How much does your country help the third world?

The Center for Global Development has an interesting measure of how much twenty one first world countries are helping their counterparts in the developing world. The measure is named the Commitment to Development Index (CDI). The index ranks each country the basis of seven categories: aid, trade, investment, migration, the environment, security and technology. More…

U.S. Issues Guidelines in Case of Flu Pandemic

The New York Times reports today (“…Guidelines…“) that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidelines on how to prevent or mitigate an influenza pandemic. Some of the major non-pharmaceutical interventions are: Asking ill persons to remain at home or not go to work until they are no longer contagious (seven…

Eat food.

An interesting article in the New York Times’ Sunday Magazine (“Unhappy Meals“) tells readers not to worry about fat levels, getting your daily protein or carb counting. Michael Pollan, the author, claims that nutritionism in American has lead to less healthy, more obese Americans; instead we should simplify our eating habits. Most nutritionist studies examine…

The Excess Burden of Government Indecision

The future of Social Security is in question. Even Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke warns of the rapidly approaching Social Security “fiscal crisis.”. Individuals at the beginning or middle of their prime working years are unsure of how large (or small) their Social Security benefits will be when they retire. An NBER working paper by…