Economy

The Bullitt Foundation's new Seattle headquarters, billed as the world's "greenest" building, is designed to be entirely self-sustaining. The developers hope it can inspire others to build this way.

At what point does debt start to drag down an economy? Harvard economists Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff have argued that a debt to GDP ratio of 90 percent is a red line of sorts. That idea is under attack with economists from the University of Massachusetts charging that Rogoff and Reinhart used selective data to make their case.

A system known as "return-free filing" would allow filers to receive a pre-filled tax return prepared by the government and make any necessary tweaks. According to a ProPublica-NPR report, this approach, which exists in some countries, has taxpayer advocates at odds with tax preparation companies.

At the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and 28th Street in Los Angeles, you'll find Robert Oliver wearing a Statue of Liberty costume and dancing to promote Liberty Tax Service. "I'm never embarrassed to be out here," he says. "I'm proud of what I do."

Both President Obama and Republican lawmakers say they're willing to close loopholes in the individual tax code. The argument is over what should be done with the money after that.

Television networks are up in arms. The new company Aereo is charging a monthly fee to provide a high-definition feed of the basic over-the-air channels, and the stations aren't seeing a penny of it. But CEO Chet Kanojia thinks he's figured out a legal loophole.

With a large labor force willing to work for low wages, construction may appear to be a lucrative field for contractors in Texas. But prices have been driven so low that many say they can't compete if they play by the rules. Instead, some misclassify their workers or turn a blind eye to undocumented laborers.

Few expected the Bank of Japan's program to buy up government bonds to dwarf the Federal Reserve's similar effort in the U.S. Japan's stock market has soared and the yen's value tumbled. Thus far, the move is boosting exports, but is also making Asian competitors nervous.

President Obama unveiled his fifth annual budget proposal to Congress Wednesday, offering a mix of tax increases and spending cuts. The newest changes include cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits. Across the country, some are only beginning to feel the affects of sequestration.