25 | May | 2012

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

IAEA report: Iran’s illicit nuclear activities continue apace

Maseh Zarif | May 25, 2012, 7:14 pm

The new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report should be a sobering reminder that the Iranian regime’s illicit nuclear activities continue apace, unaffected by another round of talks. An initial read of the report finds that Iran: • Installed additional … read more >

Carpe Diem

May Consumer Sentiment Highest in More Than 4 Years; New Record Set for Nine Straight Increases

Mark J. Perry | May 25, 2012, 7:09 pm

In another important milestone for America’s “Plow Horse Economy,” the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index increased in May for the ninth straight month. That sets a new record for the most consecutive monthly increases in the history of … read more >

Carpe Diem

Markets in Everything: Consumer 3D Printer

Mark J. Perry | May 25, 2012, 1:33 pm

A $1,299 replicator for the home. Makeusof.com — “Cubify understands the problem with geeky, DIY, hard to build and calibrate printers; and their Cube aims to solve this (pictured above). Currently on pre-order and due for release on May 25th, … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Los Angeles bans plastic bags—Common sense bagged long ago

Kenneth P. Green | May 25, 2012, 1:22 pm

Los Angeles has become the latest city to join in the fairly idiotic crusade against plastic grocery bags: Egged on by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an array of environmental groups, the City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out … read more >

Carpe Diem

Obama’s Public Equity Record is the Real Scandal

Mark J. Perry | May 25, 2012, 12:49 pm

From Marc Thiessen writing in yesterday’s Washington Post: “Since taking office, Obama has invested billions of taxpayer dollars in private businesses, including as part of his stimulus spending bill. Many of those investments have turned out to be unmitigated disasters … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

The Road to Freedom: mile #11

Henrik Temp | May 25, 2012, 11:37 am

From The Road to Freedom: How to Win the Fight for Free Enterprise by AEI President Arthur Brooks, which was published earlier this month: A moral system requires fairness. A fair system in an opportunity society rewards merit. In contrast, … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Best of the foreign policy blogs (May 18 to May 24)

Marc Thiessen | May 25, 2012, 11:30 am

Here is the best of what AEI’s foreign and defense policy scholars are reading this week: Alexander Abad-Santos at TheAtlanticWire.com asks Who Is Taking Photos of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Guantanamo Bay? After Amnesty condemns the American raid on bin … read more >

Economics

Washington’s new normal: Obama’s permanently higher level of spending

James Pethokoukis | May 25, 2012, 10:46 am

Let’s keep it simple. The above chart is simply annual federal spending, adjusted for inflation, based on info from the White House Office of Management and Budget. I give credit (or blame) for the first year of spending in a … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Mr. President, our military doesn’t need to be ‘saved’

Tim Welter | May 25, 2012, 10:26 am

As I reflect on the time that I spent as a cadet at the Air Force Academy, I recall that it was a point of anticipation each year for the senior class to find out who their graduation speaker would … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Iran bribes Afghan politicians to reject deal with U.S.

Ahmad Majidyar | May 25, 2012, 10:04 am

Afghanistan’s Pajhwok News Agency reports on Wednesday that Iran had allocated $25 million for blocking the parliamentary approval of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SPA) between Kabul and Washington. According to the report, Tehran has tasked an influential parliamentarian from eastern … read more >