Major Economic Confusion  Anybody confused by recent economic reports is not alone. The BEA has just reported a totally unexpected decline in real GDP for the first quarter of a 1.4% annual rate.  At the same time layoffs have reached a half century low and employment continues to rise.  How can we have an apparently […]

Mitt Romney proposes reducing tax brackets by 20% and cutting the estate tax (to zero IIRC). He will keep or expand favored treatment of capital gains and dividends. He claims that he doesn’t plan to cut taxes for the rich. He claims that he will avoid such cuts by eliminating deductions, credits and exclusions. One […]

by Mike Kimel Holiday Gift Guide Advice Megan McArdle just put out what she calls the “Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Kitchen Edition. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t contain the sort of things that I (or I think, most Americans) would likely buy. A Chinois, a KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker Attachment (which apparently is only useful […]