Paul Krugman joined The New York Times in 1999 as an Op-Ed columnist. He is distinguished professor in the Graduate Center Economics PhD program and distinguished scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study Center at the City University of New York. In addition, he is professor emeritus of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.

In 2008, Mr. Krugman was the sole recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade theory.

Mr. Krugman received his BA from Yale University in 1974 and his PhD from M.I.T. in 1977. He has taught at Yale, M.I.T. and Stanford. At M.I.T. he became the Ford International Professor of Economics.

Mr. Krugman is the author or editor of 27 books and more than 200 papers in professional journals and edited volumes. His professional reputation rests largely on work in international trade and finance; he is one of the founders of the “new trade theory,” a major rethinking of the theory of international trade. In recognition of that work, in 1991 the American Economic Association awarded him its John Bates Clark medal. Mr. Krugman’s current academic research is focused on economic and currency crises.

At the same time, Mr. Krugman has written extensively for a broader public audience. Some of his articles on economic issues, originally published in Foreign Affairs, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American and other journals, are reprinted in Pop Internationalism and The Accidental Theorist.

His most recent book is Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future.

Lawrence O’Donnell hosts The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell at 10 pm on MSNBC. Each night, O’Donnell relies on his extraordinary background in politics, entertainment and news, to provide the last word on the biggest issues and most compelling stories of the day.

O’Donnell joined MSNBC as a political analyst in 1996. He is an Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer for the NBC series The West Wing and creator and executive producer of the NBC series, Mister Sterling.

From 1989 through 1992, O'Donnell served as Senior Advisor to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. In 1992, he was Chief of Staff to the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. From 1993 through 1995 he was the Chief of Staff of the Senate Finance Committee. He first began working with Sen. Moynihan as Director of Communications in the Senator's 1988 re-election campaign.

A writer prior to entering politics and government, O'Donnell published the book Deadly Force (1983), which was adapted as a CBS movie in 1986. He has written essays and articles for several publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, People, Spy, and Boston Magazine. O'Donnell has also appeared on NBC News’ Today, Good Morning America, Nightline, Charlie Rose, and several other programs. Suffolk University awarded O'Donnell an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, in 2001.

Born in Boston, O'Donnell is a graduate of Harvard College.