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Demos has produced a very important document about our austerity crisis. I don't think its conclusions will surprise many of you, but it certainly should be eye-opening to general public. It discusses the well-known fact that austerity is counter-productive in an economic down turn and that
In the media
Digby
High unemployment and underemployment forced one in four Americans to pull money out of a retirement plan to make ends meet. ... A separate study on credit-card debt done by Demos, which surveyed some 997 households, warns that middle-income households of those nearing retirement are running up huge
In the media
Gregory Bresiger
Here’s another reason why income inequality is so destructive—it’s ruining our planet and increasing the severity of climate change. A new paper from the Center on Economic and Policy Research looks at a novel way to slow climate change: reduce the hours that we work. For reasons that are not
Blog
J. Mijin Cha
The Pew Charitable Trusts released a nifty interactive report this week that compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their administration of elections. Pew gathered information from the Census Bureau, public surveys, and other sources to develop its Elections Performance Index. So far
Blog
Brenden Timpe
President Obama raised eyebrows during his inaugural address last month when he put the fight against long election-day lines in the context of the nation’s movement toward “tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice.” Now the New York Times says Congress is preparing for a showdown on the
Blog
Brenden Timpe
Deficit reduction is supposedly a huge priority in Washington, especially among Republicans who apparently skipped economics classes in college and don't understand that reducing spending -- and demand -- is the last thing you want to do in a weak economy. But here's a question: Given all the focus
Blog
David Callahan
"I served in the military for 30 years and received the highest level security clearances," said Brooklyn resident and war veteran Emmett Pinkston. "Yet I was turned down for a job as a TSA baggage screener, because of a bogus charge on my credit report. I found myself stuck at a low paying job."
Blog
Amy Traub
The Department of Justice has brought a civil suit against Standard & Poor’s, the credit rating agency, that centers on the decisions that S&P made concerning models it used to evaluate default risk for mortgage-backed securities prior to the financial crisis. Default risk was central to the credit
Blog
Wallace C. Turbeville
Alfred Carpenter, 52, was working for a high-end shoe store in 2007, when the recession put the company out of business. A long-time salesman, Carpenter wasn't worried about getting another job, but then broke an ankle a few months later and ended up in the hospital. With no insurance and a $50,000
In the media
Kathy Kristof
For some Americans, tax refunds are a yearly treat, an opportunity to build savings, or even splurge on a vacation. For others, living paycheck to paycheck amid lingering recession, the refunds become a lifeline, leaving them vulnerable to tax preparation firms who prey on their desperation
Blog
Ilana Novick