Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Kudos to Ross Douthat for his rebuttal to David Brooks on Piketty. Now, who will rebut Douthat about recent tax-policy history?

It turns out that Paul Krugman is not the only NYT columnist/blogger who reads Angry Bear. Ross Douthat does, too! Okay, seriously: Douthat’s delicate-ballet filleting of Brooks’s take on Piketty is priceless. Now, maybe someone can fillet Douthat’s take on tax-rate increases for “Americans making (or inheriting) in the $100,000-$500,000 range,” which, he says, “is […]

Gail Collins (and me): Free Us From ‘Freedom’

To be fair, I don’t think Hannity had any idea about Bundy’s racial theories. However, it’s generally a good idea to be wary of lionizing people who go around saying: “I don’t recognize the United States government as even existing.” Anyhow, Cliven was toast, although he did make an appearance on CNN, in which he […]

The David Brooks Phenomenon: He does ‘rewrite’ for Megan McCardle! [UPDATED]

Piketty wouldn’t raise taxes on income, which thriving professionals have a lot of; he would tax investment capital, which they don’t have enough of. — David Brooks, The Piketty Phenomenon, New York Times, today Alexandra Petri has a trademark-funny piece today in the Washington Post that she promises tells you “[e]verything you need to know […]

Health Care Spending Spikes: Why?

You may have read that health care spending in the private sector picked up both in the fourth quarter of 2013, and during the first two months of this year. Recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show that during the last three months of 2013 spending on health care rose at an […]

SCOTUSblog’s Problem: It’s Not Incorporated [OK, I’m sure it is, but you get the point.]

Last week, the Senate Press Gallery denied SCOTUSblog’s application for a press pass, and advised us that it would refuse to renew the credential it had previously granted Lyle when it expires next month.  We were disappointed in that decision, and we are grateful for the support that we have received through social media, emails, […]

Scotus Friday roundup

Pretty good company to be in! Friday round-up The Court’s decision on Wednesday in McCutcheon v. FEC, striking down the aggregate limits on contributions to political parties, political action committees, and candidates for federal office, continues to dominate coverage of, and commentary on, the Court.  Yesterday this blog kicked off its symposium on the decision […]

Obamacare plans bring hefty fees for certain drugs? Really? Well … it depends on what the meaning of “bring” is.

MIAMI (AP) — Breast cancer survivor Ginny Mason was thrilled to get health coverage under the Affordable Care Act despite her pre-existing condition. But when she realized her arthritis medication fell under a particularly costly tier of her plan, she was forced to switch to another brand. Under the plan, her Celebrex would have cost […]

Americans Woke Up and Realized They are Getting Screwed. Envy Isn’t the Emotion They’re Expressing

by J Tizimeskes  (who is currently juggling a job in the private sector while studying for a Wayne State MBA, getting a blog post or two in when he can. Previously, he worked for New York State and holds a Masters in Political Science from University at Albany and a biology degree from University of […]