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Four wealthy Bolivian regions, which hold most of the nation's natural gas resources, have declared autonomy in protest of a new constitution that would redistribute wealth.

via Democracy Now!

Tyler Cowen from Marginal REVOLUTION questions if the Federal Reserve should be responsible for consumer protection, arguing their primary focus should be a stable economy.

via The source of this content is Marginal REVOLUTION.

The Federal Reserve completed its fourth rescue attempt in five months, loaning $40 billion to banks. via r/politics

This paper argues that industries increasingly employ "mediocrities" because proving talent is expensive, leading to lower output and higher prices. via The New Economist

Tyler Cowen argues in this blog post that bans on durable goods with less liquid markets are more effective. via Marginal Revolution

Andy Mukherjee suggests Vietnam is becoming a manufacturing hub due to its lower costs and young, educated workforce. via New Economist

American export growth is the subject of this December 2007 article from The Economist, featuring an image of $100 bills.

via The Economist

Zimbabwe's chief statistician is unable to calculate the inflation rate due to a shortage of goods in shops. via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

David Weigel of Reason.com raises concerns about the Bush administration's use of the "state secrets" defense, arguing it's being used to prevent scrutiny from Congress and the courts. via Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets

Linda Katz makes $40,000 a year selling tumbleweeds through her website Prairie Tumbleweed Farm, which she started as a joke to teach herself web design.

via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch explore the growing popularity of libertarianism in 2007. via Reason.com

Economist David Romer suggests NFL teams should punt less often, and high school coach Kevin Kelley has already seen success with this strategy.

via Freakonomics