Daily Clips: December 6, 2016

• Evidence still shows that minimum wage increases have no effect on employment

EPI economist Ben Zipperer critiques a widely-cited paper by Jeffrey Clemens and Michael Wither, which claims that the national minimum wage increases from 2007 to 2009 led to substantial job losses in states that raised their minimum wages to meet the new national requirement. Zipperer argues that Clemens and Wither’s analysis fails to adequately account for the effects of the Great Recession.

• Ambush shootings of police officers reach highest total in decades

So far this year, 20 law enforcement officers have died in planned assaults carried out by gunmen, according to two groups that track officer deaths.

• Angela Merkel calls for widespread ban on ‘full veil’ Islamic coverings

What are you doing, Merkel? Don’t succumb to the worst impulses of the masses.

• US productivity is up

Analysts expect companies to put more emphasis on increasing productivity as the labor market hits full employment and the pool of available qualified workers diminishes.

• Tweet of the day

Asked about economic growth, Paul Ryan says cut regulations to spur growth in coal, paper mills, farming. Tomorrow's economy right there.

— Modeled Behavior (@ModeledBehavior) December 5, 2016