News
Market Watch | March industrial production flat for second month
Industrial production was unchanged in March for a second month, in what could be a sign of slowing momentum in the U.S. economy.
National Journal | Obama Push on Oil Markets Seen as More Political Than Practical
Under continued attack from Republicans for high oil and gasoline prices, President Obama unveiled on Tuesday a slate of measures to crack down on financial speculation in energy-futures trading, which Democrats say helps drive up prices.
WSJ | Argentina to Seize Control of Oil Firm
President Cristina Kirchner, in a move that marks a watershed in expanding the state's grip on the economy, said she will send a bill to Congress to nationalize Argentina's largest oil-and-gas company
Bloomberg | IMF Raises Global Forecast for First Time Since Early 2011
The International Monetary Fund raised its global growth forecast for the first time in more than a year, with the U.S. boosting the outlook while recent improvements remain “very fragile.”
Bloomberg | U.S. Housing Starts Unexpectedly Drop to Five-Month Low
Builders began work on fewer homes than forecast in March, signaling a sustained industry recovery will take time to get underway.
Bloomberg | German ZEW Investor Confidence Unexpectedly Improves
German investor confidence unexpectedly rose to a two-year high in April, suggesting Europe’s largest economy can weather the resurgent debt crisis in the euro region’s periphery.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Times | Sticky regulatory throttle
The Obama administration is so committed to redesigning the automobile that it’s taking over the way the gas and brake pedals are made to protect Americans from a nonexistent threat.
Bloomberg | How Shape-Shifting Banks Foil Dodd-Frank Act
Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) recently separated its U.S. investment bank from its bank holding company, removing it from supervision by the Federal Reserve.
WSJ | Banks Don't Need to Gamble With Taxpayer Money
The Volcker Rule—part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law—is necessary to correct a mistake that poses a danger to our economy.
NBER | Equity-Holding Institutional Lenders: Do they Receive Better Terms?
The past decade has seen significant changes in the structure of the corporate lending market, with non-commercial bank institutional investors playing larger roles than they historically have played.
Blogs
The American | Dodd-Frank threatens to reduce credit availability by $1.2 trillion
The Financial Times today carries a story that U.S. banks have been resisting a new Fed regulation—issued under the Dodd-Frank Act—that would limit their credit exposure to one another.
John B Taylor | New Model Validation of Stimulus Impacts
A paper just published in the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics sheds additional light on the Keynesian multiplier debate, which has surged since the 2009 stimulus package—ARRA—was enacted.
