WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012   ECONOMICS: Obama Goes on Offensive Over Taxes on Wealthy http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/us/politics/obama-to-make-case-for-buffett-rule.html All but certain now that his Republican opponent will be Mitt Romney, President Obama has made his proposed “Buffett Rule” minimum tax for the wealthiest Americans like Mr. Romney a centerpiece of his re-election campaign, defying the political risk of … Continue reading →

TUESDAY, ARPIL 10, 2012   ECONOMICS: White House highlights tax fairness ahead of Obama speech http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/10/us-usa-campaign-obama-buffett-idUSBRE8390CZ20120410 Taxes for America’s highest earners have fallen sharply since 1995, according to a White House report on Tuesday, released ahead of a speech by President Barack Obama on fairness in the tax code that is a key part of … Continue reading →

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2012   ECONOMICS: Federal Funds to Train the Jobless Are Drying Up http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/business/economy/federal-funds-to-train-jobless-are-drying-up.html With the economy slowly reviving, an executive from Atlas Van Lines recently visited Louisville, Ky., with good news: the company wanted to hire more than 100 truck drivers ahead of the summer moving season. But a usually reliable source … Continue reading →

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012   ECONOMICS: Europe’s Markets Are Tested Anew http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304072004577325611589982858.html New strains surfaced in European markets as a slide in the euro forced Switzerland’s central bank to intervene in currency markets and Spanish bond yields climbed to their highest level this year. While trading was thin ahead of the Easter break, traders said … Continue reading →

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012   ECONOMICS: Markets Fear End of Stimulus http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304072004577324130797553106.html Fears that the central banks of Europe and the U.S. may soon end efforts to support financial markets as well as fresh concerns about the health of Europe’s weakest countries drove down stock markets around the world Wednesday. European Central Bank President Mario … Continue reading →

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2012   ECONOMICS: As Home Rents Head Higher, Owning Regains Its Appeal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304750404577322011443831768.html Climbing rents for apartments are combining with a continued decline in home prices to push once-reluctant home buyers into finally taking the plunge, say economists and real-estate agents, helping what appears to be a good start to the housing … Continue reading →

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2012   ECONOMICS: OPINION: Beware of Budget Gimmickry (Bruce Bartlett) http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/beware-of-budget-gimmickry/ It’s clear that the United States is entering a long period of budgetary confrontation. Sooner or later, meaningful action on the budget deficit will be necessary. And despite the best hopes of budget hawks, the likelihood of a grand bargain that will … Continue reading →

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012   ECONOMICS: OPINION: Pink Slime Economics (Paul Krugman) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/opinion/krugman-pink-slime-economics.html The big bad event of last week was, of course, the Supreme Court hearing on health reform. In the course of that hearing it became clear that several of the justices, and possibly a majority, are political creatures pure and simple, willing to … Continue reading →