04 | December | 2012

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tuesday night links

Mark J. Perry | December 4, 2012, 10:51 pm

1. 5 Parts of the Country with Labor Shortages 2. Excellent animated map of drilling and production in the Eagle Ford Shale. 3. 45 Most Powerful Photos of 2012 (HT: Marginal Revolution) 4. Mayor of Ithaca, NY Announces Support for … read more >

Carpe Diem

U.S. oil output has increased by one million barrels per day in just 14 months; September output is highest in nearly 15 years

Mark J. Perry | December 4, 2012, 10:27 pm

The Department of Energy reported today that the U.S. produced more crude oil in the month of September (almost 6.5 million barrels per day) than in any month since January 1998, almost 15 years ago (see chart above). In just … read more >

Economics, Taxes and Spending

Ask the scholars: Will America fall off the fiscal cliff?

Brittany French | December 4, 2012, 4:12 pm

There will not be much to celebrate come January 1 if Congress is unwilling to come to an agreement on taxes and spending. Assuming gridlock persists, we can expect high tax increases and automatic spending cuts that would likely plunge … read more >

Carpe Diem

The 2012 housing market recovery gains momentum

Mark J. Perry | December 4, 2012, 3:31 pm

CoreLogic is reporting today that its repeat-sales Home Price Index, based on sales prices for the same homes over time, posted a 6.3% year-over-year gain in October, which was the largest annual increase in home prices nationwide in more than … read more >

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan meets with new employees on Nov 13, 2012. Image Credit: US Department of Education (Flickr) (CC BY 2.0)

Society and Culture, Education

The future of education policy in Obama’s second term

Henrik Temp | December 4, 2012, 3:20 pm

America’s education policy therefore looks to be entering a period of consolidation and implementation rather than experimentation. read more >

Carpe Diem

US banks have most profitable quarter in six years

Mark J. Perry | December 4, 2012, 1:53 pm

The FDIC released its Quarterly Banking Profile today for Q3 2012, here are some highlights: 1. U.S. banks earned a total of $37.6 billion from July through September, a 6.6% increase compared to Q3 2011, and the most profitable quarter … read more >

Image Credit: www.audio-luci-store.it (Flickr) (CC BY 2.0)

Society and Culture, Education

Rethinking time, saving money

Allison Kimmel | December 4, 2012, 1:20 pm

Yesterday, a group of civic and political leaders including Education Secretary Duncan, Governor Malloy of Connecticut, and Governor Hickenlooper from Colorado came together to celebrate a new partnership between the National Center on Time and Learning and the Ford Foundation … read more >

Carpe Diem

Car sales in November were highest for the month since 2007, with new record highs for Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and BMW

Mark J. Perry | December 4, 2012, 12:24 pm

Car sales for November came in at a higher-than-expected 15.54 million units, which represents a 8.7% increase from October and a 14.7% increase from November of last year (see chart). Here are some other highlights: 1. November car sales were … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Banter #78: An interview with Bill Kristol

Stuart James | December 4, 2012, 10:57 am

Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly Standard Bill Kristol takes time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us this week and discuss some current events. Kristol, who started the magazine with Fred Barnes and friend of the show John Podhoretz back … read more >

Economics, Entitlements

Is raising the retirement age really regressive?

Andrew Biggs | December 4, 2012, 10:27 am

In his (most recent) piece on class warfare, Paul Krugman writes: Consider, as a prime example, the push to raise the retirement age, the age of eligibility for Medicare, or both. This is only reasonable, we’re told — after all, … 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. […]