05 | April | 2012

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

New York Times pours cold water on hybrid vehicle savings

Kenneth P. Green | April 5, 2012, 4:38 pm

The Times reports that: …opting for models that promise better mileage through new technologies does not necessarily save money, according to data compiled for The New York Times by TrueCar.com, an automotive research Web site. Except for two hybrids, the … read more >

Economics

Global stock markets are looking fragile

John Makin | April 5, 2012, 4:35 pm

While U.S. economic signals were broadly positive this week, U.S. and European stocks have been wobbly since Tuesday. Yes, there are the usual worries about Europe’s debt problems–it’s Spain this week–and slower European growth, but the real scare for stocks … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Obama’s Supreme hypocrisy

Marc Thiessen | April 5, 2012, 2:59 pm

While all eyes have been on the Supreme Court — and the president’s extraordinary warning to the Justices not to take the “unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected … read more >

Carpe Diem

Jobless Claims Fall Close to a New Four-Year Low, ASA Staffing Index for Temporary Help Improves

Mark J. Perry | April 5, 2012, 2:55 pm

Initial jobless claims (seasonally adjusted) fell to 357,000 for the week ending March 31, which was the lowest number since mid-April 2008, almost four years ago, according to today’s Labor Department report. The four-week moving average of weekly claims, … read more >

Carpe Diem

Philadelphia Fed Reports that State Economies Are Improving, with Future Gains Expected

Mark J. Perry | April 5, 2012, 2:38 pm

According to reports this week from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve: 1. Over the past three months through February, the coincident economic indexes increased in all 50 states (see top map above). The coincident indexes combine four state-level indicators to summarize … read more >

Economics

Sure, Obama has a debt plan. Here it is …

James Pethokoukis | April 5, 2012, 1:13 pm

This chart comes straight from the Obama White House. It shows the nation’s debt trajectory under President Obama’s latest budget plan. This is why many folks, such as myself, say the president has no long-term budget plan. Unless you consider … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Should polar bears lose endangered species status?

Kenneth P. Green | April 5, 2012, 12:59 pm

Back in 2008, when the Bush administration was on the threshold of declaring polar bears “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, I pointed out that claims of polar bear endangerment were highly speculative: Predictions of polar bear endangerment are based … read more >

Economics

Obama’s economy ‘built to last’ vs. Cantor’s economy ‘built to grow’

Nick Schulz | April 5, 2012, 10:47 am

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor took a few moments recently to explain how his view of the economy differs from President Obama’s (and even, I’d add, from some in his own political party). While the president called for an economy … read more >

Economics

Will robots solve America’s debt problem?

James Pethokoukis | April 5, 2012, 9:50 am

It’s hardly surprising that President Barack Obama doesn’t have a long-term debt plan (or at least not one acceptable for public display). As Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner infamously told House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, “We’re not coming before you to say … read more >

Carpe Diem

Interactive Chart/Map of State Coincident Economic Activity Indexes Since Dec. 2007

Mark J. Perry | April 5, 2012, 1:38 am

The interactive chart/map above was created by the folks at Tableau Software, inspired by this CD post yesterday on North Dakota’s state Coincident Economic Activity Index (calculated by the Philadelphia Fed, based on nonfarm payroll employment, the unemployment rate, average … read more >

The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
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. […]