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Friday, February 24, 2012

Monetary

News                                                                                                                             
USA Today | More drivers than ever may pay $5 per gallon
More drivers than ever could soon be paying $5 for a gallon of gasoline. But the national average, up sharply in recent weeks, is still expected to top out at about $4.
CNN Money | Gas price surge: Up 10% this year
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 3.3 cents overnight, to $3.612, according to the motorist group AAA. That's the 16th consecutive increase.
CNBC | Republican House Bill Would Strip US Fed's Jobs Mandate
Seeking to make good on past threats in Congress to rein in the Federal Reserve's powers, a prominent Republican lawmaker said on Thursday he will introduce legislation to focus the U.S. central bank on a single mandate to fight inflation and protect the dollar's value.

Econ Comments & Analysis                                                                                            
WSJ | 'Stupid' and Oil Prices
'The American people aren't stupid," thundered President Obama yesterday in Miami, ridiculing Republicans who are blaming him for rising gasoline prices. Let's hope he's right, because not even Forrest Gump could believe the logic of what Mr. Obama is trying to sell.

Blogs                                                                                                                             
Library of Economics | How Real Wage Increases Have Been Understated
Over the years, In discussing the alleged decline in real U.S. median wages, I've pointed out that there are two important ways in which the growth in real wages has been understated
Daily Capitalist | The “Sound Dollar Act”
Rep. Kevin Brady (R) Tex., will introduce the “Sound Dollar Act” in March. Mr. Brady is Vice-Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee and must be under the influence of Ron Paul.
Tax Foundation | More Thoughts on Obama’s Corporate Tax Plan
As we wrote yesterday, the Obama administration should be given credit for recognizing that the U.S. corporate tax system is out of step with the rest of the world and their plan to cut the rate from 35 percent to 28 percent would represent a good first step toward making the U.S. more competitive.