News
CNN Money | It's going to be a tough quarter for banks
Many analysts also predict that loan growth slowed during the quarter, largely due to a huge uptick in demand in late 2012, when businesses and consumers rushed to borrow ahead of the fiscal cliff.
Bloomberg | Lacker Says Government Should Be Ready to Let Big Banks Fail
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker said plans to limit the size or change the structure of the largest financial institutions must be made with the intent of allowing them to fail without government aid.
Market Watch | NFIB small-business optimism index drops in March
The March small-business optimism index of the National Federation of Independent Business fell 1.3 points to 89.5.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Business Insider | The US Housing Recovery Is A Mirage And A Serious Delinquency Crisis Is Coming
At the end of March, it was announced that the 20-city Case-Shiller Index was up 8.1% year-over-year. Nearly all housing experts declared that this was further confirmation that the housing recovery was firmly in place.
CNN Money | Housing is back! Best moves for homebuyers
Six years after prices collapsed, housing has begun to climb out of its hole. So what are the best moves to make now? In a three-part series, we offer smart strategies for buyers, sellers, and owners in today's market.
Politico | Hey Congress: Get immigration reform done
Members of Congress have returned to our nation’s capital after a two-week break for the Easter holiday. And now that they’re all back, they should immediately address one of the most pressing issues facing our country: the need for responsible and comprehensive immigration reform.
Fortune | Wall Street remains too bullish on the job market
Economist Dean Baker, who called the jobs market correctly in March, says the outlook for hiring is likely to remain weak.
NBER | A Nation Of Gamblers: Real Estate Speculation And American History
The great housing convulsion that buffeted America between 2000 and 2010 has historical precedents, from the frontier land boom of the 1790s to the skyscraper craze of the 1920s. But this time was different.
CATO | Regulatory Protectionism: A Hidden Threat to Free Trade
Despite the impressive success of trade liberalization, domestic industries continue to find ways to use the power of government to protect themselves from foreign competition. The practice of using domestic environmental or consumer safety regulation as a way to disguise protectionist policy has become a serious and growing problem in the United States. This regulatory protectionism harms the U.S. economy and violates our trade obligations.
Blogs
Library of Economics | Is Econ a Mickey Mouse Major?
My intellectual conscience engages whenever I speak of "Mickey Mouse majors." After all, many people see my own discipline - economics - as a prime example. Are they wrong?
