Archive
March Jobs Report: Nothing to Celebrate
The March jobs report disappointed. The economy slowed. Pundits will blame it on the weather. But one thing is clear: This is no time for the Fed to be thinking about stepping on the brakes. We're already going too slow.
Progressive Breakfast
BREAKING: Job Growth Weakens In March Monthly net new jobs drops below 200,000. NYT: "The labor market’s yearlong streak of robust monthly job creation was broken on Friday with the Labor Department’s report that employers added just 126,000 workers in March, a marked...
Resistance To Standardized Testing Not Going Away
Rollouts of new tests in practically every state are prompting widespread opposition. Journalists aren’t describing the resistance well but make no mistake; it really is 'something big'
Progressive Breakfast
McDonald's Offers 89 Cents McDonald's raises its minimum wage, sort of. W. Post: "McDonald's will raise its minimum wage to an average of $9.90 by July 1, up from $9.01, in advance of a planned wave of strikes on April 15 ... The move will cover roughly 90,000 people...
Populism 2015: Citizens Insist On Trade Deals That Work For All Of Us
Everyone gets that past "free" trade deals rigged the rules against working people. Stopping new trade deals from making things worse is one part of the populist movement rebelling against extreme economic inequality.
Obama's Climate Pledge: Is It Enough?
President Obama's pledge is based on programs already in the works that don't need approval from a Republican Congress. More effort – and a new Congress – will eventually be needed to avert a climate crisis.
Four Charts With What Everyone Should Know About the Student Debt Crisis
If the word “crisis” seems dramatic to you, you haven't been paying attention. The Federal Reserve recently released new data on student debt, and it shows that the situation is even worse than many people realized.
Enormous, Humongous February Trade Deficit Is More Bad News
Unfortunately, the drop in the trade deficit was not the result of our trade partners finally buying as much from us as they sell to us (a.k.a. actual trade).
A Quiet Corporate Coup on Capitol Hill
Corporate lobbyist understand that congressional staffers have gained far-reaching control over legislation. Lately it's dawned on lobbyists that instead of wooing staff with flattery and gifts, they should simply become the staff.
A Corporate Tax Plan For Road Funding Is Really A Bridge To Nowhere
A plan by the Obama administration to pay for transportation projects with proceeds from a tax break awarded to companies hoarding profits overseas leaves too much needed money on the table, says a new report.
