09 | December | 2011

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The two charts above provide some evidence that the U.S. banking sector is recovering from the effects of the Great Recession and financial crisis of 2008-2009. Charge-off rates for all commercial banks are displayed in the top chart, and show … read more >

Economics

Learning from Europe

Jonah Goldberg | December 9, 2011, 7:46 pm

Given everything going on in Europe these days, I thought it might be worth jumping in the WayBack Machine and jaunting back to this January 2010 column by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman titled “Learning from Europe.” As health … read more >

Carpe Diem

Markets in Everything: Dog Poop Lottery

Mark J. Perry | December 9, 2011, 7:12 pm

From The Inquisitr (ht: Mike W.): “The Taiwanese city of New Taipei this week came up with a unique solution for cleaning their streets of dog feces, they launched a city wide lottery that everyone could participate in. City officials … read more >

Carpe Diem

Chart of the Day: Gas Prices Falling, Merry Xmas

Mark J. Perry | December 9, 2011, 3:57 pm

At the national level, retail gas prices have fallen by 17% from the April high of about $4 per gallon to the current national average of about $3.28 (red line in chart above), according to price data from GasBuddy.com. In … read more >

Carpe Diem

IJ: 20 Years Litigating for Liberty

Mark J. Perry | December 9, 2011, 3:13 pm

IJ: 20 years of trailblazing a unique brand of advocacy. HT: Steve Bartin

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Iran containment redux: ignore the ignorant

Danielle Pletka | December 9, 2011, 2:40 pm

I can never figure out why people want to write about things they haven’t read. Wait, let me amend that. I can never figure out why people who wish to be taken seriously write about things they haven’t read. Here’s … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

What you may have missed in the polls: Newt’s negatives, the 1 percent, and more

Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg | December 9, 2011, 2:21 pm

Newt’s Negatives: In all recent national polls that ask people whether they have a favorable or unfavorable view of Newt Gingrich, the responses are more negative than positive. In Pew’s November poll, 31 percent had a favorable opinion, and 48 … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

The one economic chart that should really terrify the Obama campaign

James Pethokoukis | December 9, 2011, 2:05 pm

No matter what the euro zone decides to do about its debt problems, it seems likely that a recession is already baked into the cake. The only remaining question is whether the downturn will be moderate or severe. But as … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Europe and Russia

Europe’s next Lost Generation

Daniel Hanson | December 9, 2011, 12:06 pm

Onlookers to the European debt crisis have been fairly silent about what may be Europe’s most troubling problem: the proliferation of systemic unemployment among youth. The unemployment rates for youth ages 16-25 in various countries are charted below. As you … read more >

Economics

Income inequality for dummies

Andrew Biggs | December 9, 2011, 11:58 am

And by dummies, I mean me. Analyzing income inequality has become a national pastime in recent years and threatens to remain so, since the extent of increased inequality seems so hard to put to rest. Some point out that high-income … read more >

Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]
Could California Make a Comeback?
An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. […]