September has continued a tough stretch for the markets, not an unusual pattern, but also not a fun reversal after the strong recovery we’ve experienced this year. It’s a good time to remember that we are in it for the long haul!

• Economist Melissa Kearney has a new book arguing that the benefits of two-parent households should not be ignored as a matter of policy. She presents her views well in this Freakonomics podcast.



• Any serious discussion of carbon reduction has to include nuclear power. Microsoft seems to agree, pursuing nuclear power for data center energy needs.

• The Tank Museum is not one of the most-visited sites in England, but it IS the most popular museum channel on YouTube. Visit and see why.

• Proposed legislation would impose new limits on credit card issuers and reduce costs to merchants. If past efforts prove anything, we should not expect consumers to benefit a great deal. In fact, credit card reward programs might become much less attractive, or even go away.

• About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a Gallup analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level.