

US officials are keeping very busy in the world. Yet very few of Washington’s actions have much to do with protecting America. Instead, the foreign policy establishment believes that its primary role is to run the world. The Department of Defense was originally known...
Making US foreign policy about Americans

Valentine’s day: a reminder to men
We’ve been sort of mesmerized by the Winter Olympics and dangerously thin athletes speedskating, one hand behind the back, taking the turns semi-horizontally, and others flying off a ski jump spinning in the air so as to give their mothers cardiac arrest, and downhill...
Valentine’s day: a reminder to men

Housing permits remained hot in January
But mortgage rates also continued to rise. Total housing starts fell to a 1.638m annual rate in January from a 1.708m pace in December, a 4.1% decrease. From a year ago, total starts are up 0.8%. However, total housing permits were very strong again in January,...
Housing permits remained hot in January

Weekly initial claims for unemployment benefits rise slightly
Initial claims for regular state unemployment insurance increased by 23,000 for the week ending 12 February, coming in at 248,000 (see first chart). That is the first increase following three weekly declines. Over the past 13 weeks, claims are up in seven weeks and...
Weekly initial claims for unemployment benefits rise slightly

Missed it by that much
Where the Fed’s digital currency proposal goes wrong. The Fed’s long-awaited report on central bank digital currencies is finally out. Although the report makes it clear that the Fed has no immediate plans to issue a digital currency, it does point to the...
Missed it by that much