18 | April | 2012

Saturday, May 25, 2013

World’s Ten Most Resource-Rich Countries

Mark J. Perry | April 18, 2012, 10:29 pm

No. 1 is Russia with an estimated $75.7 trillion of natural resources, according to this list from 24/7 Wall Street, and the U.S. is No. 2 with $45 trillion.

Carpe Diem

Markets in Everything: 3D Printer for Medicine

Mark J. Perry | April 18, 2012, 10:19 pm

YahooNews — “From creating intricate guitars to delicious pieces of chocolate, 3D printing is moving beyond the realm of making simple models and into the realm of creating useful things. And thanks to researchers at University of Glasgow, this cutting-edge technology could take … read more >

Carpe Diem

Next “Equal Occupational Fatality Day” in 2021

Mark J. Perry | April 18, 2012, 10:11 pm

Yesterday was Equal Pay Day, which supposedly represents how far into 2012 the average woman has to work to make the same pay that the average man earned in 2011. The National Committee on Pay Equity started Equal Pay Day … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

What comes after the renewabubble?

Kenneth P. Green | April 18, 2012, 4:03 pm

A team of analysts from the Breakthrough Institute, the Brookings Institution, and the World Resources Institute have put out a meaty report on the pending collapse of the renewabubble as the inflating power of the Obama administration’s “stimulus” (ARRA) from … read more >

Economics, Entitlements

The problem with Obamacare’s bundled payments initiative

Scott Gottlieb | April 18, 2012, 3:32 pm

The Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just issued guidance laying out the parameters on the Obama Administration’s new bundled payments initiative. Bundled payment arrangements are a signature feature of the payment reforms included in Obamacare. The concept is … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Is stagnation good enough for Obama’s reelection?

James Pethokoukis | April 18, 2012, 2:47 pm

According to Citigroup, we’re looking at 2.1% GDP, 8% unemployment, and a $1.2 trillion deficit. Stagnation Nation. But good enough for four more years? Well, lets plug these numbers in a vote forecasting model from Reuters: A 38.4% chance of … read more >

Carpe Diem

Architecture Billings Index Positive for 5th Month

Mark J. Perry | April 18, 2012, 2:19 pm

Washington, D.C. – April 18, 2012 – “The commercial sector continues to lead the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) which has remained in positive territory for the fifth consecutive month (see chart above). As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Sorry, Truman Project, Barack Obama is no Harry Truman

Marc Thiessen | April 18, 2012, 2:15 pm

How far has the Left fallen when it comes to national defense? POLITICO’s Morning Defense offers a clue with its “sneak peek” at The Truman National Security Project’s 2012 national-security briefing book, which it describes as “a collection of talking … read more >

Economics, Taxes and Spending

Why we can’t go back to sky-high, 1950s tax rates

James Pethokoukis | April 18, 2012, 1:50 pm

It seems so simple. The 1950s was a decade of high economic growth and high tax rates. So why not go back to those tax rates and also return to an economic Golden Age? Higher taxes would, theoretically, generate more … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Who’s really to blame for high gas prices?

Sharon Kehnemui | April 18, 2012, 12:16 pm

President Obama is claiming that oil speculators are to blame for the rise in gas prices, even though that same accusation was made for naught by Democrats in 2007 and the new banking law, Dodd-Frank, gave authority to the federal … read more >