EconomyCommentary
Economic Crisis Survival: Germany Shows That Preparation Is Key
What do countries that weathered the Great Recession better than others have in common? They got in better shape before the crisis struck. Germany is… Read More
EconomyNews
Cutting Federal Spending, One Portrait at a Time
Conservatives are putting the finishing touches on legislation to end government spending on portraits of cabinet secretaries and members of Congress—artwork that regularly costs taxpayers… Read More
EconomyNews
Mississippi Named Most Corrupt State in the Nation
Mississippi has finally got a top ranking among the states. Problem is, it’s an achievement the state can do without. A study by researchers Cheol Liu… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Lousy Weather Isn’t the Reason for Our Disappointing Economy
Despite massive fiscal and monetary stimulus since the financial crisis, the economy continues to disappoint. The big news this past week was that the BEA… Read More
EconomyNews
California Can’t Convince Drivers to Trade in Clunkers for Cash
California is paying drivers to get their air-polluting cars off the road—and will throw in some cash to get a newer, more fuel-efficient model. But… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Small-Business Friendly States Experiencing Higher Growth
Eleven state governments received “D’s” or “F’s” in terms of small business friendliness, according to an annual survey of business owners conducted by Thumbtack.com. Rhode… Read More
EconomyCommentary
For Poorer Workers, the Recession Is Nowhere Near Over
The more you play a sport or instrument, the better you get. It’s the same story with work: with more experience, workers become more productive… Read More
EconomyNews
Cheeseheads Prompt Federal Agency to Back Off Regulatory Threat
MADISON, Wis.—Don’t tell cheeseheads how to make their cheese. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration learned this recently when word surfaced the agency might be… Read More
EconomyCommentary
9 Government Programs Your Tax Dollars Are Being Wasted On
If someone approached you on the street and asked for a dollar to promote mohair exports—or to perfect a weight-sensing skateboard—would you give it to… Read More
EconomyNews
Eric Cantor’s Loss Reverberates at Boeing, Biggest Beneficiary of Export-Import Bank Subsidies
Boeing, the biggest beneficiary of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, watched its stock drop by the biggest margin in months following House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s… Read More
EconomyNews
Congressman Says It’s ‘Frightening’ That Obama Thinks $3.5 Trillion in Spending Is ‘Austere’
As far as Rep. Tom Price is concerned, it’s not that “the age of austerity is over,” as President Obama proclaimed earlier this year. It’s… Read More
EconomyNews
Study: Texas, Utah and Idaho Rated Friendliest States by Small Business Owners
Small business owners in Texas, Utah, Idaho, Virginia and Louisiana rated their states as having the friendliest business environments, according to a study released this… Read More
Operation Choke Point: FDIC Cooperated with Justice Department
When reports of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Operation Choke Point surfaced in 2013, the Obama Administration insisted that the program was meant to stop… Read More
EconomyNews
Why One Walmart in North Dakota Is Paying $17.40 an Hour
A Walmart store in Williston, N.D., is offering to pay entry-level workers as much as $17.40 per hour—nearly 2½ times the federal minimum wage—in an… Read More
EconomyNews
Vermont Governor Signs Minimum Wage Hike at Bakery Unaffected by Law
MIDDLESEX, Vt.—Gov. Peter Shumlin yesterday signed a law requiring businesses in Vermont to pay workers a minimum wage of $10.50. The kicker? Shumlin, a Democrat, staged… Read More
Conservatives: Obama’s Approach to Student Loans Hurts Millennials
The job market and student loan debt had lawmakers waxing philosophical at today’s Conversations with Conservatives event on Capitol Hill. “When I graduated from undergrad,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
TPP: The Right Choice for Taiwan
The U.S. is the driver in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks and should take the lead in making Taiwan a part of it. Taiwan’s role… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Don’t Believe The Hype About Trade Deficits. Here’s The Real Story.
One of the most persistent and misguided myths in economics is that trade deficits weaken the U.S. economy. For example, after the government released data… Read More
EconomyNews
3 Major U.S. Airlines Fight to Cancel Cheaper International Travel
A measure aimed at grounding an upstart airline offering affordable fares for transcontinental travel appears headed for a vote in the House of Representatives. The… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress Going Postal to Bail Out Highway Trust Fund
House leadership’s recent proposal to use savings gained from reforming the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to bail out the dwindling Highway Trust Fund (HTF) has… Read More
EconomyCommentary
House Committee Targets Dodd-Frank Agencies
The House Financial Services Committee is set to mark up more than a dozen bills Tuesday, all aimed at reforming financial market regulations. Most of… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Monetary Policy Is Not Europe’s Panacea
European Central Bank (ECB) officials made a splash in monetary policy circles this week by announcing new measures to battle deflation within the eurozone countries…. Read More
EconomyNews
Seattle Mayor Says $15 Minimum Wage Is ‘Model for the Nation’
A week ago, Seattle made history when it bumped its minimum wage to $15 an hour, and yesterday Mayor Ed Murray defended the city’s move,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Why Is This Government Program Allowed to Hurt American Companies?
Rare is the issue that unites Michigan’s Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow with their chamber’s most conservative members. But when federal subsidies to… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Surprising States That Have Greater Income Inequality
For those in Washington obsessed with reducing income inequality, the standard prescription involves raising taxes on the well-to-do, increasing the minimum wage, and generally expanding… Read More
EconomyNews
Is the Gold Standard Making a Comeback?
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Republican Rep. Jack Kemp’s introduction of the Gold Standard Act of 1984—a bill that some regard as the last… Read More
EconomyNews
Consumers Hit With Surcharge to Cover City’s $15 Minimum Wage
In the city of SeaTac, Wash., where the minimum wage is now $15 an hour, one business is charging customers a “living wage” surcharge. An… Read More
EconomyAnalysis
May’s Jobs Report: Lowest Percentage of Americans Working in Decades
There was good news and bad news in today’s jobs report, and both came from what the report did not show. The did not show either the warning or… Read More
EconomyCommentary
High-Standards TPP Will Benefit U.S. and Vietnam
This week, Vietnamese leaders welcomed a business delegation led by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Vietnam is a negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership… Read More
EconomyNews
Virginia DMV Attempts to Shutter Ridesharing Companies Uber, Lyft
Just when you thought you couldn’t despise the Department of Motor Vehicles any more, Virginia’s DMV decided to wage war against popular passenger carrier companies… Read More
