Charlie Herman

As a final Senate vote nears, contributor to Slate.com's Big Money Heidi Moore and WNYC business and economics editor Charlie Herman  talk about the future of financial reform.

Starting later this month, color-coded grades based on restaurant food-safety conditions will begin appearing in prominent locations to the entrances of New York City’s nearly 24,000 eating establishments.

On Capitol Hill this week, Democratic lawmakers will make a last-ditch attempt to get the financial regulations bill passed before heading into mid-term elections. Democratic Senators are also struggling to extend unemployment benefits to the nation's jobless, but have yet to secure enough votes to avoid a Republican filibuster. And while the Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, it is likely Republicans will delay Tuesday's vote until next week.

Outside the beltway, this week marks the start of earnings season. Investors and economics will be watching closely to see if the economy is on the road to recovery or headed for a double-dip recession.

Starting later this month, color-coded grades based on restaurant food-safety conditions will begin appearing in prominent locations to the entrances of New York City’s nearly 24,000 eating establishments.

In school we learned that an 'A' was awarded for a score between 90-100 points, a 'B' for 80-89 points and a 'C' for 70 to 79. That’s not how the New York City’s new health inspection restaurant grading program will work.

As the new food inspection program rolls out later this month, if a restaurant receives more than 14 points, it will not receive a grade at that time. Instead, the restaurant will be re-inspected at least a week after the first inspection. During that time, the Health Department hopes restaurants will fix any violations before a second, different inspector makes an announced visit to conduct another survey.

The dreaded 'C.' It is the "Scarlet Letter" of restaurant grades. With only three possible grades, the 'C' is the lowest mark a restaurant can receive.

A restaurant that receives a 'B' or 'C' on its second inspection can opt to post a 'Grade Pending' card in the window while it waits for a hearing before an Administrative Tribunal at the Health Department.

New York, NY —

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) manages the state’s power grid and administers the $11 billion bulk wholesale energy market for the state. It also has responsibility for operating nearly 11,000 miles of transmission wires and over 500 electricity power generators as well as ...

For the first time this year, the economy lost jobs largely as a result of 2010 census workers losing those temporary jobs in June.

For the first time this year, the economy lost jobs largely as the result of 2010 census workers losing those temporary jobs in June.

The government reported this morning that the nation’s payrolls fell 125,000 last month as a result of the elimination of 225,000 Census jobs.  Private sector employment increased by an anemic 83,000 jobs.

New York, NY —

For the first time this year, the economy lost jobs largely as a result of 2010 census workers losing those temporary jobs in June.

The government reported this morning that the nation’s payrolls fell 125,000 last month as a result of the elimination of 225,000 Census ...

The week was thrown into uncertainty with the death this morning of Sen. Robert Byrd. The New York Times' Marcus Mabry and The Takeaway's Charles Herman, look at that and the rest of the news coming up in the next seven days.

New York, NY —

The morning starts with U.S. markets reacting to the decisions by the G-20 nations this weekend to cut their deficits in half, and soon!

G-20 leaders agree to cut deficits, but slowly...slowly...and new rules for global regulation of banks ...

Roben Farzad, senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek, and Charles Herman, WNYC business and economics editor, look at what's in the financial reform agreed upon early this morning, and the effects on Wall St. and Main St.

Existing and new home sales numbers for May came out this week, and they were nothing to get excited about. Economists and experts were blown away by figures announced by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. While a drop in sales was expected, no one expected the 32.7 percent nose-dive from the previous month's sales.

New York, NY —

This morning we learned that orders for durable goods--big-ticket items from refrigerators to heavy machinery--fell 1.1 percent in May, a bit better than economists had expected. The drop was due mostly to a fall in demand for commercial aircraft. According to Ian Shepherdson, ...

New York, NY —

New York state has joined the growing number of lawsuits against BP over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced he is seeking to lead a class action lawsuit against the oil giant to recover losses to the state's ...

New York, NY —

Sales of new homes sales fell nearly 33 percent in May, while sales of existing homes were off more than two percent. Guest: Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel, a New York-based real estate appraisal firm, says the real worry now is what ...

It's Monday, which means it's time to take a look at what's ahead this week in the agenda with the help of Marcus Mabry, associate national editor for The New York Times, and Charlie Herman, The Takeaway and WNYC's economics editor.