3 May 2017 (Al Jazeera) – Venezuela is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history, with an inflation rate of over 400 percent and a volatile exchange rate. Heavily in debt and with inflation soaring, its people continue to take to the streets in protest. President Nicolas Maduro announced the highest increase in the […]
By David A. Lieb7 May 2017 (Associated Press) – For the first time in nearly 30 years, Tennessee will soon tax motorists more to fill their tanks. So will California, Indiana, and Montana. Lawmakers across the U.S. have approved new proposals this year to pay for transportation improvements, including tax hikes, vehicle fee increases and […]
By Lynn Parramore20 April 2017 (INET) – You’ve probably heard the news that the celebrated post-WW II beating heart of America known as the middle class has gone from “burdened,” to “squeezed” to “dying.” But you might have heard less about what exactly is emerging in its place. In a new book, The Vanishing Middle […]
By Terrence McCoy30 March 2017 (The Washington Post) – The lobby at the pain-management clinic had become crowded with patients, so relatives had gone outside to their trucks to wait, and here, too, sat Desmond Spencer, smoking a 9 a.m. cigarette and watching the door. He tried stretching out his right leg, knowing these waits […]
By Michael Lee19 February 2017 (Crain’s Detroit Business) – Climate change presents a knotty problem — and big risks — for insurers. Severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts are expected to occur with more frequency as the climate warms up, experts say. That presents the risk of greater losses for insurers to […]
By Sofia Barbarani 23 January 2017 CARACAS, Venezuela (The Washington Post) – Political parties called for a nationwide protest Monday against Venezuela’s socialist-oriented government but attracted only several thousand people, in a sign of the difficulties the opposition is facing in building a strong protest movement even as the nation descends into crisis. In September, […]
[If you’re wondering about the rise of far-right, ultra-nationalist politics around the world, you need look no further than this report to understand why. –Des] 15 January 2017 (Oxfam) – The gap between rich and poor is far greater than had previously been estimated, with big business and the super-rich fueling the inequality crisis by […]
12 January 2017 (United Nations) – The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) released its 2017 World Employment and Social Outlook report today, which finds economic growth trends lagging behind employment needs and predicts both rising unemployment and worsening social inequality throughout 2017. “We are facing the twin challenge of repairing the damage caused by […]
Washington, D.C., 5 January 2017 (The Commonwealth Fund) – A repeal of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could lead to significant economic disruption and substantial job losses in every state, according to new research. In 2019 alone, 2.6 million people could lose their jobs. These losses could rise to nearly 3 million […]
15 December 2016 (United Nations) – Even as the international community pledged to ‘leave no one behind’ with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned that without stronger global support, 48 of the world’s most vulnerable countries will lose ground in economic development and face […]
