News
FOX News | Bankrupt solar panel firm took stimulus money, left a toxic mess, says report
A Colorado-based solar company that got hundreds of millions of dollars in federal loan guarantees before going belly-up didn't just empty taxpayers' wallets - it left behind a toxic mess of carcinogens, broken glass and contaminated water, according to a new report.
FOX Business | Midwest Manufacuring Activity Hits March 2011 High
The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago’s gauge of manufacturing activity surged in October to 65.9 from 55.7 in September, while economists expected activity to fall to 55.
Bloomberg | Consumer Confidence in U.S. Declines to More Than One-Year Low
Consumer confidence eroded for a fifth straight week, reaching the lowest level in more than a year as pessimism about the economy chipped away at views of conditions closer to home.
CNN Money | Young and smart, but Millennials face homebuying hurdles
High debt levels and weak job prospects have made it hard for many young, educated Americans to buy homes, and that could be a drag on the housing market for years to come.
Bloomberg | U.S. Mortgage Rates at 4-Month Low Fall for Second Week
U.S. mortgage rates dropped for a second week, keeping borrowing costs at a four-month low as the Federal Reserve signaled that it would press on with its stimulus plan aimed at holding rates down.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Forbes | The Fossil Fuel Industry Must Vigorously Defend Itself Against Attacks From Environmentalists
Every day you concede the high ground to environmentalists not only means millions of dollars in projects delays, but another blow against the rights of peoples around the world to life, liberty, and the pursuit of energy.
WSJ | Progressive Government Fails
A reader remarked last week that Barack Obama is running out of human shields. With the father of ObamaCare unavailable to explain the greatest fiasco of his presidency to Congress, the American people had to settle Wednesday for his surrogate, Kathleen Sebelius.
WSJ | China's Illusory Growth Numbers
Beijing appears to be on track, yet again, to hit its official growth target. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, gross domestic product rose 7.8% in the third quarter of 2013, well on its way toward hitting the official target of 7.5% GDP growth for the year.
Forbes | Death by Extortion: How Politicians and Crony Capitalists Are Destroying The American Dream
The explosive growth in government regulations impose huge costs on productive activities. The arbitrary way in which they are enforced causes more insidious damage.
Blogs
WSJ | Which Countries Invest the Most Money in the U.S.?
President Barack Obama and other officials are expected to announce Thursday that U.S. embassy staff, economic officials and even the White House will start closely coordinating their efforts to lure investment from key countries in order to boost sluggish job growth at home.
CATO | Keynesian Economics, Government Shutdowns, and Economic Growth
Keynesian economics is the perpetual motion machine of the left. You build a model that assumes government spending is good for the economy and you assume that there are zero costs when the government diverts money from the private sector.
