Houston Chronicle –  “South Texas landowners getting fat checks from energy companies for drilling on their land have been a boon to banks based in the Eagle Ford Shale. Deposits at most of those banks have surged. The influx of deposits … read more >

1. From today’s Seattle Times: “The small businesses that drive the housing market are reporting signs that the industry may be experiencing a real comeback. At the beginning of the spring selling season, real-estate agents and homebuilders were optimistic about … read more >

New book now available from Amazon “Back from Serfdom: Restoring American Prosperity with a Pro-Market New Deal,” by Robert Dell (and just a little help from Mark J. Perry), here’s a description: “Government is essential to our well-being. But most … read more >

Thomas Sowell’s recent column about the “Fair Pay Act”: “The old — and repeatedly discredited — game of citing women’s incomes as some percentage of men’s incomes is being played once again, as part of the “war on women” theme. … read more >