20 | July | 2012

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

No inflationary pressures based on the BPP@MIT index and two measures of expected inflation

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 11:54 pm

The Billion Prices Project @ MIT just released daily online price index data through June 30, and the annual inflation rates from that price index are displayed in the chart above going back to late 2009 (red line in chart). … read more >

Carpe Diem

Quotation of the day: Let’s end discrimination

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 11:43 pm

“It’s wrong to discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, or religion, and it’s just as wrong to discriminate on the basis of one’s income or capital gains. It’s wrong to discriminate on the basis of whether a couple … read more >

Economics, Entitlements

What just happened to TANF?

Brad Wassink | July 20, 2012, 5:59 pm

Few have heard of George Sheldon, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The understated memo he issued to states late last week hasn’t garnered much press, either. Surprisingly little, given that the memo allows … read more >

Carpe Diem

Milton Friedman responds to President Obama’s claim that there is no such thing as individual achievement or merit

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 4:48 pm

President Obama: “Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are … read more >

Carpe Diem

Monthly Grammar Post/Rant

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 4:10 pm

1. The graphic above is titled “The Best Way to Prank a Grammar Nazi When They Leave their Phone Unattended.” 2. A CD reader recently sent an email to correct my recent post titled “Quote of the Day,” which should … read more >

Carpe Diem

Energy fact of the day

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 2:32 pm

INFORUM — “At the end of May, North Dakota had 336 idle wells that had been drilled but were waiting for fracking crews.” MP: Employment in North Dakota’s oil industry has more than quadrupled since 2008 (see chart above), but … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections

Give Erica Groshen an up-or-down vote ASAP

Michael R. Strain | July 20, 2012, 2:12 pm

Five months ago, President Obama nominated Erica L. Groshen to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics—the government agency which calculates many important measures of labor market performance, including the politically-important unemployment rate. Americans for Limited Government, a right-wing group, has … read more >

Carpe Diem

15-year-old invents pancreatic cancer test: 26,000x cheaper, 90% more accurate, 400x more sensitive than current tests

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 2:12 pm

Make: – “Maryland teenager Jack Andraka (featured in the video above) isn’t old enough to drive yet, but he’s just pioneered a new, improved test for diagnosing pancreatic cancer that is 90% more accurate, 400 times more sensitive, and 26,000 … read more >

Carpe Diem

The ‘economic miracle state’ of North Dakota leads the U.S. again with a 2.9% jobless rate in June

Mark J. Perry | July 20, 2012, 1:57 pm

While the overall U.S. labor market struggles through another jobless recovery with 41 straight months of unemployment above 8% starting in February 2009 (see chart), the state of North Dakota provides a remarkable contrast. The BLS released data today on … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Best of the foreign policy blogs (July 14-20)

Marc Thiessen | July 20, 2012, 1:30 pm

Here is the best of what AEI’s foreign and defense policy scholars are reading this week: Molly K. Hooper at The Hill reports on efforts by Republicans to pin the defense sequester on Obama Max Boot at Commentary Magazine writes … read more >

Hindsight Isn’t 20/20
Many lessons should be drawn from the U.S. experience in Iraq. Unfortunately, we’re not learning what we should. […]
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. […]