David Hirschman
Recession Briefing 11.20: Tuition Up a Ton
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
Strapped for cash after deep state budget cuts, The University of California’s Board of Regents has approved a plan to raise undergraduate fees — the equivalent of tuition — 32 percent next fall. (New York Times)
Some states have hunger problems that far outpace their poverty rates, an indication that it isn’t just the fragile economy that’s to blame. (The Daily Beast)
Last winter as the American economy seized up, the Flea Theater commissioned six rising playwrights to write 10-minute plays for a series titled The Great Recession. The show debuts tonight in New York. (Los Angeles Times, The Flea)…
Recession Briefing 11.19: Making America Run
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
Americans are lacing up athletic shoes and signing up to run in 5Ks, 10-milers and even marathons in record numbers. Running “gives you something to control — you can’t control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health,” said Ryan Lamppa with Running USA. (Agence France Presse)
With the national unemployment rate above 10%, and employed folks looking to bolster budgets by taking second jobs, the competition for seasonal retail, movie theater, package-delivery and other holiday posts is fierce this year. (USA Today)
A Human Rights Watch report on Cuba takes the government of President Raúl Castro to task for, among other things, jailing those without jobs. The report cited the cases of dozens of people charged with “dangerousness” for being unemployed. (New York Times/Economix)…
Recession Briefing 11.18: Downturn Brings Out the Werewolves
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
Why are werewolves so hot right now? Bob Powers and Ritch Duncan believe that the plight of the werewolf reflects the American economic mood at the current moment. (Huffington Post)
A Canadian real estate company was the winning bidder for Detroit’s Silverdome, snatching it up for just $583,000. The 80,000-seat Silverdome was the biggest stadium in the National Football League when it was built in 1975 for $55.7 million. (CNN/Assignment Detroit)
Will the shared experience (in some cases, shared indirectly — through family and close friends) of the recession move public opinions so dramatically that we see fundamental change in the economy or society as a result? (San Francisco Chronicle)…
Recession Briefing 11.17: More Going Hungry
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
The number of Americans who lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate food soared last year, to 49 million, the highest since the government began tracking what it calls “food insecurity” 14 years ago. (New York Times)
Massive financial fraud schemes like Bernard Madoff’s multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme may attract lots of headlines. But as the effects of the recession wear on, it’s small-time financial crimes that are thriving, experts say. (NPR)
Some 15.4 million taxpayers could receive smaller refunds than they expected or owe taxes next year because they did not have enough money withheld from their paychecks as part of the Making Work Pay tax credit program. (Washington Post)…
Recession Briefing 11.16: Going Abroad for Jobs
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
With the nation’s unemployment rate at a 26-year-high of 10.2%, more Americans are hunting for, and landing, work overseas, according to staffing companies and executive search firms. (USA Today)Some are now recession refugees. (Recessionwire)
The recession is intensifying rumblings of discontent from Generation X. The 32- to 44-year-olds are just waiting for the economy to pick up so they can hop to the next job, find something more fulfilling and get what they think they deserve. (Associated Press)
Corporate failures have slowed, as companies once on the verge of default have found a new life. These companies are now refinancing their balance sheets with new debt, pushing out maturities on existing loans or using distressed-debt exchanges to avoid a bankruptcy filing. (Wall Street Journal)…
Recession Briefing 11.13: Jobs Remain a Conundrum
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
Job seekers take heed, the best cities to find work may be in Texas. The Milken Institute released its annual Best Performing Cities Index earlier this week, and the Lone Star state dominated the rankings. (Huffington Post)
When a huge Andy Warhol canvas sold Wednesday at Sotheby’s for $43.7 million — more than triple its pre-sale estimate — it may also have been a sign that growing talk of economic recovery is being taken to heart by the world’s moneyed class, for whom art collecting is a competitive blood sport. (Toronto Star)
As they draw up blueprints for the house of the post-recession future, builders are struggling to distinguish among what luxury home buyers need, what they want and what they can live without — Jacuzzi by Jacuzzi, butler’s pantry by butler’s pantry. (Wall Street Journal)…
Recession Briefing 11.12: Women Take More Jobs
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
The composition of the nation’s work force is approaching an unprecedented benchmark. Due in part to deep layoffs of men, women are poised to become the majority of workers for the first time. (Wall Street Journal)
California has been pummeled by economic problems, but it may soon find that it is not alone. The Pew Center on the States said the nine other states “face hardships nearly as daunting” as California’s — including Arizona, Rhode Island, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois and Wisconsin. (Reuters)
For many families across the country, the greatest damage inflicted by this recession has not necessarily been financial, but emotional and psychological. Children, especially, have become hidden casualties, often absorbing more than their parents are fully aware of. (New York Times)…
Recession Briefing 11.11: The Past and the Present that Bite You
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
U.S. job seekers are crashing into the worst employment market in years and background checks that reach deeper than ever into their pasts. The result: a surge of people seeking to legally clear their criminal records. (Wall Street Journal)
There were fewer than 2.5 million job openings in September, down 35% from a year ago — and less than one for every six people unemployed — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (CNN/Money)
Economist Gary Shilling has calculated that 58 percent of the population is dependent on the government for “major parts of their income.” By 2018, Shilling estimates, an astounding 67 percent of Americans could be dependent on the government for their livelihood. (U.S. News & World Report)..
Recession Briefing 11.10: Home Invaders Curbed
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
One of the few bright spots of the recession: The number of home burglaries is falling in some cities and towns. “With a lot more unemployed people, a lot more people are staying home, and they see more in their neighborhood,” said St. Louis County Sgt. Thomas Lasater. (Associated Press)
One bright spot of Friday’s gloomy jobs report was the surge in temporary hires. Companies are hiring more temps with plans to convert them into full-time workers if economic conditions improve. (Wall Street Journal)
The Dow gained more than 53 percent from its March trough while the S&P is up over 61 percent from its springtime low. That’s just not normal; it’s too much, too soon. (The Big Money)…
Recession Briefing 11.9: Reuse, Recycle, Regift?
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
More Americans are planning on regifting, or passing on a gift they got from someone else, according to a poll. A total of 36% of U.S. adults said they would recycle a gift this year, compared with 31% last year and 24% in 2007. (Los Angeles Times)
Make-up sales have risen despite the recession as women aim to look their best without breaking the bank on clothes and shoes, new figures show. (Telegraph)
A $25 billion nationwide push to improve the energy efficiency of buildings will likely not be felt until well into next year, potentially undermining the job-creating aim of the stimulus. (Washington Post)
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