Chart of the Day: The US Economy Has Finally Caught Up
I’ll be damned. Wonkblog’s Andrew Van Dam points out today that GDP has finally closed the huge gap with potential GDP that opened up after the Great Recession. He’s right: I’m not sure I ever believed this would happen, even though CBO predicted exactly this a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, there’s some bad news…
Killing the Individual Mandate Will Probably Kill Obamacare
Does the individual mandate work? CBO estimates that if it’s repealed, 13 million fewer people will buy insurance. That’s something like two-thirds of all Obamacare enrollees, which means that CBO thinks it has an enormous impact. Without it, Obamacare collapses. A few weeks ago I linked to a study of traffic fines that suggested the…
Lead and Dropout Rates: An Itsy Bitsy Mystery
In a meandering post yesterday that ended up on the subject of lead and crime, I posted some charts showing the correlation of childhood lead levels with crime, teen pregnancy, and high school dropout rates. Here’s the dropout chart: This correlation should come as no surprise. The connection between lead and crime may still be…
Judge Sides With Trump Administration in the Case of the Dueling Agency Heads
People protest Trump’s appointment of Mick Mulvaney as the acting director of the CFPB outside the agency on Monday.Jacquelyn Martin/AP The first round in the battle of the dueling heads of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been awarded to President Donald Trump and his pick to head the federal watchdog agency. Federal judge Timothy…
Republicans Working Hard to Make Tax Bill Even Stupider
Alex Edelman/CNP via ZUMA From CNBC: Sen. Bob Corker said Tuesday a “backstop” to curb future budget deficits could help to win his crucial vote for the GOP tax bill. The Tennessee Republican and others are seeking the protection in case the nearly $1.5 trillion in proposed tax cuts do not meet the GOP’s expectations…
After Insulting Native Americans, Trump Goes After Their Sacred Land
Trump’s disparagement of Native Americans doesn’t end with his rhetoric. A day after Trump called Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) “Pocahontas” at an event honoring Navajo code talkers during World War II, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that the president will visit Salt Lake City, Utah, next Monday to announce that he’s shrinking national monuments of huge…