News
Bloomberg | U.S. Industrial Production Fell in August
Industrial production in the U.S. shrank in August by the most since March 2009, reinforcing concern that a pillar of the expansion is faltering.
WSJ | Japan Cuts Economic Assessment
The Japanese government cut its assessment of the economy for the second straight month in September, as a slowdown in key export markets weighed on domestic demand and production.
Bloomberg | Retail Sales in U.S. Rose 0.9% in August on Auto Demand
Retail sales in the U.S. increased in August by the most in six months, easing concern about a larger pullback in the biggest part of the economy.
CNN Money | Who are the unbanked?
Nearly 10 million households across the country are living without a bank account. And in some states, these residents make up a big slice of the population.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Real Clear Markets | The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau's Overinflated Self-Image
Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will testify today in front of the Senate Banking Committee about the CFPB's most recent semi-annual report.
Investors | Obamanomics: The Results Are In
If President Obama had run in 2008 promising to cut family incomes, shove more people into poverty, create greater inequality and make people more dependent on the federal government — and that black Americans would fare worse than everyone else — would he have won that election?
NBER | Did Capital Requirements and Fair Value Accounting Spark Fire Sales in Distressed Mortgage-Backed Securities?
Much attention has been paid to the large decreases in value of non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) during the financial crisis. Many observers have argued that the fall in prices was partly driven by decreased liquidity and fire sales.
CATO | Book Review: What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets
Michael Sandel knows something about money. After all, the Harvard political philosopher exchanges his ideas for money—a lot of money, in fact. Now Sandel has written a book (available for $27) about what things should not be for sale.
Blogs
WSJ | World Bank Report: Less Complex Regulation Is Best for Developing Nations
Less may be more when it comes to financial regulation, especially in developing countries, according to a new report on from the World Bank, released to coincide with the anniversary of the September 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers.
AEI | Blessed are the poor in…
It seems downright peculiar to have an official income-based measure of poverty that isn’t affected at all by several of the largest anti-poverty programs. And it seems peculiar to base our official measure of poverty on income, when the fundamental concept of poverty is really about having a shortfall of consumption.
