Unlike September’s troubling inflation statistics, yesterday’s release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the October consumer price index is more reassuring.
Author Archives: James_Hamilton
Oil grilling
Sometimes I like to base exam questions for my students on recent news. Here’s an exam question to see how thoroughly students understand the economic issues associated with today’s allegations about oil companies and the Cheney energy task force.
Facing the 900-pound gorilla
Sooner or later we have to do something about Medicare. Why not sooner?
Peak Oil at the American Enterprise Institute
A week ago I participated in a discussion at the American Enterprise Institute on peak oil. A video of the event can be downloaded from E&ETV and a transcript is available from Peak Oil News.
Does it matter whether Bernanke is a Republican?
Mr. Dooley told us that the Supreme Court watches the election returns. So also must the Chair of the Federal Reserve.
Menzie Chinn joins Econbrowser
I’m pleased to report that Menzie Chinn has agreed to sign on as a regular contributor to Econbrowser, so that the official staff of our little enterprise has now doubled. Those who have followed his outstanding earlier contributions as a guest blogger should be as happy as I am with this development.
Senate finds the facts about Big Oil
The
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources grilled oil company executives yesterday about their role in recent oil price increases. For some reason I did not find any coverage in the mainstream media of this very interesting exchange between the senators and oil tycoon Jed Clampett.
Gasoline prices down
Gas prices have dropped a lot, and further declines are in sight. What’s that mean for fuel demand and the overall economy?
Latest employment statistics: the clear thing is that it’s not at all clear
Last week’s GDP statistics and this week’s productivity data gave us something to cheer about. Friday’s employment figures do not.
Autos continue to tank
The worst October for U.S. auto sales in the last 13 years, it was.