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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.
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from Competitive Enterprise Institute
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
The broader financial crisis of 2007-2008 was the result of the U.S residential housing market collapse. That housing collapse itself was a consequence of an unprecedented number of weak and risky mortgages, driven predominately by the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When many of these mortgage holders defaulted, the mortgage-backed securities held by financial institutions around the world also buckled, leading to the financial crisis. The housing bubble leading up to the crisis truly defied gravity—between 1995 and 2006, house prices had increased by 61 percent, after adjusting for inflation. While the second post in this series focused on demand factors, notably the government’s expansion of subprime mortgage financing and low interest rates, this post will look at the supply side of the bubble—namely, how land-use regulations restricted the supply of housing, pushing up prices. Further, while local laws drove up prices during the boom, state laws that enabled borrowers to “strategically” default on their loans encouraged massive defaults during the bust. Rather than a failure of the free market, the federal government was directly complicit in the mortgage market’s spectacular ramp-up and eventual collapse.
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from Daily Mail (UK)
Tory faith minister calls for Imams and Rabbis to get automatic places in the House of Lords like Church of England bishops
Lord Bourne said he was in favour of adding 'other faiths' to the House of Lords. There are 26 Church of England Bishops with guaranteed seats in Parliament. The idea was dismissed today by former Tory minister Sir Desmond Swayne.
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from Faith & Freedom
blog.faithandfreedom.us
blog.faithandfreedom.us
How Americans " Really" Feel About The Press
A major Gallup/Knight Foundation study confirms what most of us already know: Americans don't like the press and we don't trust them.
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from The Heritage Foundation
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]
If Congress Can’t Pass a Conservative Farm Bill, It Should Extend Existing Law
Congress should not rush to pass a farm bill. Lawmakers should seek to pass sound policy, not lock in bad policy for five years. This means passing a conservative farm bill—one that would include strong food stamp work requirements, significant reforms to the out-of-control farm handout system, and repealing the Obama administration’s Clean Water Rule. But what about the expiring 2014 farm bill? Yes, the 2014 farm bill is set to expire on Sept. 30, but, despite claims to the contrary, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if a new bill isn’t passed by this date or even this year.
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If Congress Can’t Pass a Conservative Farm Bill, It Should Extend Existing Law
Congress should not rush to pass a farm bill. Lawmakers should seek to pass sound policy, not lock in bad policy for five years. This means passing a conservative farm bill—one that would include strong food stamp work requirements, significant reforms to the out-of-control farm handout system, and repealing the Obama administration’s Clean Water Rule. But what about the expiring 2014 farm bill? Yes, the 2014 farm bill is set to expire on Sept. 30, but, despite claims to the contrary, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if a new bill isn’t passed by this date or even this year.
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from Miami Herald
Trump emerges as an idiot, an uninformed boor, a mean bully, an idiot, a liar, an incompetent lout, an idiot, a whiny toddler. And an idiot. But Woodward also teases out a sense of how intellectually and emotionally damaged the man is.
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from Psephizo Blog
What did Jesus have against goats?
The parable of the sheep and the goats in Matt 25.31–46 isn’t actually a parable (since there is no suggestion that ‘the kingdom of heaven is like this’), and isn’t really about sheep and goats (as we shall see). But it is very well known, and is most commonly interpreted as an encouragement for followers of Jesus to care for the poor. But this interpretation has only been around since around 1850 (which raises issues about how we should response to ‘novel’ interpretations…) and in fact has some serious obstacles to it.
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from Rorate Caeli
International Traditional Catholic Web Log
All Roads Lead to Washington, D.C.
For those interested in the latest news, we bring you our summary: 1) Bishop Michael Bransfield resigned and the resignation was accepted. 2) Archbishop William Lori will investigate allegations against Bishop Bransfield. 3) All this follows the scandal of Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, who handpicked his successor in D.C., Donald Wuerl. 4) Cardinal Donald Wuerl has announced he will be going to the Vatican to discuss his resignation, which implies it will soon be accepted by Pope Francis. Not mentioned yet is Wuerl's membership on the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, where Pope Francis chose him to replace Cardinal Raymond Burke just nine month's into this papacy. Two Americans sit on the extremely prestigious congregation that selects all new bishops -- Cardinal Blase Cupich being the other. 5) The replacement for Cardinal Wuerl will be the next piece in this saga. 6) Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is himself facing allegations of a priestly transfer and cover-up in his archdiocese. 7) Cardinal DiNardo and three other U.S. Church leaders held a meeting with Pope Francis today to discuss the scandals. 8) Pope Francis is convening a group of bishops in February to investigate themselves.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
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