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Recession Briefing 11.05: Wearing Your Dirty Laundry

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Some coin laundries are closing and many others are battling sales declines, as Americans are even cutting back on their laundry costs. Some are using the home equipment of friends or relatives, while others are wearing items multiple times between washes. (Wall Street Journal)

Remember those 99-cent recession iPhone cases? Well, Case-Mate is holding a contest for artsy folks who take the time to decorate them. Win a mo-ped! (Case-Mate)

Last week the Obama administration claimed the $787 stimulus program saved or created more than 640,000 jobs, but a review shows that some are simply wrong, while others contain apparently subjective estimates. (New York Times)

A roundup of recent news about food stamps: 36 million Americans now receive them, they’re accepted in more places, and states are slow in responding to applications. (The Awl)

The best hard-luck stories are the ones you can savor without feeling guilty about it, stories about people who were clearly foolish with their money. Enter Willie Aames, former child star and current VH1 whipping boy, who lost everything after a series of business deals went bad. (Salon)

Casey Mulligan doesn’t think the recession was caused by consumers suddenly cutting their spending. “The roots of this recession go a lot deeper than the paradox of thrift.” (New York Times/Economix)

As analysts point to a handful of indicators that suggest the recession is relaxing its grip, millions of laid-off workers remain caught it in its clutches. (MCT News Service )

The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance fell last week. There were 512,000 initial job claims filed in the week ended Oct. 31, down 20,000 from the previous week. (CNN/Money)

After spending more than a year in suspended animation, the commercial real estate industry is expected to hit bottom in 2010 with a wrenching thud. (Los Angeles Times)

Stanley Bing outlines some of the post-TARP questions we should be asking one year later. (Huffington Post)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on. To receive Recession Briefing in your inbox, subscribe to our daily email.

Tags: business, eating, economy, jobs, News, politics, real estate, The Unemployed Life