by Dean Baker | Jan 9, 2015 | Jobs and Growth
The unemployment rate edged down to 5.6 percent in December from 5.7 percent in November (revised from an earlier reported 5.8 percent), the Labor Department reported today. However, the main reason was that 273,000 workers reportedly left the labor force. The...
by Bill Scher | Jan 9, 2015 | Uncategorized
BREAKING: December Jobs Report 252K new jobs in December, reports Labor Department: "Job gains occurred in professional and business services, construction, food services and drinking places, health care, and manufacturing ... The unemployment rate declined by 0.2...
by Bill Scher | Jan 9, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, Health
One of the first bills passed by the new Republican House after being in session for three days was the "Save American Workers Act of 2015" – and by "save" Republicans meant saving 1.5 million workers from the burden of having health insurance. The Republican bill...
by Richard Eskow | Jan 9, 2015 | Blog, Retirement Security
How does the right justify the kind of action Congress took this week, when it moved to cut disability benefits for millions of people by 20 percent? Answer #1: With buzzwords and rhetorical dodges. Answer #2: Not very well. For details on the House's action, we...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
This week there are signs of a crack in the no-tax-increase-no-way-no-how stance of the Republican Party in Congress. Now that they have control of both the House and the Senate, it is the Republicans' turn to figure out on their own how to pay for the federal program...
by Dave Johnson | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog
"We are tens of millions of Americans and we are committed that we are not going to have another raw deal on trade." - Larry Cohen of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Several members of Congress joined with representatives of a cross-section of...
by Jeff Bryant | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Education
So far, most predictions for education policy in 2015 are pretty dreary. NPR's Claudio Sanchez sees a series of bad to worse situations: "standardized testing under fire … more troubles for the Common Core … Vergara fallout … Ferguson effect." Ugh. According to Alyson...
by Richard Eskow | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Retirement Security
It is striking that on their first day – their very first day! – Congressional Republicans moved against Social Security's disability insurance fund, before some of them had even found the rest rooms or put out their family photos. As Jerry Seinfeld might ask, “Who...
by Bill Scher | Jan 8, 2015 | Uncategorized
Obama Cheerleads Economy As Warren Warns Obama talks up economic progress in Detroit as argument to do more for middle-class. W. Post: "...it's important for us to hear some good news, not to make us complacent, but to give us confidence that if we work harder we can...
by Dave Johnson | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Trade
The U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday that America’s monthly goods trade deficit in November was $39 billion. This is down $3.2 billion from a revised $42.2 billion in October. The primary reason for the drop was a reduction in the volume and price of...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Jan 8, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
More than 300 progressive activists and labor leaders on Wednesday embraced "raising wages" as the theme of a series of battles in 2015 to reverse policies that have led to record levels of income inequality and a shrinking middle class. "We are tired of people...
by Alan Jenkins | Jan 7, 2015 | Blog, Economy, Progressive Vision
Open, inclusive communities free of discrimination are critical to our national success and central to our values of equal opportunity for all. Our country has made significant progress toward that goal, due in large part to the Fair Housing Act. But much work remains...
by Dave Johnson | Jan 7, 2015 | Blog, Trade
Corporations are busy negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in secret. TPP is a huge, huge treaty that will redefine the rules for interaction between countries and the giant corporations – and not in a way that favors citizens over corporations. There is a...
by Terrance Heath | Jan 7, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism
Mitch McConnell’s goal for the new Republican-led Congress is simple: Don’t scare voters away from a GOP presidential candidate in 2016. Recent events, both silly and serious, suggest that will be an uphill battle. The Silly John Boehner (R, Ohio) was re-elected...
by Robert Borosage | Jan 7, 2015 | Progressive Vision
The Institute for Policy Studies on Wednesday is honoring Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) for his 50 years of service in Congress. This is an edited version of a tribute to Conyers written for that event in Washington. It is difficult to sum up the works of a man whose...
by Bill Scher | Jan 7, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
The ground-breaking ceremony for California's high-speed rail system Tuesday was the second major advancement in President Obama's vision for modernizing America's train tracks in the last two weeks. At the end of 2014, the Amtrak Vermonter line – connecting Vermont...
by Bill Scher | Jan 7, 2015 | Uncategorized
Republican Start New Congress With Social Security Attack House Republicans use rules change to attack Social Security. HuffPost: "The House on Tuesday passed legislation laying out parliamentary rules for the year. The bill included a little-noticed provision...
by Richard Eskow | Jan 7, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
There's been a lot of economic recovery talk lately, but most people will probably tell you that things still aren't that great. Most Americans – 99 percent of them or so – are still struggling. Economic inequality is soaring, social mobility is declining, earnings at...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Jan 6, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, Retirement Security, Tax Reform
The House of Representatives wasted no time Tuesday in setting up schemes that are designed to comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted. House Republicans approved on late Tuesday a resolution of operating rules that include several pretty outrageous...
by Dave Johnson | Jan 6, 2015 | Blog, Tax Reform
Corporations and their representatives in Congress and the administration are pushing hard for "corporate tax reform." What this really means is even more tax cuts for the rich. As a vote approaches there will be a well-funded disinformation campaign to push these...
by Leo Gerard | Jan 6, 2015 | Blog, Health
America just celebrated the season of giving with Hanukkah and Christmas presents, year-end charity donations and soup-kitchen volunteering. It is a time when Americans demonstrate the generosity, caring and kindness that define them as a people. Now, however,...
by Bill Scher | Jan 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
Boehner Aims To Contain Revolt Conservative revolt against Boehner for Speaker expected to come up short. The Hill: "At least 10 conservative lawmakers have vowed to vote against Boehner when the House convenes at noon ... and as many as 20 could ultimately cast their...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog, Progressive Vision
[fve]http://youtu.be/kOdIqKsv624[/fve] The passing last week of former New York governor Mario Cuomo is prompting many people to revisit his speech at the 1984 Democratic Party convention – a speech as electric and iconic as the 2004 address that propelled a young...
by Sam Pizzigati | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog, Economy
Imagine if we compared the world’s major developed nations on most all the yardsticks that define social health and decency, everything from average life expectancy and levels of trust to the incidence of teenage pregnancies and drug addiction. Suppose we also ranked...
by Dave Johnson | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog, Climate, Conservatism
Republicans have announced that their first order of business in the new Congress will be to try to force the Keystone XL Pipeline through. This prioritizing shows that they understand who paid their way to the dance. In "Republicans Say They’ll Act Fast to Push...
by Bernie Horn | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog, Economy, Progressive Vision
To be a progressive is to seek new laws that advance economic and social justice for all. That endeavor was thoroughly frustrated by the last Congress, and the next one will be worse. On the federal level, progressives had to settle for President Obama’s executive...
by Bill Scher | Jan 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
Divided Republicans Take Congress Tomorrow "Republicans Say They’ll Act Fast to Push Agenda" upon taking over Congress tomorrow. NYT: "Republicans hope to strike early with measures that are known to have bipartisan support. The House is set to pass legislation this...
by Roger Hickey | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog, Populist Majority, Progressive Vision
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has become the most visible leader of the growing populist movement that is uniting a new majority around an agenda for economic change. But with media visibility comes oversimplified media analysis. For example, a December 24 McClatchy News...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 30, 2014 | Blog
Petition: Stop Another Trade Deal 'Disaster' The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a disastrous trade agreement designed to protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 29, 2014 | Blog
If we let Congress pre-approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with Fast Track we won't need Congress anymore. Corporations will decide what the rules should be. This is for real. The next round of "NAFTA-style" trade agreements actually let corporate courts --...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 27, 2014 | Blog
Must watch, from Economy in Crisis through the USW Blog: [fve]http://youtu.be/W1WMiGsrhpA[/fve] Also (from 2011; it's worse now): 'Trade Deficit with China Has Cost 2.8 Million U.S. Jobs Over Past Decade." [fve]http://youtu.be/k_aiWswMQLc[/fve] For more recent figures...
by Bill Scher | Dec 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
NOTE TO READERS: Progressive Breakfast will take a holiday vacation starting tomorrow, returning on Monday, January 5th. Enjoy the holidays and see you next year! Obama Ends Year Strong Obama gets a poll bump for Christmas. McClatchy: "A CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 24, 2014 | Blog, Financial Reform
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peE9ORz5xkY] Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) discusses his upcoming role on the Senate Banking Committee (from The Zero Hour). They're calling it a “Christmas gift” for Wall Street. Last week the Federal Reserve announced that it's...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 23, 2014 | Blog, Conservatism, This Is The GOP
It’s time to say goodbye to 2014, and wrap-up the first year of “Wingnut Week In Review.” But first, let’s trudge down memory lane and recall the best of the worse in wingnuttia this year. Meanwhile, Back At Bundy Ranch It all started when Cliven Bundy declared a...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 23, 2014 | Blog, Trans-Pacific Partnership
As soon as the new Congress is sworn in next year, the fight over Fast Track will begin. Start preparing now. David Cay Johnston, explains in "Full Speed Ahead On Secretive Trade Deal": (Note the 't' in his last name. I am David C JohnSON.) Early next year, after the...
by Bill Scher | Dec 23, 2014 | Blog
It's not as much fun to write about as a broken website, but Healthcare.gov is humming along this year. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that 6.4 million are now enrolled through the federally-run exchanges, and that number doesn't include those...
by Leo Gerard | Dec 23, 2014 | Blog
Earlier this month, in the sparsely populated Kentucky county that’s home to Bowling Green, officials voted to convert the place into a right-to-work (for less) sinkhole. The county officials did it at the bidding of big corporations. They certainly didn’t do it for...
by Bill Scher | Dec 23, 2014 | Uncategorized
GOP To Politicize CBO Republicans reportedly reject re-appointment of CBO chief. Bloomberg: "The move comes after a campaign from conservative lawmakers who want to change the way the CBO calculates the costs of government ... They agreed with calls from incoming...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 23, 2014 | Blog, Populist Majority, Progressive Vision
The midterm elections were a wake-up call. Voters had given up on the Democratic party as irrelevant – not really on their side, so they didn't bother to show up at the polls. But there are end-of-year holiday season bright spots for progressives as we think about the...
by Lynne Stuart Parramore | Dec 22, 2014 | Blog, Economy
Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has been writing about America’s economically divided society since the 1960s. His recent book,The Price of Inequality, argues that this division is holding the country back, a topic he has also explored in recent research supported by...
