Showing archive for: “News & Social Media”
As New York goes, so goes the FTC?
The New York Times is reporting that New York’s attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, has filed an antitrust suit against Intel. According to the report, The New York move increases the chances that the F.T.C. will take action against Intel, according to a person who was familiar with the state’s investigation but was not authorized to ... As New York goes, so goes the FTC?
Thaler’s Unsound Argument About the Public Insurance Option
University of Chicago economist (and behavioralist doyen) Richard Thaler thinks “the question of whether a ‘public option’ should be part of the health care solution” is just “one big distraction.” In Sunday’s New York Times, Thaler argues that the debate over the public option is a “red herring” if, as President Obama insists, the public ... Thaler’s Unsound Argument About the Public Insurance Option
Ribstein on Business, Film and Law
Wrapping up what looks like a very interesting conference at the University of Illinois on the interaction between business, film, and law, Larry Ribstein shares some thoughts in an excellent post. Readers of Ideoblog will be familiar with Professor Ribstein’s take on how artists’ negative views of capitalists find their way into film. In summing ... Ribstein on Business, Film and Law
Wanna Keep This Economic Mess to a Minimum? Honor Contracts.
New York Times business columnist Joe Nocera insists that current economic conditions call for courts to ignore carefully negotiated contracts between sophisticated business entities. Arguing that Dow Chemical Company should be free to walk away from its agreement to buy specialty chemical manufacturer Rohm & Haas, Mr. Nocera contends that “maybe, just maybe, deals that ... Wanna Keep This Economic Mess to a Minimum? Honor Contracts.
Kevin Murphy models the stimulus–and the results aren't pretty
A great video from the University of Chicago here with comments from John Huizinga, Kevin Murphy and Robert Lucas. John Huizinga also wonders if we’re calculating the costs. Robert Lucas is skeptical. But Kevin Murphy’s discussion is (not surprisingly) worth the price of admission (I only wish the video showed the slides). He puts some ... Kevin Murphy models the stimulus–and the results aren't pretty
Some sense on stimulus
Apparently to some people, intellectual disagreements are intolerable, and those who disagree intellectually can only be the most pathetic, worthless thing on the planet: Republican hacks (of the “ethics-free” variety). I’m talking about Brad DeLong here. I mention this because I posted a comment to DeLong’s silly post (does anyone know Glen Weyl? Anyone think ... Some sense on stimulus
Some Links
Economist Philip Cook on alcohol control policy at the Volokh Conspiracy Alex Tabarrok on President-Elect Obama’s visit to George Mason Cass Sunstein to head OIRA (is this evidence that I was wrong that the Obama regulatory regime will be built upon an intellectual platform of behavioral law and economics?) Manfred Gabriel explains Hart-Scott-Rodino Tom Smith ... Some Links
My Encounter With Rahm
The business section of yesterday’s New York Times included advice to President-elect Obama from a number of econ-types. Greg Mankiw, for example, exhorted Obama to heed the advice of his (quite capable) economic advisers and, in essence, govern from the center. I would concur. Accordingly, I was pleased to see Obama name Rep. Rahm Emanuel ... My Encounter With Rahm
Fannie and Freddie as "Greater Fools"
Today’s New York Times features an op-ed by Michigan Law Professor Michael Barr and former Clinton advisor Gene Sperling that (somewhat predictably) blames our current financial mess on a lack of “common sense regulation” and exonerates the Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. I propose a counter-narrative. It begins with a nutshell version ... Fannie and Freddie as "Greater Fools"
Legally Mandated RPM in the German Book Market
A story in the New York Times explains that in Germany booksellers are legally prohibited from discounting books below the price set by the publisher. It’s not clear from the story, but it thus seems that Germany has a legally-mandated system of minimum resale price maintenance. Not surprisingly, this favors small bookstores. “In the United ... Legally Mandated RPM in the German Book Market
Five Affiliated Computer Services Directors Resign
The New York Times reports that five independent ACS directors have resigned, after the CEO seems to have demanded their resignations. The resignations appear to hinge on the directors’ objections to the manner in which ACS Founder and Chairman Darwin Deason wanted to buy out ACS. (The NYT article indicates Deason was trying to favor himself ... Five Affiliated Computer Services Directors Resign
Intel’s Loyalty Rebates: Why the Interventionists Are Wrong
The New York Times isn’t the only one calling for the FTC to go after Intel for its purportedly exclusionary discounting. The reliably interventionist American Antitrust Institute concurs. In a recent letter to the FTC, it wrote: Based on allegations by AMD [Advanced Micro Devices] in a private U.S. case and on what we have ... Intel’s Loyalty Rebates: Why the Interventionists Are Wrong
