News
Politico | Report: Federal workers losing faith
After almost a decade of increasing confidence, federal employees had less faith in their leaders in 2012 than they did the year before, according to a new report.
National Journal | Is Chained CPI the Wrong Solution to the Right Problem?
When President Obama releases his budget next week, it may include what some tout as an elegant solution to the nation's fiscal problems, a way of measuring price changes known as “chained CPI.”
Washington Post | A half-decade later: Areas of US economy that have, and haven’t, recovered from recession
From household wealth to spending at stores, many of the U.S. economy’s vital signs have recovered from the damage done by the Great Recession.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Forbes | We Can't Save Capitalism Unless We Denounce Its False Prophets
A debate is raging among free market advocates regarding the proper posture to take with respect to Too Big to Fail (TBTF) banks. This has become an increasingly important issue as the financial sector has grown to take up an unprecedented share of our economy.
Washington Times | The triumph of mediocrity
Bureaucrats aren’t very good at running anything but endless spools of red tape. Federal red ink has just topped $16.8 trillion, showing that neither Congress nor the White House is capable of managing the public purse.
CATO | Countries That Cut Debt, Taxes and Spending Are Thriving
Several European countries, including Cyprus, have been mired in economic stagnation or decline for five years or more. Yet other countries in Asia and Latin America have flourished. What are the weakest economies doing wrong? What are the strongest doing right?
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Health Care
News
National Journal | Healthy Benefits
As they strive to prove they are benefiting communities under the Affordable Care Act, nonprofit hospitals may become the latest battleground between fast-food purveyors and advocates of healthy—and preferably locally produced—cuisine.
CNN Money | Businesses could shun Obamacare exchanges
Small businesses were no great fans of Obamacare -- but at least they liked the promise of the health exchanges. Now, some of the benefits might not appear for at least a year.
Washington Times | Taxes heat up battle against ‘Obamacare’; focus turns to partial repeals
A tax on everything from X-ray machines to oxygen tanks took effect at the beginning of this year — one of about 20 taxes and fees included in President Obama’s health care law — and has emerged as the central battleground in the fight by the law’s opponents to repeal parts of the president’s overhaul.
Blogs
Heritage Foundation | Pressing States to Participate in Medicaid Expansion Is a Bad Idea
Heritage’s Stuart Butler, director of the Center for Policy Innovation, wrote at the JAMA Forum yesterday on the Obama Administration’s push for states to participate in the expansion of Medicaid.
National Journal | Healthy Benefits
As they strive to prove they are benefiting communities under the Affordable Care Act, nonprofit hospitals may become the latest battleground between fast-food purveyors and advocates of healthy—and preferably locally produced—cuisine.
CNN Money | Businesses could shun Obamacare exchanges
Small businesses were no great fans of Obamacare -- but at least they liked the promise of the health exchanges. Now, some of the benefits might not appear for at least a year.
Washington Times | Taxes heat up battle against ‘Obamacare’; focus turns to partial repeals
A tax on everything from X-ray machines to oxygen tanks took effect at the beginning of this year — one of about 20 taxes and fees included in President Obama’s health care law — and has emerged as the central battleground in the fight by the law’s opponents to repeal parts of the president’s overhaul.
Blogs
Heritage Foundation | Pressing States to Participate in Medicaid Expansion Is a Bad Idea
Heritage’s Stuart Butler, director of the Center for Policy Innovation, wrote at the JAMA Forum yesterday on the Obama Administration’s push for states to participate in the expansion of Medicaid.
Monetary
News
FOX Business | Bank of Japan Unveils Massive Stimulus Plan
The Bank of Japan unleashed the world's most intense burst of monetary stimulus on Thursday, promising to inject about $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years, a radical gamble that sent the yen reeling and bond yields to record lows.
CNN Money | ECB leaves rates unchanged
The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday despite continued economic turmoil.
FOX Business | Fed's Lockhart Will Not Rule Out Tapering of QE3
Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said on Thursday he would not totally rule out lowering the amount of bonds the U.S. central bank is buying by this summer, but cautioned about economic pullbacks mid-way through each of the last two years.
Econ Comments & Analysis
CATO | More Dollars to the IMF a Bad Idea
Pressure is mounting on the United States to ratify the reform of the International Monetary Fund, which the Obama administration unsuccessfully submitted for congressional approval last month. Congress should think twice before passing the reform — importantly because its thrust consists of doubling the amount the United States will owe the IMF — also known as the “quota.”
Real Clear Markets | Ben Bernanke Has the Fed In Uncharted Waters
In medieval times mapmakers used the phrase "Here be dragons" to denote dangerous or unexplored territory. That pretty much describes the journey Ben Bernanke is taking the Federal Reserve on these days. Monetary policy is in uncharted waters.
Washington Post | The central-bank ‘improvisers’
The bailout of Cyprus — if it can be called that — bore all the trappings of Europe’s standard response to its economic crisis. The last-minute, melodramatic rescue was complex, contentious and controversial. Decisions were taken that, for now, prevent Cyprus’s problems from spilling over to the 16 other countries that use the euro. But the same steps may make matters worse in the long run.
Blogs
WSJ | Should Fed Raise Rates to Curb Risk Taking?
The debate continues over whether the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates to address excessive risk-taking in financial markets.
FOX Business | Bank of Japan Unveils Massive Stimulus Plan
The Bank of Japan unleashed the world's most intense burst of monetary stimulus on Thursday, promising to inject about $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years, a radical gamble that sent the yen reeling and bond yields to record lows.
CNN Money | ECB leaves rates unchanged
The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday despite continued economic turmoil.
FOX Business | Fed's Lockhart Will Not Rule Out Tapering of QE3
Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said on Thursday he would not totally rule out lowering the amount of bonds the U.S. central bank is buying by this summer, but cautioned about economic pullbacks mid-way through each of the last two years.
Econ Comments & Analysis
CATO | More Dollars to the IMF a Bad Idea
Pressure is mounting on the United States to ratify the reform of the International Monetary Fund, which the Obama administration unsuccessfully submitted for congressional approval last month. Congress should think twice before passing the reform — importantly because its thrust consists of doubling the amount the United States will owe the IMF — also known as the “quota.”
Real Clear Markets | Ben Bernanke Has the Fed In Uncharted Waters
In medieval times mapmakers used the phrase "Here be dragons" to denote dangerous or unexplored territory. That pretty much describes the journey Ben Bernanke is taking the Federal Reserve on these days. Monetary policy is in uncharted waters.
Washington Post | The central-bank ‘improvisers’
The bailout of Cyprus — if it can be called that — bore all the trappings of Europe’s standard response to its economic crisis. The last-minute, melodramatic rescue was complex, contentious and controversial. Decisions were taken that, for now, prevent Cyprus’s problems from spilling over to the 16 other countries that use the euro. But the same steps may make matters worse in the long run.
Blogs
WSJ | Should Fed Raise Rates to Curb Risk Taking?
The debate continues over whether the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates to address excessive risk-taking in financial markets.
Taxes
News
CNN Money | Offshore tax shelters disclosed in leaked documents
Millions of leaked documents show a growing abuse of tax shelters by the rich around the world in an effort to avoid taxes, according to a report released Thursday.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Forbes | We Can't Save Capitalism Unless We Denounce Its False Prophets
A debate is raging among free market advocates regarding the proper posture to take with respect to Too Big to Fail (TBTF) banks. This has become an increasingly important issue as the financial sector has grown to take up an unprecedented share of our economy.
Blogs
Neighborhood Effects | What is a loophole?
If income is the base of taxation, it makes sense to allow firms to “write off” expenses necessary to earn that income. For capital items that wear out over time, expenses should be written off as the items wear out. Some provisions of the tax code, however, permit firms to write off big capital expenses in one year rather than gradually as the items depreciate.
CNN Money | Offshore tax shelters disclosed in leaked documents
Millions of leaked documents show a growing abuse of tax shelters by the rich around the world in an effort to avoid taxes, according to a report released Thursday.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Forbes | We Can't Save Capitalism Unless We Denounce Its False Prophets
A debate is raging among free market advocates regarding the proper posture to take with respect to Too Big to Fail (TBTF) banks. This has become an increasingly important issue as the financial sector has grown to take up an unprecedented share of our economy.
Blogs
Neighborhood Effects | What is a loophole?
If income is the base of taxation, it makes sense to allow firms to “write off” expenses necessary to earn that income. For capital items that wear out over time, expenses should be written off as the items wear out. Some provisions of the tax code, however, permit firms to write off big capital expenses in one year rather than gradually as the items depreciate.
Employment
News
FOX Business | Planned Layoffs Surge to Highest Amount in a Year
The number of planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in March but downsizing by retail companies still helped the first quarter rack up the largest amount of cuts in over a year, a report showed on Thursday.
CNN Money | Federal furloughs a non-event? Not so fast
Despite delays and cutbacks on furloughs, federal budget cuts are starting to take root.
Bloomberg | Stabilizing Confidence Shows U.S. Claims Jump Temporary
Confidence among U.S. consumers stabilized last week, easing concern the latest jump in jobless claims signals a setback in the job market.
Econ Comments & Analysis
NY Post | The A-But-Cs of the March job numbers
Wall Street doesn’t get more excited than when the US Labor Department puts out the monthly employment numbers. And tomorrow’s the day that happens.
FOX Business | Planned Layoffs Surge to Highest Amount in a Year
The number of planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in March but downsizing by retail companies still helped the first quarter rack up the largest amount of cuts in over a year, a report showed on Thursday.
CNN Money | Federal furloughs a non-event? Not so fast
Despite delays and cutbacks on furloughs, federal budget cuts are starting to take root.
Bloomberg | Stabilizing Confidence Shows U.S. Claims Jump Temporary
Confidence among U.S. consumers stabilized last week, easing concern the latest jump in jobless claims signals a setback in the job market.
Econ Comments & Analysis
NY Post | The A-But-Cs of the March job numbers
Wall Street doesn’t get more excited than when the US Labor Department puts out the monthly employment numbers. And tomorrow’s the day that happens.
Budget
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Times | When the government goes bankrupt
What happens when the government goes bankrupt? This question is one that sounds like a hypothetical exercise in a law school classroom from just a few years ago, where it might have been met with some derision. But today, it is a realistic and terrifying inquiry that many who have financial relationships with governments in America will need to make, and it will be answered with the gnashing of teeth.
Washington Times | When the government goes bankrupt
What happens when the government goes bankrupt? This question is one that sounds like a hypothetical exercise in a law school classroom from just a few years ago, where it might have been met with some derision. But today, it is a realistic and terrifying inquiry that many who have financial relationships with governments in America will need to make, and it will be answered with the gnashing of teeth.
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