- Adding two points [sic–as in 2% plus 2 points=4%; terrible nerd humor] to the 4%-inflation-target discussion started by the economist Lawrence Ball.
- Discussing the Keystone pipeline and the tar sands oil market.
- Looking at S&P growth during President Obama’s time in office: it’s up 105%.
- Highlighting perverse outcomes of state Medicaid exemptions under the Supreme Court’s ACA decision.
- Revealing the results of our OTE survey on the gender composition of Congress. Drumroll, please…
- Examining China’s attempts to rebalance state and market forces: a key factor to watch is how much these potential new developments help improve the living standards of the poor and evolving middle class.
- Laying out relative pluses and minuses of potential alternatives for stopping international tax avoidance.
- Noting some facts on the impact of Japan’s aggressive stimulus program to inject $1.4 trillion into the economy over the next two years, including an inconvenient increase in gov’t bond yields.
- Relaying Bob Kuttner’s response to questions I posed in my review of his important new book, “Debtors’ Prison.”
- Presenting part five of the OTE Sequester Watch.
- Considering what can be learned from the Congressional hearing focused on Apple’s extensive tax avoidance.
- Illustrating that SNAP (food stamp) rolls are elevated for a reason.
- Highlighting a simple policy recommendation from Chuck Lane: to keep temporary deficit spending temporary, set triggers based on real variables to shut off your stimulus.
- Looking at the type of overreach that could tilt the delicate balance and scuttle the immigration deal.
Music: when the punditry overwhelms you, this week’s musical interlude from Mose Allison is a great remedy.