03 | December | 2012

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Substandard medicine is a greater danger than fakes

Today’s ruling on commercial speech will rein in FDA’s regulatory overreach

Scott Gottlieb | December 3, 2012, 4:14 pm

A major Federal Court ruling today could significantly impact FDA regulation of commercial speech (and of drugs). The agency may no longer be able to exert its regulatory authority over drugs by simply restricting the flow of certain “unapproved” scientific … read more >

US House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) (C) gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington in Washington, November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Pethokoukis, Politics and Public Opinion

The House Republicans make their counteroffer

James Pethokoukis | December 3, 2012, 3:30 pm

“Your move,” say the House GOP. read more >

Carpe Diem

Car sales in November could be highest since Feb. 2008

Mark J. Perry | December 3, 2012, 2:40 pm

With the Top 7 automakers all reporting their November sales, Ward’s Auto is estimating that light vehicle sales in November will be 15.47 million units (SAAR), which will be the highest monthly sales total since February 2008.

Economics, Entitlements

Current public pension investment policy is dangerously risky

Andrew Biggs | December 3, 2012, 1:57 pm

Pensions & Investments has a nice chart showing the evolution of public pension investment portfolios. Back in the early 1980s, public employee funds were made up of around 38% stocks, 50% bonds, 7% cash, and 5% “alternative investments,” which include … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Will a resurgent al Qaeda in Iraq target the homeland?

Marc Thiessen | December 3, 2012, 12:59 pm

Remember when Joe Biden said that Iraq “could be one of the great achievements of [the Obama] administration” — taking credit for the success of the surge that he and Obama opposed in the Senate, which had brought al Qaeda … read more >

Carpe Diem

Markets in everything: Peer-to-peer car rental

Mark J. Perry | December 3, 2012, 12:04 pm

At Getaround, you can rent a car from someone nearby. Convenient hourly rentals from $4.50 per hour. Full insurance included.

Image Credit: Leon E. Panetta (Secretary of Defense's Flickr stream) (CC BY 2.0)

Foreign and Defense Policy

A clandestine service for the DIA

Gary Schmitt | December 3, 2012, 11:42 am

Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is planning to expand significantly its clandestine human collection efforts. In theory, this is all to the good. For the longest time, the only real player in this game was … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

Obama budget plan refuses to recognize spending is the problem

James Pethokoukis | December 3, 2012, 11:25 am

Via Politico, here are the White House numbers on its budget proposal: Given that most of the descriptions of the initial White House offer on the fiscal cliff came from the GOP, there has been some misunderstanding of what’s actually … read more >

Carpe Diem

BBC interview with Shell CEO on the U.S. shale revolution

Mark J. Perry | December 3, 2012, 10:43 am

1. In this interview with the BBC, Royal Dutch Shell’s CEO Peter Voser discusses the shale gas revolution in the U.S., which he predicts will bring manufacturing production and jobs back to the U.S. in industries like petrochemicals, plastics and steel, thanks … read more >