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The sudden increase in the US deficit, from around 3% to almost 6% of GDP, owing to a poorly designed regressive tax bill and a bipartisan expenditure increase, has boosted growth to around 4% and brought unemployment down to a 18-year low. These measures may be ill-conceived, but they show that with enough fiscal support, full employment can be attained, even as interest rates rise well above zero. … Joseph E Stiglitz is a Nobel laureate in economics, university professor

The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Columbia University economist Richard Clarida to become Federal Reserve vice chairman, filling a top leadership position ahead of the central bank’s September policy meeting. President Donald Trump tapped Mr. Clarida in April to serve as No. 2 to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Mr. Trump nominated last year. The Senate confirmed Mr. Clarida to a four-year term as vice chairman in a 69-26 vote, with 23 Democrats joining 46 Republicans voting yes. Only one

With all due respect to Jeff Bezos and other billionaires who plan to spend billions of dollars of their personal wealth on space travel, hundreds of millions of children who lack access to basic health care and schooling more urgently need help right here on Earth. …Jeffrey Sachs is a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author; view more opinion articles on CNN.