Chart of the day: US oil output increased to a 44-year high in April, just slightly below November 1970 peak

The Energy Information Administration released monthly oil production today for April and here are some of the highlights of that report: 1. Despite low oil prices that averaged $54.45 per barrel in April, US oil production topped 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in April and reached the highest level...

If workers use government to get above-market wages, shouldn’t employers be able to do the same for lower wages?

There is general support among the public for legislated, government-mandated minimum wages for unskilled, low-skilled, and limited-experience workers. Further, it is considered perfectly acceptable for these workers (and their supporters like labor unions) to use the coercive power of the government to enact minimum wage legislation to attain above-market wages, which they are unable to get on their...

The euro is a straitjacket for Greece

Editor’s note: The following is Desmond Lachman’s response to the New York Times Room for Debate question: Should Greece abandon the euro? Albert Einstein famously remarked that a sure sign of insanity was to keep repeating exactly the same experiment and to expect a different result. Yet that is what the International Monetary Fund and the European Union have been doing with Greece over the past...

Neurobehavioral deficits, diseases, and associated costs of exposure to Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the European Union

Bellanger et al (1) recently reported on the estimated costs of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) causing neurobehavioral deficits in the European Union (EU), as part of a larger effort estimating the overall costs of EDC exposure in the EU (2). Although EDCs may well have adverse health effects, we question the authors’ high economic cost estimates. Because over 90% of the full estimated cost...

Income inequality is rising again. What should we think about that?

Emannuel Saez Is this good news, bad news, or a bit of both? From the Associated Press and CNBC: Incomes for the bottom 99 percent of American families rose 3.3 percent last year to $47,213, the biggest annual gain in the past 15 years, according to data compiled by economist Emmanuel Saez and released...

The future is now for school choice

Although 2015 is only halfway over, it has already been a banner year for private school choice programs across the country. No longer are vouchers or tax credits simply boutique options dotting the periphery of the education system. In states like Indiana, Florida and now Nevada, they are becoming central components. Most notably, Nevada passed a huge Education Savings Account program that will potentially...

Discussing the Iran nuclear deal: Bolton on Fox News’ ‘America’s Newsroom’

Senior fellow John Bolton discusses the Iran nuclear deal on Fox News' 'America's Newsroom' from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1U4aC...

Mr. Corker Goes to Caracas

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) has begun a visit to Venezuela, amidst an economic and political crisis that is compounded by alleged drug trafficking by senior members of the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. Corker’s visit has raised hopes among members of the Venezuelan democratic opposition, who believe their plight has been ignored for too long by their US and...

The debt is still a major threat

Federal budget deficits and the growing national debt are less in the news these days for a couple of reasons. For starters, annual deficits are expected to be lower for the next several years compared with the recent past. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the 2015 federal deficit will be $486 billion — a lot of borrowed money for sure, but far less than the $1.3 trillion average deficit...

Brazil’s President Rousseff in Washington amidst trouble back home

President Obama welcomes his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff to Washington in the wake of bad news back home, wrought by statist policies that have smothered the country’s potential: projected inflation of 9% and a forecast economic recession of about -1.5% this year. Rousseff also is facing a political crisis generating doubts about her ability to govern, mere months into her second...

The student experience: How competency-based education providers serve students

Key Points Competency-based education (CBE) programs tend to serve students with previous professional or academic experience. This audience affects how the programs are structured and designed. CBE inverts the structure and choice of traditional higher education. The most clearly defined components of traditional higher education programs are much less structured in CBE programs, and the components...

Ad blockers can also prevent publishers from collecting reader data

You might have heard: Driven by younger generations, ad blockers are growing in popularity, and the next version of Safari will allow iPhone and iPad users to block ads as well But did you know: The common concern with the rise of ad blockers is the hit it can serve to advertising revenue, but it can also hurt publishers’ ability to collect data about their readers. Most ad blockers prevent sites...

Washington Post’s Greg Barber: Know when to abandon an idea in favor of a better one

Greg Barber, director of digital news projects at The Washington Post, says it’s important in a newsroom to know when you need to hold a line on an idea. But Barber says it’s also important to know when to put your ego aside and be ready to tweak or abandon an idea entirely. Barber says: “If you’re not pushing past what’s available and asking what else is possible, you’ll stagnate pretty quickly.” The...

How two projects are taking on immigration in Europe through crowdsourcing and data journalism

Two projects in Europe are covering the influx of African migrants into Italy, one through crowdsourcing and one through data journalism. Italy’s Migranti collects and publishes “positive stories of integration and solidarity,” and anyone can submit articles, photos or videos to the project. The Migrants Files, a pan-European project, is taking a data-driven approach by tracking migrants’ deaths along...

How an ‘Americorps for Journalism’ could support local journalism

Amy Vernon, co-founder of Predictable.ly, says an idea like Report for America, a corps of early or mid-career journalists who will cover important local news that’s being missed, could help support quality local journalism. Vernon says local news is becoming harder for readers to find, but readers care more about local news and it’s more important to their daily lives. An Americorps-style program...

The problem with Huffington Post’s platform strategy: It’s trying to do the same thing everyone else is

With The Huffington Post’s plan to add 900,000 contributors through a self-publishing platform with little or no editing, Mathew Ingram says Huffington Post has the same issue it has with its video strategy: Everyone else is trying to achieve the same thing, and taking similar measures to do so. Ingram says when Huffington Post launches, there were few alternatives that could offer the same reach...

To get more women in media, elect more women

Barbara Lee says the issue of getting more women in media is somewhat of a chicken-and-egg problem: If there are more women writing, will they seek out stories and sources that concern women, or are more women newsmakers needed to spur change? Lee says the solution is electing more women, and covering more issues that women are worried about, which will lead to more women in media. Lee says: “The...

Need to Know: June 30, 2015

Fresh useful insights for people advancing quality, innovative and sustainable journalism OFF THE TOP You might have heard: Driven by younger generations, ad blockers are growing in popularity, and the next version of Safari will allow iPhone and iPad users to block ads as well But did you know: Ad blockers can also prevent publishers from collecting reader data (Digiday) The common concern with the...

China crosses Obama’s cyber ‘red line’

Remember how President Obama failed to enforce his “red line” in Syria? Well, it’s happening again — this time in cyberspace. On April 1, Obama drew a cyber “red line” in the sand when he signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against individuals or entities who carry out cyberattacks or cyberespionage against the United States. “Starting today,” Obama declared, “we’re giving notice to those...

Monday evening links

1. Chart of the Day I (above). The median sales price of an existing home in May at $228,700 was just $1,700 (and 0.74%) below the all-time peak price of $230,400 in July 2006. 2. Chart of the Day II (above). Based on new data from the EIA, US net petroleum imports fell to 26.2% this year through...

Medicaid provider taxes: Closing a loophole

Brill explains how federally sanctioned state Medicaid provider taxes operate and affect federal Medicaid spending. He proposes that Congress prohibit these taxes and either put the federal savings back into Medicaid or use them to reduce federal healthcare taxes. This article will be posted on Monday, July 13. Tax Notes subscribers can access the article here. from AEI » Latest Content http://...

Iran Talks: The final countdown?

The deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran is fast approaching while rumors swirl of a possible extension. At the same time, Iran has made clear its anti-American agenda and its designs for the Middle East. It has neither stopped its support of terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah, nor has it shown any sign of curtailing its nuclear ambitions. What will be the impact of a nuclear agreement with Iran?...

Improving mobility for our kids: Starting early is key

Intergenerational mobility provides a measure of how well children are faring relative to their parents. What are the chances that a child born to parents in the bottom quintile will move to the top of the income distribution? Is the child in a higher income quintile relative to the parents, or other peers? These comparisons are typically done around the age of 30 because income at 30 is a strong...

Infographic: Polls on patriotism

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day with songs of national celebration, flags waving in the breeze, parades, and family gatherings, polls reveal Americans’ strong love of country. For more polls on patriotism, see the AEI Public Opinion Study. Infographic by Olivier Ballou and Eleanor O’Neil. from...

AEI Public Opinion Study: Polls on patriotism

Read the PDF How proud are Americans of their country? As Independence Day approaches, this AEI Public Opinion Study focuses on patriotism in the United States, examining Americans’ self-professed patriotism, how people describe others’ patriotism, and reasons people are proud of the US. This study also looks at how patriotism in the United States compares to patriotism in other countries. Most are...

‘Our Kids': Will the next generation of Americans enjoy the American Dream

At AEI’s recent event, “The American dream in crisis,” Robert Putnam, Charles Murray, and William Julius Wilson discussed problems brought to light in Putnam’s new book, “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.” The book expounds upon several alarming trends – the widening income gap, growing class...

Gay marriage: Too soon or at last

Congratulations to the gay-rights community for its victory in Obergefell v. Hodges. Anyone familiar with liberty’s history in our country knew that the American people, sooner or later, would reach this point. But with unprecedented speed (President Obama campaigned in 2008 against gay marriage), gays won a sweeping right to marriage equality thanks to a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court. While many...