvered to blame the other for a looming stalemate. The ...

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WASHINGTON — The GOP’s image as a rigidly anti-tax party is softening. Spurred by federal debt worries in Congress, the shift conceivably could reshape the Republican Party’s brand ahead of the 2012 elections, forcing tough decisions by its presidential candidates. ...

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WASHINGTON — A Democrat on a special deficit-cutting “supercommittee” Wednesday questioned whether Republicans are still interested in negotiating after the panel’s top GOP member said Republicans have “gone as far as we feel we can go” on tax hikes. A ...

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WASHINGTON — Social Security recipients will get a raise in January — their first increase in benefits since 2009. It’s expected to be about 3.5 percent. Some 55 million beneficiaries will find out for sure Wednesday when a government inflation ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. government ran a $1.3 trillion for the budget year that ended last month, the third straight year it has operated more than $1 trillion in the red. The 2011 budget deficit was the second highest on ...

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