Economic Growth
The country’s services sector in December expanded for the 57th consecutive month. Services account for 80% of all economic activity.
The country’s manufacturing sector contracted last month.
Job Markets
The job markets were very strong in November but very weak in December.
Total employment declined in December. The labor force — which includes those searching for gainful employment — was flat. In November there were major gains in net employment and in the labor force.
Recipe for a Landmark SCOTUS Decision
California sued the EPA over the latter’s decision to invalidate the former’s proposed regulations on carbon emissions by motor vehicles.
Here’s a link to a decent article — especially by AP standards.
It goes without saying the Bush administration will attempt to transfer that case from the leftist 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (laden with Carter and Clinton judges) to the conservative D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (dominated by Bush 43, Bush 41 and Reagan-nominated judges). In either event, however, we’ll soon be primed for a potential landmark Supreme Court decision.
Insourcing
Boeing Receives Order From Vietnam Airlines
Boeing Co. has finalized an order for 12 of its new midsize, long-range 787 Dreamliners from Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Co.
Chicago-based Boeing assembles its commercial planes in the Seattle area.
As they say, read the whole thing.
The Road to Overregulation is Paved with the ‘Best Intentions’
IRS Updates Rules Protecting Info Taxpayers Give Tax Preparers
Tax preparers will have to make the fine print a little less fine and obtain a separate consent for offshore preparation work under new Internal Revenue Service rules aimed at giving taxpayers greater control over private information.
Those new IRS regs are a pile of Bravo Sierra.
Unfettered markets, not government regulations, should be the final arbiters of how businesses conduct business with their customers. Moreover the general public needs a good swift kick in the ass, not a reasurring pat on the back.
