24 | September | 2012

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Foreign and Defense Policy, Latin America

Congress demands response to Iranian push into Latin America

Roger Noriega | September 24, 2012, 5:08 pm

In a rare display of bipartisan unity in the U.S. Congress, the House last Friday (September 21) approved legislation that would require the administration to confront Iran’s hostile thrust into the Western Hemisphere. read more >

Image Credit: Yeshe (Flickr) (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Pethokoukis

5 ways in which America is becoming a nation of takers, not makers

James Pethokoukis | September 24, 2012, 4:59 pm

Myths vs. facts. read more >

Pethokoukis

10 stunning and myth-busting charts on the U.S. tax system

James Pethokoukis | September 24, 2012, 4:22 pm

The Tax Foundation just posted a ton of super-informative, myth-dispelling charts on the U.S. tax system. Here are a few that popped out at me, but there are plenty more at the Tax Foundation website. 1. The U.S. income tax … read more >

Pethokoukis

Does deposit insurance do more harm than good?

James Pethokoukis | September 24, 2012, 3:51 pm

You would have thought that after the Financial Crisis, it would have been a good time for policymakers rethink the efficacy of existing financial regulation — and not just slap another layer on top of the existing system. Instead we … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Obama: The instincts of an autocrat

Danielle Pletka | September 24, 2012, 2:49 pm

For those of us who follow foreign policy, Barack Obama’s hypocrisy on questions related to national security have become so routine, they’re almost boring. Remember Obama running against the “lawless” Bush administration and its illegal war in Iraq, its illegal … read more >

Pethokoukis

Is regulation one big reason why the Obama recovery has been so much weaker than the Reagan recovery?

James Pethokoukis | September 24, 2012, 12:48 pm

Why is the recovery so darned weak? I think there are several reasons. But economist John Taylor may have struck on one that you don’t hear much about — regulation I’ve come to the conclusion that the difference between the … read more >

Pethokoukis

Is America better off because Obama won 4 years ago?

James Pethokoukis | September 24, 2012, 12:22 pm

Are political pundits focusing on the wrong question? They might be, and that could explain why polls show Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney — despite the horrific economy. Maybe Ronald Reagan’s famous “Are you better off than you were four … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Iran-style street gangs to patrol Venezuela on Election Day

Roger Noriega | September 24, 2012, 11:54 am

The Spanish daily ABC revealed on Saturday that Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez will deploy gangs of street thugs to patrol the streets when 19 million voters go to the polls on October 7. With polls tightening dramatically in recent weeks, these … read more >

Image Credit: IK's World Trip (Flickr) (CC 2.0)

Economics, Health Care

West Nile Virus spreads but opposition to preventative measures remains

Roger Bate | September 24, 2012, 11:22 am

Victims of West Nile Virus (WNV) continue to increase across the United States. Since no vaccine currently exists, many Americans have grown concerned about their ability to protect themselves from the worst outbreak since the virus first hit the U.S. in 1999. read more >

Carpe Diem

Michigan economy shifts into high gear: Economic activity index rebounds in July to highest level since November 2002

Mark J. Perry | September 24, 2012, 10:47 am

From Comerica Bank this morning: Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index ( a composite index based on seven individual variables) surged ahead by 2.0 points in July, rising to a level of 107.9 (see chart above). The July index reading … read more >