U.S. stands out as a rich country where a growing minority say they can’t afford food | Pew Research Center

U.S. stands out as a rich country where a growing minority say they can’t afford food | Pew Research Center

"Despite being the richest country in the survey, nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they had trouble putting food on the table in the past 12 months. This is up from just 16% who reported such deprivation in 2007, the year before the Great Recession began.

Americans’ reported level of deprivation is closer to that experienced by Indonesians or Greeks than it is the British or the Canadians. In fact, the percentage of Americans who say they could not afford the food needed by their families at some point in the last year is three times that in Germany, more than twice that in Italy and Canada."

Americans have rebuilt less than half of wealth lost to the recession, study says - The Washington Post

Americans have rebuilt less than half of wealth lost to the recession, study says - The Washington Post
"In addition, the report showed most of the improvement was due to gains in the stock market, which primarily benefit wealthy families. That means the recovery for other households has been even weaker."

The ‘cult of capitalism’ and U.S. moral decline - Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch

The ‘cult of capitalism’ and U.S. moral decline - Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch
"Wall Street’s greedy narcissists are unwittingly sabotaging the economy, lost in their silent conspiracy, controlling the invisible hand, in a costly war that will again lead, as in 2000 and 2008, to the fulfillment of the death wish of the cult of capitalism."

Monsanto sows seeds of protest - MarketWatch

Monsanto sows seeds of protest - MarketWatch
"For many protesters, it comes down to this slogan: “Either mankind will stop Monsanto or Monsanto will stop mankind.”
"Monsanto recently short-circuited this process by lobbying Washington lawmakers to slip a provision into a bill that President Barack Obama signed into law. It requires the USDA to ignore court rulings and permit planting of genetically engineered crops — even if courts deem them potentially unsafe — as the agency conducts further reviews. ... Imagine Boeing getting a law passed that allowed airlines to keep flying the Dreamliner while conflicted bureaucrats studied why its batteries caught fire in midflight."

The Real Numbers: Half of America in Poverty -- and It's Creeping Upward | Alternet

The Real Numbers: Half of America in Poverty -- and It's Creeping Upward

"Analysis of  Economic Policy Institute data shows that Mitt Romney's famous  47 percent, the alleged 'takers,' have taken nothing."
"The IRS reports that the highest wage in the bottom half of earners is about $34,000. To be eligible for food assistance, a family can earn up to  130% of the federal  poverty line, or about $30,000 for a family of four. "

America is the only rich country that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation or holidays

America is the only rich country that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation or holidays
"The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation. European countries establish legal rights to at least 20 days of paid vacation per year, with legal requirements of 25 and even 30 or more days in some countries. Australia and New Zealand both require employers to grant at least 20 vacation days per year; Canada and Japan mandate at least 10 paid days off. The gap between paid time off in the United States and the rest of the world is even larger if we include legally mandated paid holidays, where the United States offers none, but most of the rest of the world’s rich countries offer at least six paid holidays per year. "
" Of course, in practice, richer workers are able to negotiate for both paid vacation and paid holidays. It’s poorer workers who can’t take any time off."
"So among richer workers, almost all employers offer paid vacation and holidays, and quite a bit of it. Among poorer workers, less than half get paid vacation, and even when they do, their employers offer a lot less of it. This is one more way in which the poor often end up working much harder than the rich."

More Evidence Banks Violated Mortgage Pact: NY Attorney General

More Evidence Banks Violated Mortgage Pact: NY Attorney General
Schneiderman has said that, since last October, his office had documented 339 violations of standards—210 by Wells Fargo and 129 by Bank of America—dictating the timeline for banks to process mortgage modification applications. 

Protesters around the world march against Monsanto

Protesters around the world march against Monsanto
Organizers said "March Against Monsanto" protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read "Real Food 4 Real People" and "Label GMOs, It's Our Right to Know."