The Agenda: A Slowdown in Growth, an Increase in Income Inequality

By DAVID LEONHARDT

The income stagnation of the last decade stems, in the simplest terms, from two factors: a slowdown in economic growth and a rise in inequality, which has concentrated the economy's modest gains among a small share of the population. In this post, I want to look at both factors in a bit more detail.

The economy's recent struggles arguably began in late 2001, when a relatively mild recession ended and a new expansion began. The problem with this new recovery was that it wasn't especially strong. From the fourth quarter of 2001 through the fourth quarter of 2007 (when the financial crisis began), the economy grew at an average annual rate of only 2.7 percent. By comparison, the average annual growth rate of both the 1990s and 1980s expansions exceeded 3.5 percent.

This mediocre expansion was followed by the severe recession and weak recovery brought on by the financial crisis. The combined result is that, in recent yea rs, the economy has posted its slowest 10-year average growth rates since the Commerce Department began keeping statistics in 1947:

In addition to slow growth, the bounty from the economy's growth has largely flowed to a small slice of the population: the affluent. Since 2000, no income group has done particularly well. Income in households that rely on wages has failed to keep pace with inflation, while in households that have large investment holdings the value of many of those holdings - both real estate and stocks - has fallen.

Over a longer term, though, the affluent have done extremely well. Since 1980, a household at the cutoff for the top 1/1,000th of earners - making about $1.5 million in 2010 - has received a pay increase of more than 100 percent, after adjusting for inflation. A household in the middle of the income distribution has received an inflation-adjusted raise of only 11 percent.

Related: Read all Agen da Posts

A Stand That Isn\'t Pretty, but Practical

By ROY FURCHGOTT

It can be convenient to have a stand for your phone or tablet that holds the device upright for watching video, reading or just sharing the screen with a group. But many of these stands add unwanted bulk that makes your portable device much less portable.

One of the most compact yet still functional stands I have tried is the Pocket-eAzl, an aluminum and rubber contraption that folds and unfolds much like a Leatherman multi-tool.

The stand is made by Crimson AV, which manufactures mounting hardware used for things like attaching flat panel TVs to walls.

The Pocket-eAzl is made from an aluminum zinc mix and coated with epoxy paint in black, silver or pink. It folds to about 4- by 1 ½ â€" by ½-inch. Unfolded, it is about 7 ½ inches tall, and can be adjusted in a number of configurations to accept just about any reader, pad or phone. Rubberized feet and pads reduce the chance that your gear will slide around your seat back tray while traveling.

It can take a little fiddling to get it completely refolded. For some reason the legs resist tucking completely together after use, but it's only off by a fraction, and if you are a neat freak (guilty) you can snap a rubber band around the thing when you're done.

It's not particularly pretty (even the pink version is less than glamorous), but it has a certain utilitarian appeal. It's not exactly easy to find; you have to comb the Crimson AV site for it. And it's not exactly cheap at $40. But it is sturdy and likely to outlast the next several devices you stand on it.

As Ticket Speculation Swirls, Romney Goes Shopping

By TRIP GABRIEL

WOLFEBORO, N.H. - In campaign jargon, Mitt Romney is “down” on Monday, meaning he has no public events scheduled.

But that doesn't mean he is idle. Beginning at 8:40 a.m., he made a run to Bradley's Hardware, a grocery store and a pharmacy about a mile from his lakeside home here, emerging from the hardware store with a beige bucket containing what he called “hardware stuff.''

He headed to Hunters Shop ‘n Save and grabbed two ears of native sweet corn, 50 cents apiece, from a display outside.

Democrats may be thumping the drum about those undisclosed tax returns, and Team Romney announcing a $100 million donor haul in July, but the presumed Republican nominee was shopping for dinner.

Asked if he was cooking on Monday night, he said: “I'll make my own dinner. That's not exactly cooking.''

He emerged from the grocery store after only 10 minutes and, despite strapping Secret Service agents at th e ready, loaded the items himself into a Suburban. They included 12-packs of Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi and bags including Greek yogurt.

“I've got some folks coming over today,'' Mr. Romney told the press corps.

Asked if the folks included Rob Portman or Tim Pawlenty, Mr. Romney answered, “Ha, ha, ha ha.''

The political world may be holding its breath wondering about Mr. Romney's vice-presidential choice â€" Mr. Portman, an Ohio senator, and Mr. Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, are thought to be on the short list â€" but from all public appearances, it is another lovely day on Lake Winnipesaukee during August vacation season.

Of course, looks are deceiving. That is why Mr. Romney's every movement and utterance are watched and parsed for any scrap of a detail that might reveal his intentions. Garrett Hakke, an NBC reporter out for a jog in Wolfeboro on Monday morning, caught sight of Mr. Rom ney's motorcade and sent a blast description of the passenger in the back seat: “open collared shirt and looking down, I presume at his iPad.''

After returning from his errands around 9:30, Mr. Romney planned to remain at home the rest of the day, hunkered in meetings with senior advisers, a campaign aide told the press corps.

Q&A: Moving From PC to Mac

By J.D. BIERSDORFER

I know you can use the Windows Easy Transfer software to move your files and settings from an older Windows computer to a new Windows PC, but will it work for transferring files from a PC to a new Mac?

Windows Easy Transfer is intended for transferring files between Windows-based machines, but you have other options for a Mac move. For an automated approach, Apple has its own Windows Migration Assistant for Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) and the new OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).

The free program, which works with Windows XP and later, can be downloaded from Apple's Web site. The PC and the Mac involved should be on the same network and you need the password for the administrator accounts for both computers.

Once installed on the old PC, the Windows Migration Assistant opens automatically. The program can move e-mail accounts from several Windows mail programs to the Mac's built-in Mail program. Outlook calendars are transf erred to the iCal program on the Mac. Addresses from common Windows programs are moved to Mac's Address Book.

The Migration Assistant transfers Home directory content from the PC like photos, music and documents as well as an iTunes library (if you have iTunes on the PC). Browser bookmarks are also copied over. Apple has details on using the Windows Migration Assistant.

G.O.P. Convention Speakers to Include Condoleezza Rice and John McCain

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR

Republicans plan to highlight three of the party's high-profile women as “headliners” during the national convention in Tampa later this summer, officials said this weekend.

Nikki Haley, the governor of South Carolina, Susana Martinez, the governor of New Mexico, and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state under George W. Bush, will each have prominent speaking roles.

“They are some of our party's brightest stars, who have governed and led effectively and admirably in their respective roles,” Reince Preibus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. “Ours will be a world class convention, worthy of the next president of the United States.”

Republican officials did not name the convention's keynote speaker, a coveted spot that is often used to highlight a rising political star. Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, has been mentioned as a possible keynote speaker .

The Democrats announced last week that Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, Tex., will be the party's keynote speaker in Charlotte, N.C.

Republican convention officials also did not indicate any role for the people most often mentioned as possible vice presidential nominees: Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, or Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota.

But the speaker's list also includes a series of politicians who speeches could help fire up the convention crowd ahead of Mr. Romney's acceptance speech.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, the party's 2008 nominee, will get a speaking slot, as will Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. Both men were rivals of Mr. Romney's in 2008.

Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, will get a headliner slot, as will John Kasich, the governor of Ohio.

Follow Michael D. Shear on Twitter at @shearm.

Romney Committees Raised More than $100 Million in July

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE

Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee raised $101.3 million in July, his campaign announced Monday, as Republican donors rallied behind their nominee with the national convention only a few weeks away.

The figure keeps the Republicans on pace to bring in $800 million for the cycle, the target set by Mr. Romney's team in April. Roughly a quarter of the Republicans' haul, $25.7 million, came in donations of under $250, as Mr. Romney worked to increase his appeal among small donors.

The campaign, the R.N.C., and a joint fund established by the Republicans to raise presidential campaign cash ended July with $185.9 million in cash on hand. They did not disclose what proportion of the money would end up in Mr. Romney's campaign coffers, which can only accept $5,000 from each donor every election cycle, and how much to the R.N.C., which can accept more ten times that amount fr om each donor.

The strong fund-raising puts renewed pressure on President Obama to bring in more cash and underscores the near-certainty that Mr. Romney will remain financially competitive with an incumbent whose fund-raising prowess has long been a hallmark. Mr. Obama's campaign has not yet announced his numbers for July; all campaigns are required to report their fund-raising to the Federal Election Commission by August 20.

While Mr. Obama steadily outraised Mr. Romney in 2011 and early this year, he has also spent far more, amassing a campaign tab of more than $400 million with the Democratic National Committee through the end of June.

A Big Decision, With Its Timing Carefully Planned

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR

Barring a total surprise, the next big thing in the 2012 presidential race will be Mitt Romney's choice of a running mate.

But will it be announced this week?

Political strategists put almost as much effort into the timing of a vice-presidential announcement as they do into the decision itself. Every potential moment has advantages and liabilities.

Here is a rundown of how the possible announcement dates stack up:

EARLY THIS WEEK If Mr. Romney announces his selection in the next couple of days, it will come as a surprise. It would mean that the campaign was able to control just about any leaks until the last minute, catching journalists and political observers off guard.

Such an early choice would instantly double the amount of physical terrain that Mr. Romney's camp could cover for the rest of the month. The vice-presidential choice could spend weeks traveling through swing states, leaving Mr. Ro mney more time to raise money.

And depending on the pick, the campaign would have a new and possibly aggressive attack dog, ready to hit back against President Obama's political machine.

A downside? There is still a week of Olympic competition left, so the announcement would be competing for the attention of the voting public.

LATE THIS WEEK An announcement on Thursday or Friday would have some of the same benefits. And it would overlap with only the last few days of the Olympic Games, most likely giving it heavier news media attention.

By coming at the end of the week, it would also serve as a setup for the Sunday news talk shows and the next week ahead. First impressions are critical, as Dan Quayle proved. A late Friday announcement would give journalists little time to investigate before the shows.

Of course, that process of examination would begin in earnest the following week. Reporters would have plenty o f time to dig through the background of the vice-presidential selection in the weeks before the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., which starts Aug. 27.

That is one of the downsides to an earlier announcement. By the time the convention rolls around, the vice-presidential pick has already been picked over. That lessens the excitement going into the convention.

BEFORE THE CONVENTION A more traditional choice would be to wait until just days before the convention.

That has the advantage of providing excitement and momentum (as well as wall-to-wall news coverage) for the campaign as it charges toward its big nominating party. It also keeps the anticipation alive throughout the summer, building the announcement into an ever bigger and more important moment.

A late selection also puts off weeks of scrutiny of the running mate that could undermine excitement for the ticket. And it helps dodge a “ho hum” reaction if the choice turns out to be seen as more drab or boring than the campaign might have hoped.

But a late choice also robs Mr. Romney of several weeks of help campaigning.

AT THE CONVENTION This seems the least likely. Modern political conventions have become well-planned, highly orchestrated events in which little is left to chance. Waiting to announce his vice-presidential choice until the convention would be out of character for the risk-averse Mr. Romney.

The danger? If anything went wrong, it could ruin the event. (Think Sarah Palin, whose selection was announced just days before the 2008 convention, and the swirl of controversies that dogged her in Minneapolis.)

But a convention announcement would electrify the crowd. If it could be kept secret until the end, it could provide excitement and momentum coming out of the gathering rather than going into it. That is not a bad thing for a campaign.

So when will it be?

As it turns out, Mr. Romney is planning a three-day bus tour through battleground states that starts this Friday. It is not hard to imagine him announcing the pick (via his iPhone app) early Friday morning and then appearing at the first event with his new running mate.

Mr. Romney's campaign manager has been having fun teasing reporters with e-mails like the one he sent to donors on Friday.

“The big V.P. announcement is coming soon,” he wrote. “The buzz here at campaign headquarters is exciting.”