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The BLS’s CPI measure showed inflation of 3.1 percent in 2011, up from 1.5 percent in 2010.  In contrast, the EPI showed that Americans experienced price inflation of 7.2 percent in 2011.  Most Americans (and Canadians who, unfortunately do not have a similar mechanism for measuring true inflation) would most likely agree that the rate of inflation established using the EPI is far closer to real-life experience than the measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While many of us have suspected for years that government inflation statistics vastly understate price increases in the economy, economists at AIER have now provided consumers with a viable alternative measure of inflation, one that better reflects our personal shopping experiences.

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In the hyperpolarized world of the 2012 election, misinformation among Americans remains widespread, a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study finds.

One in five Americans, for example, still believe that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, while almost seven in 10 Americans mistakenly think Sarah Palin was the first to say “I can see Russia from my house.”

Obama is a Christian, of course, and the “seeing Russia from my house” quote originated from a “Saturday Night Live” skit with Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin.

“Politically, we may be moving more and more toward a world where our beliefs are shaped not by what is really true, but instead by the pseudo-realities created by talk shows and political pundits,” says Dietram A. Scheufele, the John E. Ross Professor of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison and an expert in public opinion research.

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And based on the new Wisconsin study, much of the blame goes to news media, including late night comedy, such as the “Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show.”

No. Just no. Blame CNN. Point in case:

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Last week, the MPAA joined the fray with a brief in support of Illinois federal judge John F. Grady’s ruling. It urged the Seventh Circuit not to draw a legal distinction between hosting content and embedding it. In the MPAA’s view, both actions should carry the risk of liability for direct copyright infringement.

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A new Act just signed into law by President Obama that relaxes accountability requirements for internet startups has been called a ‘licence for fraud’. The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS) Act (HR.3606) is backed by AOL co-founder Steve Case (himself no stranger to fraud allegations) and other titans of Silicon Valley – and supported by Google – all of whom argue that the new law is vital for job creation.

Jumpstart waives the requirement for small companies to be audited under Sarbanes-Oxley regulations for five years. Sarbanes-Oxley was brought in to protect investors after the tech bubble a decade ago saw internet stocks hyped by the banks, which were selling them to the public. Privately the banks thought the stocks were worthless, and equity analysts including Merrill Lynch’s Henry Blodget – now reborn as a web publisher and Twitter star – received a lifetime ban by the regulator SEC.

“The era of low standards and false profits is over,” said President George W Bush when he signed Sarbanes-Oxley into law, “no boardroom in America is above or beyond the law.”

Recently Groupon had to revise its prospectus several times after falling foul of SEC disclosure requirements. Now imagine a world where those obligations don’t exist.

And if you want to see the full answer, check the full debate

“Shame on Santorum for terminating his campaign. It was a gift from God. He should make the best of a bad situation and carry it to term.”

– Wynne McLaughlin

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And yet… Congress still appears ready to move forward with CISPA the week of April 23rd. And the amazing (no, astounding) thing is that many politicians in Congress have no idea that people are up in arms over this yet. In talking to different people on Capitol Hill, the story is along the lines of “oh, is there some controversy over this?” Like SOPA early on, it appears that Congress simply takes for granted that if you call something one thing (whether it’s “stopping piracy” or “protecting cybersecurity”) no one will bother looking at the details to realize just how problematic the bill actually is.

Yes they paid attention, they just don’t give a fuck. Their corporate backers want this so they will try until it passes or they are voted out. And they also know the average voter has the attention span of a demented fruit fly. We need to educate congress and congressional aides and lobbyists that freedom on the internet is the third-rail of the digital age.

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Five Republicans have filed the necessary papers and $500 fee to qualify for the June 26 Utah presidential primary election, but with Rick Santorum dropping out of the race Tuesday, only four will be on the ballot.

Or possibly three.

Newt Gingrich’s check bounced.