Economy

March 29, 2012 - The state Utilities Commission's decision to give the power giant's shareholders a 10.5 percent return on investment was not supported by the evidence, argues AG Roy Cooper.

March 23, 2012 - A bill originally sponsored by ethics-challenged Congressman Stephen Fincher of Tennessee is being hailed as helping small businesses and workers, but watchdogs warn that it will erode transparency and pave the way for more corporate skullduggery.

March 22, 2012 - The narrowing of the gap between men's and women's earnings from 2010 to 2011 can't be attributed to progress but to men's wages falling faster than women's. Add race to the analysis and the inequities are especially stark.

March 13, 2012 - As an ongoing case involving the parent company of Houston-based Shell Oil illustrates, conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court appear to want to put an end to the Alien Tort Claims Act, a key tool for holding corporations accountable for human rights violations.

March 8, 2012 - Nearly a year since Alabama passed the nation's toughest anti-immigrant law, community members say some immigrants are beginning to return.

March 6, 2012 - Corporations including Texas-based American Airlines and Hostess are turning to bankruptcy courts not because they can't pay their bills but because those courts allow them to negotiate with a hammer. While the options for unions aren't great, a few have shown that aggressive workplace mobilizing can beat back some of the worst.

March 1, 2012 - A new strategy to advocate for workers' rights at Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart is utilizing what has been called "pre-New Deal unionism" -- and it is showing some real gains.