News
CNN Money | Fiscal cliff deal would hit the rich - but it could have been worse
The rich will see a much bigger tax bill under the fiscal cliff deal, but even they will get some nice breaks.
Bloomberg | Euro-Area December Manufacturing Shrinks More Than Estimated
Euro-area manufacturing output contracted more than initially estimated in December, adding to signs a recession in the currency bloc may extend into this year as leaders struggle to tackle the sovereign-debt crisis.
Bloomberg | Outlook for 2013 Improves as U.S. Manufacturing Climbs
Manufacturing picked up in December, reflecting growth in orders, employment and exports that indicate the U.S. expansion will be sustained in 2013 following the budget deal.
Politico | 112th Congress legacy: Unfinished business
For two years, President Barack Obama and Congress ignored virtually every other pressing matter to engage in an ideological war over the size of government and who should foot the bill for it.
CNN Money | Fiscal cliff deal boosts world markets
World markets advanced Wednesday as lawmakers in the United States completed legislation that will mute much but not all of the fiscal cliff.
CNBC | Tech Giants Brace for More Scrutiny From Regulators
Silicon Valley lobbied hard in Washington in 2012, and despite some friction with regulators, fared fairly well. In 2013, though, government scrutiny is likely to grow. And with this scrutiny will come even greater efforts by the tech industry to press its case in the nation's capital and overseas.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Times | Obama needs to prove he’s serious about energy independence
Federal energy development is an important answer to the questions on jobs, national security, the environment and federal budget that plague our nation right now. A focus on energy production is crucial to reviving our economy. In particular, we must turn our attention to natural gas because America is awash in it.
WSJ | Lost Decade, Revisited
We said it four years ago: A lost decade was coming, though not as some mechanical inevitability of the housing bust. Rather, that financial crisis put politics in charge in a way that would burden the economy's growth for years to come.
Washingotn Post | Obama’s leadership failure
The “fiscal cliff” is a massive failure of presidential leadership. The tedious and technical negotiations are but a subplot in a larger drama.
WSJ | Nothing Is Certain Except More Debt and Taxes
Whatever ultimately emerges from the fiscal-cliff negotiations over the past 48 hours, the country will survive. But the damage can't be undone. Taxes are going up for all working Americans. And so is the size of government.
Forbes | Memo to Washington: Economic Growth Is Easy
With the U.S. economy continuing to limp along, the economics profession continues to cast about for answers to this seeming mystery. In truth, economic growth is easy, and the irony today is that economists themselves are arguably the greatest barrier to a rebound.
Heritage Foundation | The 10 Worst Regulations of 2012
During 2012, virtually every aspect of American life, from caloric intake to dishwasher efficiency, was subjected to government meddling.
Blogs
WSJ | Construction Spending Dropped in November
Spending on U.S. construction projects unexpectedly fell in November as home building slowed and federal government outlays plummeted.
