18 | December | 2012

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Homebuilder ETFs close today at highest levels since 2007

Mark J. Perry | December 18, 2012, 11:07 pm

Two major homebuilder ETFs (exchange-traded funds) closed today at their highest levels since July 2007, almost five and one-half years ago, as the housing sector recovers and “continues to lead the U.S. stock market higher in 2012.” The blue line … read more >

Carpe Diem

Tuesday night links

Mark J. Perry | December 18, 2012, 10:02 pm

1. Markets in Everything: Florida Man Auctions Off His Last Name for $45,500 and he’ll now be Jason HeadsetDotCom for one year. 2. Cool Interactive Map Showing the Voting History of US States in Every Presidential Election from 1868 to … read more >

Carpe Diem

Video: Fat Santa is an obesity poster boy, he outsources toy-making overseas using slave labor, and he abuses animals

Mark J. Perry | December 18, 2012, 5:14 pm

Economics, Pethokoukis

Is tax reform being oversold?

James Pethokoukis | December 18, 2012, 3:57 pm

“Lower the rates and broaden the base” is the mantra of tax reformers everywhere. But Ramesh Ponnuru has his doubts about the wisdom of doing so: Almost everyone thinks we should broaden the tax base; that is, reduce the number and size … read more >

Carpe Diem

Home builder confidence highest since 2006, Houston home prices highest ever for November, Pulte stock triples in 2012

Mark J. Perry | December 18, 2012, 3:30 pm

1. From today’s National Association of Home Builders report on builder confidence in December: Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose for an eighth consecutive month in December to a level of 47 on the National … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Europe and Russia

Remembering Vaclav Havel

Veronika Polakova | December 18, 2012, 3:18 pm

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic and the leader of the country’s struggle against totalitarianism culminating in the 1989 Velvet Revolution. read more >

12.18.12 Gallup Economic Confidence Index

Politics and Public Opinion, Polls

Americans remain confident that the economy will improve despite fiscal cliff worries

Henrik Temp | December 18, 2012, 2:52 pm

Despite the fact that at least 60% of Americans believe the fiscal cliff will have a negative impact on the country as a whole and their own personal financial situation, overall confidence in the US economy has remained steady over the past several weeks. read more >

Pethokoukis

The explosion in Supplemental Security Income recipients

James Pethokoukis | December 18, 2012, 2:50 pm

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently wrote about the perverse incentives caused by the Supplemental Security Income program: This is painful for a liberal to admit, but conservatives have a point when they suggest that America’s safety net can … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

Are we suffocating entrepreneurs and ‘Start-up America?’

James Pethokoukis | December 18, 2012, 2:11 pm

There are nearly 5 million small businesses in America, firms with less than 500 employees. On average, they employ 11 workers each and produce $1 million of output annually. They account for 60% of job creation, and nearly half of all employment … read more >

Society and Culture, Education

It’s time to bring a culture of competition to education

Arthur C. Brooks | December 18, 2012, 11:47 am

My colleague Rick Hess has a great op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal on the irrational fear of for-profit education that too many people harbor, and the education policy bias against the private sector: K-12 schooling is a $600 billion-a-year … read more >