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Tens of thousands of Detroiters are waiting anxiously for 10 a.m. Tuesday. That’s when they’ll hear from Judge Stephen Rhodes whether the city is eligible for bankruptcy protection, a decision that could affect pensions, city services and healthcare for residents.
Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection July 18, making it the biggest municipality to file for Chapter 9. But it is up to Rhodes, a federal bankruptcy judge, to decide whether the city negotiated in good faith with creditors before applying for Chapter 9, and whether it was truly insolvent.
In 2012, Walmart banked $22.1 billion in profit and paid $5.3 billion in federal taxes. But if it had increased wages for its workers from $7.25 (the current minimum wage) to $12.50, it would have simply deducted the expense from its taxable income and would likely have passed along the increase to its customers, estimated at 46 cents per shopping trip or $12.49 a year for the average shopper who spends more than a $1,000, so there would have been no impact at all on pocketable profits.
They walked through the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter at Oakwood Commons, handing out fliers, then continued into the store with the same message for the Black Friday bargain hunters: Walmart pays its workers too little.
Anthony Goytia, who works nights stocking shelves at a Walmart store in Duarte, Calif., says all he wants from the retailer is a living wage and a little respect. "I'm a hard worker and take pride in my work," said the 31-year-old, who as a part-time employee earns $9.60 an hour, or roughly $12,000 a year. "I'm not a slacker. I'm there on time. I give it my all, and it's only fair I should be compensated for that."
I'm not exactly sure what it is about the hit British TV series, Downton Abbey, that has enthralled so many of us. The scenery is great, Lady Mary's wardrobe is just fabulous, but there are plot holes so huge one could drive Lady Edith's car through them.
The Cato Institute claims to be a leading defender of individual liberty, and in that role, it has endlessly sounded the alarm about government surveillance and other state encroachments on people's privacy. Weirdly, though, Cato rarely mentions even bigger threats to privacy from corporations.
That's quite a blind spot. After all, who spends more time and energy scouring the details of your life: The U.S. government or Google?
This month may prove to be one of the most historic in Walmart’s half-century-long existence. On Monday, Walmart announced plans to replace CEO Michael Duke, who has presided over depressed sales figures, bribery scandals, and controversy over the company’s poverty-level wages.
Here we go again: Home equity lines of credit are on the rise -- with a 16 percent increase forecast this year -- as more homeowners borrow against the value of their homes. The reflexive question might be: Didn't Americans learn anything from the housing bust?