A contrarian perspective on employment growth
Rising gas prices: whom should we blame this time?
U.S. gasoline prices are again moving quickly up. Some of the politicians who are looking for a scapegoat might do well to look in a mirror.
Specter’s antitrust bill
I share the concerns expressed at Mises Economics Blog and the Voluntary Trade Council about antitrust legislation introduced this week targeting both domestic and foreign oil producers.
Real vs. nominal, seasonally adjusted vs. nsa
A primer on real, nominal, physical units, and seasonal adjustment
An open letter to the Honorable Judge Carl J. West
My two cents worth on the multimillion dollar class-action lawsuit that was filed on my behalf against Ralphs Grocery Company.
February Trade Figures
A (semi-) Positive Surprise on the trade balance
War fears and the price of oil
More talk this week of war with Iran, and the price of oil jumps right up. Maybe the two are related, and maybe not.
External scientific advice at the Department of Energy
Energy department abolishes science advisory board
Who’s grumpy about this week’s good economic news?
People who bought long-term Treasuries at 4.3%, that’s who.
The yield curve and predicting recessions
Jonathan Wright, a brilliant research economist at the Federal Reserve Board, recently completed a very interesting paper titled The Yield Curve and Predicting Recessions. Wright’s research seems to have been influential in Fed Chair Ben Bernanke’s recent assessment that the current very flat yield curve does not signify a coming significant economic slowdown.