Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
GDP Shrank 6.2% in 4th Quarter, Deeper Than First Thought
The U.S. recession deepened a lot more in late 2008 than first reported, according to government data showing a big revision down because businesses cut supplies to adjust for shriveling demand. Gross domestic product decreased at a seasonally adjusted 6.2% annual rate October through December, the Commerce Department said Friday in a new, revised estimate [...]
Credit Crunch Still Squeezing Small Business
The bank bailout was supposed to loosen credit. But for small businesses, getting a loan is still a big hassle. This is one man’s story:
Some morning last October, with the stock market taking a beating and economic forecasts going from bad to worse, I decided to call my banker. Emerald Packaging, my 46-year-old family-run plastic-bag [...]
Budget Finds Support, Unease On Capital Hill
Democrats on Capitol Hill welcomed President Obama’s budget as a long-awaited reordering of the government’s priorities. Republicans expressed dismay for much the same reason. But even some Democrats expressed unease with some of the president’s sweeping proposals, which include calls for higher taxes on affluent Americans and businesses, a new form of energy tax and [...]
With Afghan Buildup, U.S. Plans To Deploy Billions For Heavy Armor
As part of its buildup in Afghanistan, the Pentagon plans to deploy billions of dollars in heavily armored vehicles, spy planes, jamming technology and even experimental ground-penetrating radar to defend troops from increasingly lethal roadside bombs.
With Afghan Buildup, U.S. Expands Effort Against Roadside Bombs
Pork Alert!!!! Despite Vows From Obama, The House Passed $410 billion Spending Bill Is Piggy
The House on Wednesday passed a $410 billion omnibus spending bill packed with pet projects requested by Democrats and Republicans alike. The 245-to-178 vote came just a week after President Obama signed one of the largest spending bills in the nation’s history, a $787 billion measure meant to rejuvenate a sluggish economy. [...]
More Details on Obama’s Budget – Interactive Breakdown
President Obama unveiled a multi-trillion-dollar budget Thursday, an ambitious plan to boost clean energy development, access to education and health care coverage. Some of those costs would be offset in part by allowing tax cuts to expire for the wealthiest households. Here, an overview of the spending plan presented by NPR.
NPR: Details on Obama’s Budget.
Police Not Focusing On Dangerous Illegal Immigrants, Study Says
A federal program that empowers local police to enforce U.S. immigration laws has failed in its promise to target illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety or national security, according to a study released today. Story by Anna Gorman, at the Los Angeles Times
Police not focusing on dangerous illegal immigrants, study says
Mexico Drug Wars Spill Across The American Border
The drug violence that has left nearly 4,000 people dead this year in Mexico is spreading deep into the United States, leaving a trail of slayings, kidnappings and other crimes in at least 195 cities as far afield as Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and Honolulu, according to federal authorities. Article by Sam Quinones and Richard A. [...]
Mexico’s Drug War: Mexican Town Fed Up With Violence Turns To Army
Reporting from Villanueva, Mexico — The people of Villanueva said they’d had enough. Men in cowboy hats, women with hand-scrawled signs, children on bikes — they gathered outside town and blocked the main interstate highway. “If you can’t do it, quit!” they told their police force. They demanded that the army take over. Article by [...]
Obama’s Budget Plan: At A Glance
Reporting from Los Angeles — President Obama today proposed his first budget plan, which sets priorities for his administration. Here is a guide to understanding the document:
Obama’s budget plan: At a glance
