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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

General Economics

News                                                                                                                             
Wall Street Journal | Global Growth Woes Threaten to Beset U.S. Economy
The specter of deflation in Europe and a slowdown in China and other emerging markets are threatening to hobble the U.S. economy at a time when the world could use a reliable growth engine.
Wall Street Journal | U.S. Consumer Prices Up 0.1% in September
Consumer prices rose slightly in September, the latest sign of modest U.S. inflation pressures amid concerns of a global slowdown.
CNN Money | Election issue: Why people still feel the economy stinks
Only 42% of those surveyed by CNN late last month thought the economy was in good shape. While that's the highest share since January 2008 and an improvement from the 29% who felt this way a year ago, it's still weak overall.

Health Care

Econ Comments & Analysis                                                                                            
Mercauts Center | Fortress and Frontier in American Health Care
For decades America’s health care debate has pitted Left against Right, federal against state, public against private. All sides, however, have shared a similar, inhibiting mindset—an excessive aversion to risk and deference to medical insiders—instead of stressing the ideal goal of better health care for more people at lower cost on a continuous basis.

Blogs                                                                                                                             
Daily Signal | 71% of Obamacare Signups Traced to Government’s Expansion of Medicaid
The vast majority of Americans  gaining health coverage under Obamacare actually qualified for Medicaid because of loosened eligibility —and that’s what boosted enrollment among those previously uninsured, a new report from The Heritage Foundation.

Monetary

Econ Comments & Analysis                                                                                            
Market Watch | The world’s best market timers: the Federal Reserve
Things were looking grim last week, especially on Wednesday, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at one point down by 460.
Real Clear Markets | Sorry William Dudley, Regulation Itself Is the Culture Killer
The Federal Reserve's talking heads have been hard at work over the last week. They have tackled issues ranging from early childhood education, to the Fed's "duty to advance the maximum well-being of all citizens," to regulatory compliance by financial firms. The Fed's musings on topics far outside of its mandate seem odd for an institution that has a lot more thinking to do about-just to throw out a crazy suggestion-monetary policy. But the Fed's regulatory mandate is also large, so its reflections on compliance are worth a closer look.

Taxes

Blogs                                                                                                                             
Daily Signal | Obama Tax Hikes Drive Federal Tax Revenue Above $3 Trillion for First Time Ever
The Treasury Department released this month figures showing that federal tax revenue exceeded $3 trillion in fiscal year 2014—the first time revenue surpassed that mark.

Employment

News                                                                                                                             
CNN Money | 6-figure oil jobs lead to massive shortage of home builders
In the oil boom towns of North Dakota, Texas and Colorado there's a big demand for new homes -- but there's no one to build them.

Budget

Blogs                                                                                                                             
Wall Street Journal | Americans’ Social Security Benefits to Likely Increase 1.7% in 2015
Americans who receive Social Security benefits will see a modest increase in their checks next year to cover higher consumer prices.