Insider Report
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Global Poverty Rate Lowest in History
2. Rasmussen: Pro-Deportation Sentiment at All-Time High
3. U.S. Heroin Deaths Triple in 3 Years
4. World's Highest Paid Leader Is — Who?
5. Americans Fleeing High-Tax States
6. 'Nanny State' NYC Regulates Kids' Juice Consumption
1. Global Poverty Rate Lowest in History
The percentage of people around the globe living in poverty or extreme poverty has fallen to its lowest level in history, a university economist asserts.
In 1820, the share of the global population living in poverty was 94 percent, while 84 percent lived in "extreme" poverty. By 1992, the poverty rate had dropped to 51 percent while the extreme poverty rate had fallen to 24 percent.
Using a different measure of poverty, the international poverty rate has dropped from 53 percent in 1981 to 17 percent in 2011, according to Max Roser, a fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School in England.
"In the past only a small elite lived a life without poverty," Roser said. "Since the onset of industrialization — and as a consequence of this, economic growth — the share of people living in poverty started decreasing and kept on falling ever since."
The international poverty line Roser used is $1.25 a day in 2005 purchasing power.
"The history of capitalism, as portrayed in academia and among much of the media, is a sad story. It's one of smokestacks, sweatshops, child labor, robber barons, social stratification and general exploitation of workers," the Washington Examiner observed.
But Roser's research "tells a much different story — one of industrialization being associated with a rapid decline in poverty."
Roser's website Our World in Data features graphics depicting the steady increase in people's wealth over the centuries.
In the year 1500, Renaissance Italy was the only region among those for which data is available where the gross domestic product per capita was above $1,000 in 1990 dollars.
In 1700, the GDP was above $2,000 per capita only in England, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
By 1820, most of Western Europe had a GDP per capita over $1,000, although the average life expectancy was under 40.
Moving ahead to 1913, the United States, England, and Australia had GDP per capita of from $6,000 to $10,000, along with Belgium Canada, and the Netherlands.
In 1960, the U.S. was the only nation with GDP per capita from $10,000 to $20,000, although several Middle Eastern oil sheikdoms had GDPs higher than $20,000. By 2008, America's GDP was over $25,000, as was the GDP per capita in Australia, Norway, Switzerland, and Ireland. China's was less than $10,000.
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2. Rasmussen: Pro-Deportation Sentiment at All-Time High
While President Barack Obama continues to promote his plan to make up to 5 million illegal immigrants safe from deportation, more voters than ever feel the U.S. should be more aggressive in deporting those in the country illegally, a new poll reveals.
In the survey of likely voters by Rasmussen Reports, respondents were asked if the U.S. government is too aggressive or not aggressive enough to deporting illegal aliens.
By far, respondents say the government is not aggressive enough — 62 percent feel that way, up from 52 percent a year ago and 56 percent in November, while just 16 percent think the government is too aggressive. The rest believe the number of deportations is about right, or are not sure.
Eight in 10 Republicans say the government is not aggressive enough in deporting illegals, compared to 40 percent of Democrats.
A slight majority of respondents, 51 percent, think that illegal immigrants who have American-born children should not be exempt from deportation, an element of Obama's plan, while just 32 percent say they should be exempt.
A majority, 54 percent — and 68 percent of Republicans — also think that a child born to an illegal immigrant mother in the United States should not automatically become a U.S. citizen, as is now the case, while 38 percent support the current policy of automatic citizenship for those children.
An overwhelming 83 percent of likely voters believe people must prove that they are in the country legally before they can receive local, state or federal government services, Rasmussen found.
Just 25 percent of respondents say that they are "very concerned" that efforts to identify and deport illegal aliens will result in violating the civil rights of some U.S. citizens, while 43 percent are "not very concerned" or "not at all concerned."
More than half of voters are opposed to Obama's plan to allow nearly 5 million illegal immigrants to remain in the country and apply for jobs, and 47 percent believe Congress should try to stop the president's plan.
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3. U.S. Heroin Deaths Triple in 3 Years
The number of Americans dying from a heroin overdose nearly tripled over a recent three-year period — with most of the heroin in the U.S. smuggled across the porous Mexican border.
The number of deaths rose from 3,036 in 2010 to 8,257 in 2013, the last year for which reliable data is available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The death rate from heroin overdose during that period soared from 1.0 per 100,000 population to 2.7 per 100,000 in 2013.
And from 2000 through 2013, the rate for drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin nearly quadrupled, up from 0.7 deaths per 100,000 to 2.7.
"Drug poisoning (overdose) is the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States, with 43,982 deaths occurring in 2013," the CDC reported. "While much attention has been given to deaths involving opioid analgesics [including hydrocodone and oxycodone] there has been a steady increase in the number of drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin."
Overdose deaths among women have risen along with the overall rise, increasing sixfold from 279 women in 2000 to 1,732 in 2013.
In 2000, non-Hispanic blacks ages 45 to 64 had the highest rate for drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin, 2.0 per 100,000. But in 2013, the highest rate was among non-Hispanic whites ages 18 to 44, 7.0 per 100,000, up from about 1.1 in 2000.
There has also been a shift in the regions where heroin deaths are most prevalent. In 2000 and again in 2007, the highest death rates were in the Northeast and West, but in 2013 the highest rate was in the Midwest, 4.3 deaths per 100,000 population.
According to a report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, "Foreign sources of opium are responsible for the entire supply of heroin consumed in the U.S.," and the "primary supplier" of heroin is Mexico.
The report disclosed that as recently as 2010, Afghanistan accounted for nearly 80 percent of the world's opium, which is processed into heroin, but in Latin America and particularly in Mexico, opium poppy production has greatly increased.
The report also notes: "The Armed Forces of Mexico will continue to be challenged by the continued violence among drug cartels which pulls resources away from eradicating poppy."
According to the U.S. State Department, drug cartels in Mexico control about 70 percent of the foreign narcotics entering the United States.
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4. World's Highest Paid Leader Is — Who?
When speculating on who is the highest-paid world leader, the name of Lee Hsien Loong doesn't often come to mind. But the prime minister of Singapore is tops among leaders of 13 major economies with an annual salary of $1.7 million.
Singapore has an area of 277 square miles and a population of 5.4 million. China has an area of 3.7 million square miles and a population of over 1.35 billion. Yet Xi Jinping, China's president, earns just $22,000 a year.
Based on the most recent data compiled by CNN and CNBC, President Barack Obama is the second highest-earning leader at $400,000 a year.
Next is Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada, whose salary, converted into American dollars, is $260,000.
He is followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at $234,000, South African President Jacob Zuma at $223,500, and David Cameron, prime minister of the U.K., at $214,800.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes $202,700, French President Francois Hollande is paid $194,300, and Russian President Vladimir Putin earns $136,000.
Moving further down the list, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi makes $124,600, and Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is paid $120,000.
After China, the world's most populous nation is India. And like China, India pays its leader very little — Prime Minister Narendra Modi earns just $30,300 a year.
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5. Americans Fleeing High-Tax States
New York State suffered a net loss of 1.5 million people between 2004 and 2013. It is likely not a coincidence that the state’s top marginal personal income tax rate is the second-highest in the nation.
California has the highest top tax rate, 13.3 percent, ahead of New York's 12.7 percent. The Golden State also lost significant population in that time period, with 1.4 million people departing.
On the other hand, states with low taxes have been gaining population, according to the eighth edition of the "Rich States, Poor States" report released by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) on Wednesday.
Texas saw the largest population gain between 2004 and 2013, 1.2 million. The Lone Star State has no personal income tax.
Florida gained 960,000 during that period. The Sunshine State also has no personal income tax.
Other states with significant population gains include North Carolina (655,600) and Arizona (584,100), while states losing population include Illinois (-646,800) and Michigan (-628,400).
The ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index also ranks states on their economic performance from 2003 to 2013, and their economic outlook in 2015.
The economic outlook rankings are based on 15 factors, including income tax, property tax burden, sales taxes, public employees per 10,000 residents, the state minimum wage, and whether a state is a right to work state.
Utah placed first in economic outlook, due in part to its low marginal corporate income tax rate and lack of an estate tax. Utah is a right to work state.
North Dakota was ranked second, followed by Indiana, North Carolina, and Arizona.
New York was 50th due mostly to its high personal and corporate tax rates, plus a high property tax burden and high sales taxes.
Other states in the bottom five, in ascending order, are Vermont, Minnesota, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
As for the economic performance rating over the 10-year period, which is based on a state's GDP, migration, and non-farm payrolls, Texas finished in the top position. Its GDP grew by 81.7 percent during that period, and non-farm payrolls grew by 20.5 percent.
North Dakota was second, followed by Utah, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
Michigan was last at No. 50, after seeing a 6.4 percent decrease in non-farm payrolls.
Others in the bottom five are Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Illinois.
The ALEC report was written by former Reagan economist Arthur B. Laffer, Heritage Foundation economist Stephen Moore, and Jonathan Williams, vice president of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at ALEC.
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6. 'Nanny State' NYC Regulates Kids' Juice Consumption
The New York City Board of Health has imposed new rules limiting how much juice children can drink at licensed city day care centers.
The move follows the ill-fated attempt by Mayor Bill de Blasio's predecessor Michael Bloomberg to ban sugary drinks over 16 ounces, which was struck down in the courts.
Under the new rules, children must be at least two years old before they can drink juice at day care, and they are allowed just four ounces a day. Only 100 percent juice is allowed, the New York Daily News reported.
Previously children as young as eight months were allowed to drink six ounces of juice a day.
Another new rule limited children's "sedentary time" to less than 30 minutes a day, down from 60 minutes previously allowed, and only a half-hour of screen time a week.
Before the new rule, children could watch TV or play with devices like iPads for up to 60 minutes a day.
"Sedentary time" does not include naps, or time spent reading, painting, or assembling puzzles.
The rules apply to non-residential day care programs and preschools, which are regulated by the city. Home-based day care is regulated by the state.
The rules are aimed at battling childhood obesity.
Not all parents are pleased with the new rules. "They want to control everything," a father from Brooklyn told the Daily News. "Every kid has their own level of intake."
But a mom from Brooklyn said: "Juice and TV are bad and I would embrace the nanny state when it comes to this stuff."
First lady Michelle Obama has made healthier foods in schools a centerpiece of her "Let's Move!" campaign to fight childhood obesity.
De Blasio has said he would try to resurrect Bloomberg's ban on super-sized sugary drinks.
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