http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/ The Liber8 Newsletter is published 9 times a year, January through May and August through November. The newsletter is a selection of useful economic information, articles, data, and websites compiled by the librarians of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Research Library. en-us 30 Copyright 2008 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis webmaster@research.stlouisfed.org Mon, 28 Apr 2008 8:30:00 CDT Mon, 28 Apr 2008 8:30:00 CDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/rss/images/title.gif http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/ 90 31 http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/2008/200805.pdf It is difficult to measure the cost of the Iraq war and related expenses; it is at least as difficult to decide exactly what costs to measure. The May 2008 issue compares the two most widely cited estimates: one from the Congressional Budget Office and the other from researchers Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes. This month's newsletter also compares these estimates to U.S. GDP over the same time frame to get a better sense of the war's cost in relation to the entire U.S. economy. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 8:30:00 CDT http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/2008/200804.pdf With oil prices well over $100 per barrel, policymakers are considering everything from new fuel efficiency standards to biomass in an effort to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption. This month's newsletter explores the costs and benefits of America's golden fuel---ethanol. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 8:30:00 CDT http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/2008/200803.pdf The March 2008 Liber8 newsletter examines how the retirement of baby boomers will affect federal spending: The proportion of retirees in this country will grow so large that federal retirement program spending will be unsustainable in its current form. Included are recent reports from the Congressional Budget Office and the Social Security and Medicare boards of trustees as well as links to free data sources related to the topic. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 8:23:00 CST http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/2008/200802.pdf The February 2008 Liber8 newsletter looks back at the 1918 influenza pandemic and looks ahead to the possibility of a future worldwide pandemic, providing some projections of the economic impact it could have. Also included are links to recent news and academic articles, free data sources, and a teacher's guide. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://liber8.stlouisfed.org/newsletter/2008/200801.pdf The January 2008 Liber8 newsletter looks at "big-box" retail stores, such as Wal-Mart, and their economic and environmental effects on local communities. Also included are recent news and academic articles, links to free data sources, and a PBS lesson plan for middle and high school teachers. Wed, 2 Jan 2008 8:50:00 CST