News
Bloomberg | Fed’s Dudley Sees Improving Global Economy Helping U.S.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William C. Dudley said the international economy is “gradually improving” in a trend that benefits U.S. growth.
Market Watch | Factory sector strengthens in January, ISM says
The nation’s manufacturing firms increased activity in January at the fastest pace since April, according to a closely followed survey of top executives released Friday.
National Journal | Pay No Attention to That Anemic Economy
A scaled-back gun-control bill has a chance of passing Congress, but lawmakers can’t forget about the economy.
Market Watch | Construction spending ends 2012 on high note
Construction spending jumped in December to wrap up a seven-year annual high as the housing market continued its recovery, the government reported Friday.
Bloomberg | U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Increase May Boost Spending
Confidence among American households unexpectedly rose last month in a possible benefit to consumer spending, the largest part of the economy.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Post | The role for business in fixing our broken budget
The Senate voted Thursday to suspend the debt limit, meaning Congress has effectively kicked down the road the threat that the United States would default on its obligations.
Washington Times | Economy progresses downward
When millions of voters went to the polls in November to narrowly re-elect Barack Obama, the economy was rapidly shrinking toward recessionary levels.
Washington Times | France’s economic slide
Look no further than France to see where the faltering U.S. economy is headed. President Obama has adopted a distinctly European fashion when it comes to expanding government and imposing tax hikes. For this, we can expect to achieve the same results as our ally on the Continent. France is “totally bankrupt,” Labor Minister Michel Sapin admitted this week.
Forbes | The Role of Capital Has Politicians Confused
The nonchalance with which politicians on both sides of the aisle discuss ever higher taxes as the solution to our endless budgetary ills is emblematic of a widespread and consequential misunderstanding of capital. Indeed, those who claim that higher taxes bring prosperity miss the point entirely. That is, they mistake means for ends.
Blogs
Economist | The notional solution
Population ageing has long been anticipated but is now gathering pace. The European Union’s working-age population is starting to fall but the number of pensioners will continue to rise.
CATO | Is Government a Threat to Our Freedom?
In 1995 Gallup pollsters found that 39 percent of Americans said that “the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.” Pollsters couldn’t believe it, so they tried again, taking out the word “immediate.” This time 52 percent of Americans agreed.
WSJ | Is Housing Recovery Finally Generating Jobs?
The U.S. housing industry has been slow to staff up during its recovery, but now that could be starting to change.
