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From the blogs

After 5 Weeks, 3 GOP Filibusters and 200,000 Americans Running Out of Bennies, Obama to Sign Unemployment Extension

by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

This is how things work in DC these days.

Unemployment Hits 10.2 Percent, Economy Sheds 190,000 Jobs

by Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research

A run-down of the employment picture.

Meet Some of the People Who Have Jobs Thanks to Obama's Recovery Act

by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, AlterNet

640,329 jobs were created or saved. But the true significance of this number lies in the people behind it.

Rape Victim Confronts Vitter Over Vote for Impunity for Contractors

by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress

In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones’ Halliburton/KBR co-workers gang-raped her while she was working in Baghdad.

Good News Everyone, The Economic Crisis Is Over! (Right?)

by Allison Kilkenny, True/Slant

There's a disconnect between official economic figures like GDP, "third quarter growth," and average citizens' lives.

An Early Halloween Scare: Immigration Agents Attacking Workers' Rights!

by Amy Traub, DMI Blog

The exploitation of undocumented immigrants threatens the wages, benefits and working conditions for all workers, but we're not addressing the root problem.

Oil Tycoon: Our Troops Died ... We're "Entitled" to Sweet Contracts in Iraq!

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

The logic of billionaire T-Boone Pickens.

Happy Days Are Here Again for Wall Street but Main Street Is Too Poor to Retire

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

The contrast is striking.

'Party of No' Obstructs Extending Unemployment Benefits, Democrats Let Them

by BarbinMD, Daily Kos

For the second time in a month, the Party of No is screwing over those who need help the most.

Hedge Fund Mogul Isn't the Only One to Listen to Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler' over and over

by Jan Frel, AlterNet

Difference between Raj Rajaratnam and my jocky high school classmates is that he got Kenny to sing it live.

Rachel Maddow Goes After the "Child Labor-Endorsing, Pro-Slavery Freak" Corporations

AlterNet. November 11, 2009.
"How will the corporations save themselves from that onerous rule that you can‘t use slaves and prisoners and children to make your products"?

What Can the Morass of the 1970s Tell Us About the Current Economic Crisis?

Alejandro Reuss, Dollars and Sense. November 10, 2009.
If new movements do emerge, they should not become the foot soldiers of a particular political party. Rather, they should aim to improve capitalism's existing tools.

Who's Paying for the Recession Most of All? Young Workers

Lizzy Ratner, The Nation. November 10, 2009.
Young people have lost 2.5 million jobs to the crisis, making them the hardest-hit age group.

As Foreclosure Nightmares Increase, Will More Homeowners Pay Off Their Bankers in Violence?

Scott Thill, AlterNet. November 9, 2009.
The economic crisis revealed late-capitalism's central offense: Human beings are being transparently treated if they were mere transactions. And they're going postal over it.

How a Public Jobs Program Could Put America Back on Track

Julianne Malveaux, The Progressive. November 6, 2009.
The same nation that created a Works Progress Administration in the 1930s should create another one in the 21st century.

For Glenn Beck, SEIU Is 'Radical, Marxist,' Except When Its Nurses Treat Him for Emergency Abdominal Pains

Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet. November 5, 2009.
Beck described SEIU nurse care as "amazing" after his inflamed appendix was removed.

30 Hours Clashing with Corporate Lobbyists on a White House Committee Showed Me How Hard "Change" Really Is

Sarah Anderson, Foreign Policy in Focus. November 5, 2009.
The "cow-boy" model of capitalism has failed dramatically, but corporate America still wants to roam the planet free of regulation.

Want to Save Our Economy from Almighty Greed? Here Are 10 Crucial Fights and Key Fighters to Watch

Zach Carter, AlterNet. November 5, 2009.
If the economic crisis taught us anything, it's that bringing to heel the whiz kids of finance is a top priority.

What If You and Your Neighbors Owned Your Local Sports Teams?

Roy Ulrich, AlterNet. November 4, 2009.
Sports franchises shouldn't necessarily be in the hands of private parties.

How State-Owned Banks Can Help Americans (And Stick It to Wall Street, Too)

Ellen Hodgson Brown, TruthOut.org. November 4, 2009.
With its populist business model, the Bank of North Dakota provides a template for sustainable fiscal policy at the state level.

Are Some Airlines Just Too Dangerous to Fly?

Richard Korman, Miller-McCune.com. November 4, 2009.
A new study calls for standardizing aircraft maintenance across the globe, but until then, the answer just might be yes.

Have the Very Wealthy Achieved Victory in Their Class-War?

Sam Pizzigati, Dollars and Sense. November 3, 2009.
We don’t want our tax dollars aiding companies that increase social inequalities. So why do we let our tax dollars help companies that increase economic inequality?

Our Produce-or-Die Culture Is Killing Us -- And We're Idiotically Grinning and Bearing It

Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com. November 3, 2009.
We've been reduced to "human assets" in a relentless economic machine. And we can't even complain: appearing cheerful is vital when all of life is monitored by an employer.

5 Key Fights We Face Against the Insurance Industry in the Push for Better Health Care

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 3, 2009.
There's momentum to repair our fractured health care system -- but activism is desperately needed to keep the process honest.

We Need Smart Solutions to Our Long Jobs Crisis

Dean Baker, AlterNet. November 2, 2009.
All the projections show that the unemployment rate is likely to continue to rising for the immediate future and remain high for years to come.

Glenn Beck Peddles Populism for Rich Guys

Brad Reed, Commonweal Institute. October 31, 2009.
The Fox News shock jock weaves a tale of wealthy elites who are victims of tyrannical government hell-bent on taking their hard-earned money.

Chevron Employs Felon and Drug-Trafficker to Derail Trial to Escape Enviro Crimes

Han Shan, AlterNet. October 30, 2009.
It appears that American oil giant Chevron is employing methods -- and people -- that are as dirty as the toxic waste pits it left scattered across the rainforest floor.

Former Wall Street Player Reveals the Inside World Behind Shady Bailouts to Bankers

Joshua Holland, Nomi Prins, AlterNet. October 30, 2009.
An interview with Prins, former managing director at Goldman Sachs, now a razor-sharp financial muckraker and author of the new book, "It Takes a Pillage."

How Our Broken Immigration System Hurts Both Immigrant and Native-Born Workers

Tyler Moran, Immigration Impact. October 30, 2009.
The real answer to “enforcement” at the worksite is making sure all workers can exercise their labor rights and upholding our employment laws

If You Thought the Last Bailout of Wall Street Was Disastrous, Here Comes TARP on Steroids

David Sirota, Creators Syndicate. October 29, 2009.
The "Financial Stability Improvement Act" would let Geithner spend as much as he wants for as long as he wants, with no specific oversight.

Thousands March in 3-Day Showdown with Banking Industry

Kari Lydersen, AlterNet. October 28, 2009.
Tired of bailouts and fat paychecks for those that created the economic catastrophe, marchers made clear demands to tame an out-of-control financial system.

Will Your Pension Be Wall Street's Next Casualty?

Mark Brenner, Labor Notes. October 28, 2009.
For years corporations have been trying to choke the life out of traditional pensions ... and they may get their wish.

Will People-Power Defeat the Insurance Lobby This Time Around?

Dean Baker, TruthOut.org. October 27, 2009.
This is a case where the simple facts and persistent grassroots pressure may overcome the political power of a major industry.

The Yes Men: Pranksters Out to Fix the World

Mark Engler, Foreign Policy in Focus. October 27, 2009.
The Yes Men pose as spokespeople for major companies or bodies like the World Trade Organization, and give presentations that highlight the logic of corporate greed.

How the Explosion of the For-Profit Career Colleges Are Swindling Students and Draining the Country's Coffers

Danny Weil, CounterPunch. October 27, 2009.
Thanks to Bush-era policies, schools have figured out how to work the federal student aid system while at the same time selling counterfeit dreams to low-income students.

Our Economy Was a Scam and Now We're Dead Broke

Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com. October 27, 2009.
America is broke. And the easy credit, phantom "growth" economy has been exposed for what it was: a credit scam.

Green Supermarkets? Janitors Push the Next Wave of Healthy Workplaces

Ngoc Nguyen, New America Media. October 27, 2009.
One of the country’s largest unions is broadening its idea of a safe and healthy workplace.

Showdown Against the Greedy Bankers in Chicago

Rob Johnson, NewDeal 2.0. October 26, 2009.
Marchers join together in the call against banking greed and to speak out on behalf of people abused by foreclosure, subprime treachery and absurd interest rates.

After the Billionaires Plundered Alabama Town, Troops Were Called in ... Illegally

Mark Ames, AlterNet. October 24, 2009.
"We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity and opportunity for all," says one Goldman Sachs adviser. But tell that to the people of Samson, Ala.

How About Some of that Painful Welfare Reform for Wall Street?

Les Leopold, AlterNet. October 22, 2009.
We force very low income single moms to jump through hoops to get their welfare checks, but we let Wall Street's welfare kings walk all over us.

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