“Sales of existing homes in Florida rose 27% in April, which means that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison for 20 months, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors. Another positive sign: Last month’s statewide … read more >

“The American Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted (SA) Truck Tonnage Index increased for the sixth time in the last seven months, gaining another 0.9% in April. This followed a 0.4% increase in March. The latest improvement put the SA index at … read more >

“The outlook for the restaurant industry remained positive in April, as the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity was essentially unchanged from its March level. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) a monthly composite index that tracks the … read more >

“Why is that when BP screws up we make sure they pay every dime in damages, but if a bank (MP: or automobile company like GM, or insurance company like AIG, or GSE like Fannie and Freddie) screws up, we bail … read more >

From the EIA: “Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil production began from shallow water fields (water depth of under 1,000 feet) but shallow water production began to fall in 1998. Steadily increasing volumes from deepwater fields (water depths between 1,000 and 4,999 … read more >

A U.K. chocolate company is offering high-interest bonds where coupon payments are paid in chocolate instead of cash.

The United States is one of the only countries in the world with 30-year fixed rates for mortgages, and Arnold Kling suggests that this is “an artifact of government intervention, and that without it we would have a simpler, safer mortgage … read more >

The Energy Information Administration released new data yesterday showing that natural gas production in the U.S. reached an all-time historical monthly high in March of 2.313 trillion cubic feet, breaking the previous record of 2.28 trillion cubic feet set in March of … read more >

In the December 1974 issue of Popular Science Magazine, there was an article titled “Solar Cells: When Will You Plug Into Electricity from Sunshine?” that discussed the future of solar energy. The article predicted that by 1986 the cost per watt at peak … read more >