The Trump executive order on coal and the continuing shift to natural gas because of market forces

03/28/2017

Linked Articles

Despite Trump Move on Climate Change, Utilities’ Shift From Coal Is Set to Continue

WSJ 03/28/2017

Cassandra Sweet

The Guardian 03/28/2017

David Smith

2016 U.S. presidential candidate Jeb Bush's Tax Plan that spells out details, and takes a shot at 4% growth for restoring lost social and economic mobility in the U.S.

09/09/2015

The efforts to wrestle with the deficit in 2011-2012 led to a vigorous debate on changing the tax code, yet political leaders failed to take up new ideas or spell out the details. Jeb Bush, with advisors Martin Feldstein and Kevin Warsh, takes the unconventional approach of putting in the details, and taking up ideas such as the idea of limiting itemized deductions to 2% of adjusted gross income proposed by Feldstein in that debate. On the $2.1 trillion in income held overseas by U.S. companies Bush proposes 8.75% tax paid over 10 years. On business investment he proposes capital investment be allowed to be deducted in full immediately. It is based on the idea that business investment can drive a vigorous recovery, that workers bear 50% of the burden of higer taxes through sluggish wage growth. It levels the playing field for debt and equity capital, removing "carried interest" provision, as a lesson from the excessive leverage taken by financial institutions in the past.

Linked Articles

The Bush Growth Plan

Wall Street Journal 09/10/2015

Editorial

New York Times 09/09/2015

Alan Rappeport, Alan, Rappeport, Matt Flegenheimer, Matt, Flegenheimer

The miscalculations and missteps of Russian president Putin in 2014 leading to a major crisis for the Russian economy in 2015

12/18/2014

A major miscalculation was totally misjudging Merkel and post-war German public opinion about policies that remind people about the period between the two World Wars- this is anathema to Germans who see the European Union as a way to build a new and different Europe. The other miscalculation was on how a foreign adventurous policy in Syria would affect Sunni world opinion, in particular Saudi Arabia. Just as Brezhnev took Russia into Afghanistan where Russia had no vital interest leading to eventual Soviet collapse, Putin risked alienating a key member in OPEC pricing moves and hurting Russia's economic interest. By not listening to Kudrin, the head of Sberbank, and other economic advisers from the first and second terms of the Putin-Medvedev administrations, Putin opened the door to two years of serious missteps, risking the very real accomplishments of the first and second term of creating a stable growing Russian economy with close economic ties to Europe. The only positive outcome of the crisis and low oil prices would be making the shift away from oil dependence, which was talked about but never seriously attempted in the Putin administrations. For this to happen major new investments would have to be made and technology links to the outside strengthened, both hammered by the missteps in 2013-2014. The irony of all this is that Putin gained the support of rural Russians in the countryside in the 2012 presidential elections by promising no return to the economic crisis conditions following earlier ruble collapses. Now by ignoring Kudrin and other wiser counsel from the first and second administrations he does just that.

Linked Articles

Putin’s Year of Defiance and Miscalculation

Wall Street Journal 12/18/2014

Gregory White, Gregory, White, Anton Troianovski, Anton, Troianovski

Wall Street Journal 12/18/2014

Alexander Kolyandr, Alexander, Kolyandr, James Marson, James, Marson

China, the U.S. and Japan- the task of reestablishing peaceful cooperation in the Pacific region after the missteps of 2011-2013

07/09/2014

Meetings for the sixth round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Bieijing between the U.S. and China, and Japanese prime minister's address to the Australian parliament in Canberra, at about the same time in July 2014, showing how the path of peaceful cooperation will have to be actively pursued to remain a reality. Underpinning the hopes of China, Japan and neighboring countries in Asia is the U.S. will and purpose for maininting the post war peace and stability for the benefit of all, that at times has been missing in the words and actions of the Obama administration. Lack of peace in the region would seriously affect China's effort to bring better incomes to the large majority of people still in the countryside and leave China stuck in middle income status of countries like Mexico, damage the prospects of improving incomes of billions of people in India, other parts of Asia and Latin America. In this sense the Japanese people have shown the wisdom of keeping the conditions of peace that have prevailed for the post war period, and the U.S. with undiminished will and purpose in its post war role can affirm the hopes of the people of the region, including the hope of people in China, India, Japan, S. Korea, and Latin America.

Linked Articles

U.S., China try to emphasize potential for cooperation - The Washington Post

Washington Post 07/09/2014

Simon Denyer, Simon, Denyer

Wall Street Journal 07/09/2014

Yuka Hayashi, Yuka, Hayashi

The events in Lviv and in the Square in Kiev Feb-20-21, 2014, that led to the collapse of the Yakunovych government in Ukraine

02/22/2014

A parallel diplomatic effort that may have been driven by the events in Lviv and in the Square and underestimated the depth of feeling in Ukraine and the organization of the protest movement.

Linked Articles

As His Fortunes Fell in Ukraine, a President Clung to Illusions

New York Times 02/23/2014

Andrew Higgins, Andrew, Higgins, Andrew E. Kramer, Andrew, E., Kramer, Steven Erlanger, Steven, Erlanger

Wall Street Journal 02/22/2014

Bertrand Benoit, Bertrand, Benoit, Laurence Norman, Laurence, Norman, Stephen Fidler, Stephen, Fidler

Faces of workers quitting work or reducing hours as they qualify for subsidies on health insurance under the Obama Healthcare Law

02/05/2014

Faces of the workers taking subsidies available to lower income workers under the Obama Health Care Law. The Congressional Budget Office projections for 2021 show about the equivalent of 2.3 million workers worth of hours reduced as a result of the healthcare law subsidies giving workers more choice. Many use the time to work on startup business or child care for grandchildren. The jobs freed up and the hours could be taken up by other workers looking for jobs. Gains in childcare would be another result.

Linked Articles

Health Law To Cut Into Labor Force

Wall Street Journal 02/05/2014

Louise Radnofsky, Louise, Radnofsky, Damian Paletta, Damian, Paletta

Washington Post 02/09/2014

Sandhya Somasekhar, Sandhya, Somasekhar

Norway parliament's decision to divest holdings in companies 30% dependent on coal opens up the debate on coal- (1) the issue for Africa stated by the Copenhagen COnsensus

12/03/2013

Linked Articles

Norway Will Divest From Coal in Push Against Climate Change

New York Times 06/05/2015

John Schwartz, John, Schwartz

New York Times 12/03/2013

Bjorn Lomborg, Bjorn, Lomborg

Insights into the thinking of Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke for a strong labor market before increasing interest rates

07/18/2013

Yellen is expected to look beyond the unemployment rate target of 6.5% set by Bernanke in Dec. 2012, and give emphasis to the long term unemployed. Bernanke also mention the under employment rate as an additional factor to consider.

Linked Articles

Don’t Expect Job Data Alone to Persuade Fed on Rates

New York Times 01/23/2014

Floyd Norris, Floyd, Norris

Wall Street Journal 07/18/2013

Jon Hilsenrath, Jon, Hilsenrath, Victoria Mcgrane, Victoria, Mcgrane

Greece and living up to euro currency responsibilities- efforts under Papadopoulos 2002, Giannitsis 2001, Manos 1998 and Tsipras's commitment in 2015 15

01/28/2013

Can Greece live up to its euro currency responsibilities, is the question raised inside the eurozone, as Greece renews its commitment to reforms to build a modern economy. A look back at politicians who emphasized euro currency responsibilities and the candid remarks by Tsipras in an intervew with Bret Stephens of the WSJ.

Linked Articles

The Politicians Who Warned Greece—but Were Ignored

Wall Street Journal 07/11/2015

Matina Stevis, Matina, Stevis

Wall Street Journal 01/28/2013

Bret Stephens, Bret, Stephens

Auditor General and Supreme Court three panel bench in India agree that there was an improper allocation of coal licenses in India

12/28/2012

India's Supreme Court confirms in August 2014 an earlier report by the Auditor General about improper allocation of coal licenses under the Congress party administration of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Because this is in a strategic sector of energy where India has fallen behind it has many implications for declining economic growth.

Linked Articles

India Allocated Coal Fields to Private Companies Illegally, Top Court Rules

New York Times 08/25/2014

Neha Thirani Bagri, Neha, Thirani, Bagri

Washington Post 12/28/2012

Simon Denyer, Simon, Denyer

U.S. Fed chairman Bernanke's activist interest rate policies to tackle high unemployment and central bankers from MIT

12/12/2012

A pragmatic activist focus in economic thinking shaped at the MIT economics department in Cambridge, Masachusetts. The ECB's Mario Draghi, Bank of England's Mervyn King, and Bernanke shaped their thinking at MIT. Draghi and Bernanke had the same PhD. advisor- Stanley Fischer. Factors calling for a pragmatic approach include the lack of political agreement on th deficit, the housing and foreclosure crisis effects, higher inequality and unemployment effects on the middle class, the effects of the globalized economy on working class manufacturing jobs, people dropping out of the labor foce, and lower inflation, which called for a larger focus on unemployment. Bernanke emphasized the "enormous waste in human potential and productive resources of the economy" throughout 2009-2012. Draghi emphasized the abnormal nature of excessive borrowing interest rates for Italy and Spain during the ECB's bond buying efforts in 2011-2012. Both efforts had a stabilizing effect on the economies of the U.S. and Europe during a period of political discord about future policy.

Linked Articles

Fed Ties Rates to Joblessness

Wall Street Journal 12/13/2012

Jon Hilsenrath, Jon, Hilsenrath, Kristina Peterson, Kristina, Peterson

Wall Street Journal 12/12/2012

Jon Hilsenrath, Jon, Hilsenrath

Obama advisor, Christina Romer, and support for Simpson-Bowles recommendations on limiting deductions

11/10/2012

The Feldstein, Romney proposals based on the ideas of the Simpson Bowles Commission of limiting tax deductions finds convergence with Obama economic advisor, Christina Romer's support for Simpson Bowles recommendations after the 2012 presidential elections.

Linked Articles

Democrats Like a Romney Idea to Cap Tax Deductions

New York Times 11/12/2012

Jonathan Weisman, Jonathan, Weisman

New York Times 11/10/2012

Christina D. Romer, Christina, D., Romer

The weakness in Ford Motor Company's improved results and recovery in 2011-2013

10/30/2012

Ford Europe is one cause for concern. Another problem is the lower market share in light vehicle sales in 2012 and the deteriorating quality and reliability ratings for cars.

Linked Articles

Ford Results Show Power of U.S. Operations

Wall Street Journal 10/30/2012

Mike Ramsey, Mike, Ramsey

Wall Street Journal 10/31/2012

Justin Lahart, Justin, Lahart