17 | June | 2011

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

40 Yrs. of Drug War Failure and 40k Dead in Mexico

Mark J. Perry | June 17, 2011, 7:55 pm

Related: The number of casualties from the War on Drugs in Mexico is estimated to be 40,000 since 2006, according to some sources. At the current rate of 10,000 deaths per year, the number of Mexicans killed in its drug … read more >

Carpe Diem

Companies Leaving California in Record Numbers

Mark J. Perry | June 17, 2011, 7:49 pm

California currently ranks #49 among U.S. states for “business tax climate” (Tax Foundation) and #48 for for “economic freedom” (Mercatus). It shouldn’t be any surprise then that companies are leaving the “Golden State” in record numbers this year (see chart … read more >

Carpe Diem

Leading Economic Index Points to Ongoing Growth

Mark J. Perry | June 17, 2011, 6:50 pm

The Conference Board reported today that its Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased 0.8% in May to 114.7 (see chart above), with the largest positive contributions to the index coming from the interest rate spread, consumer expectations and building permits. The … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

The New York Post Outdoes Itself

Marc Thiessen | June 17, 2011, 5:10 pm

The New York Post is famous for its page one headlines, such as the classic “Headless Body in Topless Bar” and the understated “UN Meets” (with a photo of weasels sitting in the French and German chairs of the UN … read more >

Society and Culture

NAACP Tries to Hold Back Tide of History

Mark Schneider | June 17, 2011, 4:34 pm

The NAACP has joined the UFT, the New York City teachers union, in a lawsuit to limit the expansion of charter schools in the city. The NAACP’s decision has set off a firestorm, with many erstwhile supporters and many, many … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Things You May Have Missed in This Week’s Polls

Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg | June 17, 2011, 3:18 pm

Facts on Fathers: In the 1960 census, 11 percent of children under the age of 18 lived without their fathers. Pew compared the census data to new data from the National Survey of Family Growth and reported that today 27 percent … read more >

Carpe Diem

Thanks to War on Drugs, U.S. is World’s #1 Jailer

Mark J. Perry | June 17, 2011, 2:00 pm

This is a post to recognize the 40th anniversary of the day in 1971 that President Nixon declared that the U.S. government would start waging a “War on Drugs“ war on peaceful Americans who chose to use intoxicants not approved … read more >

Economics, Entitlements

AARP’s Shift on Social Security Benefit Cuts: What It Means

Andrew Biggs | June 17, 2011, 10:48 am

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that the AARP—formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, informally known as the union for old folks—has shifted its position on Social Security reform, now saying that it is open to … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Expect a Pawlenty-Romney Clash at Next GOP Debate

Marc Thiessen | June 17, 2011, 10:10 am

The New Hampshire Republican debate this week hardly deserved to be called a “debate” since the candidates barely took aim at each other, focusing their attacks instead on President Obama. As I pointed out, the biggest disappointment was when Tim Pawlenty … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Asia

India’s Conservative Vacuum

Sadanand Dhume | June 17, 2011, 10:10 am

In my Wall Street Journal column today, I argue that India’s leading opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needs to move beyond identity politics and transform itself into a modern conservative party: The BJP’s tough line against … read more >