(2019-09-06). Jobs numbers conceal real unemployment and underemployment rate of 7.2%. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (PAI)—The U.S. unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 3.7% in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. A separate survey said employers created 130,000 new jobs—but 25,000, or almost 20% of them, were temps whom the U.S. Census Bureau hired as it revs up for next year's nationwide decennial headcount. "These are temp jobs, so …
(2019-09-06). Extinction Via Rugged Individualism. counterpunch.org 
I was recently amused by a train of thought on Twitter excoriating Henry David Thoreau for his experiment in self-sufficient living. True, he was on the land of his wealthy neighbor, his mother did his laundry (and brought him old-timey donuts to eat), but it was rugged, dammit. Okay, it was something akin to a More
(2019-09-06). What Is the True Unemployment Rate in the US? globalresearch.ca A reader of this blog recently asked an important question: what do I think is the actual unemployment rate in the US today, not the media's 3.8% that is almost always quoted. Here's my reply as to why I calculate …
(2019-09-06). Job Growth Slows to 130,000 in August. truthout.org | | The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy added 130,000 jobs in August, down from an average of 173,000 over the last 12 months. Over the last three months, the average has been just 156,000. The August figure was inflated by temporary employees hired to conduct the 2020 Census. Private sector employment increased by just 96,000 in the month, bringing the average gain in the private sector for the last three months to 130,000. | The data in the household survey were more encouraging. While the unemployment rat…
(2019-09-06). UK pensioners suffer massive increase in poverty. wsws.org Almost 18 percent of pensioners—nearly 2 million people—are in relative poverty, receiving less than 60 percent of median household income, up from 13 percent in 2011/2012.
(2019-09-06). How we shut down the nation's largest child detention center. nationofchange.org On the morning of Aug. 3, the last of more than 3,000 children were taken out of the Homestead detention center in Florida. The controversial detention center had served as an indefinite holding place for migrant youth, many of whom fled violence and poverty in Central America and were seeking asylum in the United States. …
(2019-09-06). 'Shameful': Warren Warns Trump Plan to Privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Would Make Housing Crisis Worse. commondreams.org "The Trump administration wants to make it harder for creditworthy working families—especially families of color—to buy a home and build wealth." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/elizabeth_warren_7.jpg …
(2019-09-04). 'Digital divide' will worsen inequalities, without better global cooperation. un.org Inequality will worsen unless the so-called "digital divide" — the gap between under-connected and highly digitalized countries — is not addressed, warns a new report released on Wednesday by the UN trade body, UNCTAD.
(2019-09-02). The Neoliberal Scam: Public Money for Private Playgrounds. therealnews.com 
TRNN takes an in-depth look at so-called public-private partnerships and how they funnel public money into the pockets of the ultra-wealthy…
(2019-09-01). Recession incoming? Lee Camp tears apart Trump's boasts about volatile US economy. rt.com 
Donald Trump insists that the US economy is booming, but there are warning signs that we're heading towards a recession, Lee Camp argues, blaming the country's elite for setting the stage for another financial meltdown. | The US president has pointed to a robust stock market and low unemployment as evidence of a bright economic outlook for America. The reality, however, is far less rosy, the host of Redacted Tonight said. He noted that the Dow Jones has been extremely shaky, losing over 1,000 points over the past month. The American comedian also cited data showing that historically, recessions are preceded by…
(2019-08-29). Taxpayers Have Been Ordered to Pay Over $2 Million For Discriminating Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org Government officials should know that discrimination comes with a cost to taxpayers. | Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was liable for $224,000 for the actions of Kim Davis, who refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses (to same-sex or different-sex couples) as county clerk. | While Davis' story made national headlines, her case isn't the only one in the past year where a court case filed by the ACLU has led to a bill for discriminatio…
(2019-08-26). Foreign Correspondent: What is the U.S. Role in the Hong Kong Protests? progressive.org Despite legitimate concern over economic inequality there, the movement has pro-Western elements and has been encouraged by Washington in familiar, odious ways.
(2019-08-15). SPLC publishes Opportunity Costs: Unequal Justice in Alabama's Community Corrections Programs. splcenter.org A new investigative report published today by the Southern Poverty Law Center reveals serious flaws in Alabama's community corrections programs, an otherwise promising system for diverting people from the state's prisons.