News
CNN Money | Zombie foreclosures: Borrowers hit with debts that won't die
Borrowers are discovering that their foreclosed homes are coming back to haunt them -- long after they have moved out.
Bloomberg | JPMorgan Leads U.S. Banks Lending Least Deposits in 5 Years
The biggest U.S. banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. are lending the smallest portion of their deposits in five years as cash floods in from savers and a slow economy damps demand from borrowers.
CNN Money | Home construction off to strong start
Home construction got off to a strong start in 2013, as builders filed for the greatest number of permits in more than four years in January
Econ Comments & Analysis
Real Clear Markets | The Obama "Recovery:" Less Unemployment, But More Dependence
A strange and disturbing new social pattern is unfolding before our eyes in America today: growing dependence on government handouts in the face of declining unemployment rates. Though we are now preparing to enter into the fourth year of recovery from our Great Recession, the roster of Americans seeking and obtaining entitlement benefits from our government just seems to keep on going up.
WSJ | Take the Public-Private Road to Efficiency
In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out an array of new spending proposals, including a $50 billion plan for highways, bridges and other projects. He wants to attract "private capital" for the plan, but the problem is that federal planners would remain in control of the allocations.
Washington Times | Energy’s bad charges
The White House insists investments in renewable-energy technologies will pay off with a strong middle class. As President Obama declared in last week’s State of the Union, increasing government spending on solar panels will “drive down costs even further” and kick off an explosion in the green jobs of the future.
NY Times | ‘Currency War’ Is Less a Battle Than a Debate on Economic Policy
Never mind about North Korea; the talk in some quarters is that the biggest threat to Asia and the rest of the world today may very well be a “currency war,” in which countries race to devalue their currencies in a desperate attempt to stimulate growth.
Blogs
WSJ | Recession Prompted Big Spike in Short-Distance Moves
The recession forced a surprisingly high number of Americans to make short-distance moves, new research shows.
Heritage Foundation | Calvin Coolidge: Bigger Government Isn’t Better
Less than a century ago, the United States enjoyed an economic boom under the leadership of a quiet, restrained, and often forgotten American. Calvin Coolidge valued limited government and based his action (or more often inaction) on his commitment to personal responsibility, frugality, and honesty.
Neighborhood Effects | Why did the ratings agencies mess up so badly?
When companies or countries issue debt, ratings agencies assign grades based on how creditworthy the issuers are believed to be. Low grades can cost the issuers dearly.
