The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pursued a record high 32 alleged Ponzi schemes in the 12 months ending September 30, a 45% jump from 2010, while the FBI opened more than 1,000 inquiries into possible Ponzi schemes, a 150% rise from 2008.

Having been embarrassed by Bernard Madoff’s undetected scam, U.S. regulators are quietly stepping up their scrutiny of Ponzi swindles, says The New York Times.

Enfranchisement of women in Switzerland led to reductions in local budget deficits of between 139 and 148 Swiss francs per capita, say Signe Krogstrup and Sebastien Walti of the Swiss National Bank.

Women’s gradual enfranchisement in the country’s 26 cantons from 1959 through 1990 enabled the researchers to examine the effect on local government spending. They speculate that the reasons for the declining deficits have to do with women’s altruism, patience, and prudence toward risk.