News
Market Watch | U.S. economy walks uneven path
The bubbling U.S. stock market might get more pop this week from positive sales trends in housing, but danger signs lurk in other parts of the economy.
CNN Money | Gas prices lower, but not leading to more spending
Gas prices are slightly lower this year, but that's not leading to a large pick-up in consumer spending, according to a survey by Bankrate.com.
Market Watch | Chicago Fed national activity index falls in April
The Chicago Fed's national activity index worsened in April, falling to negative 0.53 from negative 0.23 in March. The three-month moving average meanwhile was at negative 0.04 from negative 0.05 in March.
CNN Money | Oil-price manipulation: the next Libor?
Some of the world's biggest oil companies may have a new mess on their hands.
Washington Times | New top Realtor sees a rebound, but full recovery years away
As a Realtor in Orange County, Calif., Gary Thomas lives at the epicenter of the past decade’s epic housing boom and bust that is only now beginning to release the economy from its withering grip.
Market Watch | Japan raises economic outlook
The Japanese government said in its May report issued Monday that the nation's economy was slowly improving, marking an upgrade from its views in the April update, according to reports.
Econ Comments & Analysis
USA Today | 15% capital reserve is excessive: Opposing view
The financial services industry plays a vital role in fueling businesses to expand and create jobs, helping our economy to grow. At the same time, Americans should know that no institution should be too big to fail and that taxpayers should never again be put at risk in a future financial crisis.
WSJ | Red Tape Record Breakers
President Obama is opposing a bill passed by the House last week that would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to better measure the costs and benefits of new regulations. That's no surprise considering that the latest annual index of federal rules shows that Team Obama is now the red tape record holder.
Politico | Finding truth in the Keystone debate
Our national debate over the Keystone XL pipeline has reached a critical point as we await a decision. The decision to allow development of this pipeline is long overdue, and hopefully may finally come in just a few weeks or months. Despite the economic benefits its construction is sure to provide, critics continue to argue that the project poses too great a risk to American citizens and our environment.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Health Care
News
WSJ | Employers Eye Bare-Bones Health Plans Under New Law
Employers are increasingly recognizing they may be able to avoid certain penalties under the federal health law by offering very limited plans that can lack key benefits such as hospital coverage.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Post | Is the health-care spending slowdown for real?
We all know that Stein’s Law will someday apply to health-care spending, which has risen from 5 percent of the economy (gross domestic product) in 1960 to almost 18 percent now. What we don’t know is how and when its share of the economy will stabilize.
Real Clear Markets | Is This Really An Obamacare 'Train Wreck'?
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, an architect and supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), recently caught the Administration's attention when he voiced his concerns about the implementation of the health exchanges -- the centerpiece of Obamacare now scheduled to go live on October 1 -- saying that he sees "a huge train wreck coming."
NBER | Using Performance Incentives to Improve Medical Care Productivity and Health Outcomes
We nested a large-scale field experiment into the national rollout of the introduction of performance pay for medical care providers in Rwanda to study the effect of incentives for health care providers.
Blogs
Market Watch | Plans for equal Medicare, Medicaid drug payments saves billions: CBO
The Obama administration is looking to save up to $155 billion in various health-care programs over the next 10 years that have virtually nothing to do with the president’s initiative to get the nation insured and much to do with equalizing drug payments for government-sponsored coverage, according to a Congressional Budget Office report issued Friday.
Heritage Foundation | This Week’s Reasons to Repeal Obamacare
It has been over three years since Obamacare became law. This week, the House voted again to completely repeal it.
WSJ | Employers Eye Bare-Bones Health Plans Under New Law
Employers are increasingly recognizing they may be able to avoid certain penalties under the federal health law by offering very limited plans that can lack key benefits such as hospital coverage.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Post | Is the health-care spending slowdown for real?
We all know that Stein’s Law will someday apply to health-care spending, which has risen from 5 percent of the economy (gross domestic product) in 1960 to almost 18 percent now. What we don’t know is how and when its share of the economy will stabilize.
Real Clear Markets | Is This Really An Obamacare 'Train Wreck'?
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, an architect and supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), recently caught the Administration's attention when he voiced his concerns about the implementation of the health exchanges -- the centerpiece of Obamacare now scheduled to go live on October 1 -- saying that he sees "a huge train wreck coming."
NBER | Using Performance Incentives to Improve Medical Care Productivity and Health Outcomes
We nested a large-scale field experiment into the national rollout of the introduction of performance pay for medical care providers in Rwanda to study the effect of incentives for health care providers.
Blogs
Market Watch | Plans for equal Medicare, Medicaid drug payments saves billions: CBO
The Obama administration is looking to save up to $155 billion in various health-care programs over the next 10 years that have virtually nothing to do with the president’s initiative to get the nation insured and much to do with equalizing drug payments for government-sponsored coverage, according to a Congressional Budget Office report issued Friday.
Heritage Foundation | This Week’s Reasons to Repeal Obamacare
It has been over three years since Obamacare became law. This week, the House voted again to completely repeal it.
Monetary
Econ Comments & Analysis
Market Watch | Fed's Fisher wants to slow pace of MBS purchases
The Federal Reserve can only slow the pace of its mortgage-backed securities, as a sudden stop would be "too violent" for the market, said Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank on Monday.
Forbes | Everything You Hear About the Fed's 'Exit Strategy' Is Wrong
In modern times the role of money has been almost totally perverted by the commentariat. Though money’s sole purpose is as a measure that facilitates the exchange of actual wealth (your bread for my wine), the desire to get something for nothing is so great that people actually believe prosperity can be had with the revving up of a printing press.
AEI | How the Fed can unwind
As the Federal Reserve has continued to buy bonds to aid the economic recovery, critics of its actions, and even some supporters, have grown increasingly concerned about what comes after all of this “quantitative easing”: How will the Fed “unwind” its balance sheet — that is, sell off the bonds it has purchased — without harming the economy?
Market Watch | Fed's Fisher wants to slow pace of MBS purchases
The Federal Reserve can only slow the pace of its mortgage-backed securities, as a sudden stop would be "too violent" for the market, said Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank on Monday.
Forbes | Everything You Hear About the Fed's 'Exit Strategy' Is Wrong
In modern times the role of money has been almost totally perverted by the commentariat. Though money’s sole purpose is as a measure that facilitates the exchange of actual wealth (your bread for my wine), the desire to get something for nothing is so great that people actually believe prosperity can be had with the revving up of a printing press.
AEI | How the Fed can unwind
As the Federal Reserve has continued to buy bonds to aid the economic recovery, critics of its actions, and even some supporters, have grown increasingly concerned about what comes after all of this “quantitative easing”: How will the Fed “unwind” its balance sheet — that is, sell off the bonds it has purchased — without harming the economy?
Taxes
News
WSJ | States Bank On Online Sales Tax
Congress hasn't yet agreed to end tax-free shopping on the Internet, but some states already are planning how they'll spend the money.
WSJ | States Bank On Online Sales Tax
Congress hasn't yet agreed to end tax-free shopping on the Internet, but some states already are planning how they'll spend the money.
Employment
News
CNN Money | Federal workers under fire
The Internal Revenue Service scandal couldn't have come at a worse time for the nation's 2 million federal workers, who are desperate to end furloughs and get their first raise in three years.
Washington Post | Steady hiring pushes down unemployment rates in 40 US states in April; only 3 report increases
Solid hiring helped lower unemployment rates in 40 U.S. states last month, the most since November. The declines show the job market is improving throughout most of the country.
Blogs
FOX Business | Where the Jobs Are This Week
I am working for you to find you a job, a lead, an idea, but there is a group of Americans I have not helped: college graduates.
CNN Money | Federal workers under fire
The Internal Revenue Service scandal couldn't have come at a worse time for the nation's 2 million federal workers, who are desperate to end furloughs and get their first raise in three years.
Washington Post | Steady hiring pushes down unemployment rates in 40 US states in April; only 3 report increases
Solid hiring helped lower unemployment rates in 40 U.S. states last month, the most since November. The declines show the job market is improving throughout most of the country.
Blogs
FOX Business | Where the Jobs Are This Week
I am working for you to find you a job, a lead, an idea, but there is a group of Americans I have not helped: college graduates.
Budget
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Times | The deficit dip
The deficit is shrinking, but it’s too soon to celebrate a return to sanity. America is still sinking more into debt by the minute and is still on a path to ruin.
Blogs
Heritage Foundation | Washington Hits the $16.7 Trillion Debt Ceiling with $300 Billion in New Debt
On May 19, the United States hit its debt ceiling after adding $300 billion in more debt since lawmakers suspended the ceiling in February.
WSJ | Number of the Week: Class of 2013, Most Indebted Ever
$30,000: The average student-loan debt for a borrower who received a bachelor’s degree in 2013.
Washington Times | The deficit dip
The deficit is shrinking, but it’s too soon to celebrate a return to sanity. America is still sinking more into debt by the minute and is still on a path to ruin.
Blogs
Heritage Foundation | Washington Hits the $16.7 Trillion Debt Ceiling with $300 Billion in New Debt
On May 19, the United States hit its debt ceiling after adding $300 billion in more debt since lawmakers suspended the ceiling in February.
WSJ | Number of the Week: Class of 2013, Most Indebted Ever
$30,000: The average student-loan debt for a borrower who received a bachelor’s degree in 2013.
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