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Daily Archives: April 9, 2019

OECD – Under Pressure: The Squeezed Middle Class

Under Pressure: The Squeezed Middle Class: “Middle-class households feel left behind and have questioned the benefits of economic globalisation. In many OECD countries, middle incomes have grown less than the average and in some they have not grown at all. Technology has automated several middle-skilled jobs that used to be carried out by middle-class workers a few decades ago. The costs of some goods and services such as housing, which are essential for a middle-class lifestyle, have risen faster than earnings and overall inflation. Faced with this, middle classes have reduced their ability to save and in some cases have fallen into debt. This report sheds light on the multiple pressures on the middle class. It analyses the trends of middle-income households through dimensions such as labour occupation, consumption, wealth and debt, as well as perceptions and social attitudes. It also discusses policy initiatives to address the concerns raised by the middle class, by protecting middle-class living standards and financial security in the face of economic challenge.”

2019 Pulitzer Preview: Not all, but many, winners may be about the president

Poynter: “As the Pulitzer Prize Board prepares to select its slate of 2019 winners to announce next week, likely little time will be spent reacting to presidential tweets — such as the March 29 one that urged the board to invalidate last year’s National Reporting prizes to the Washington Post and New York Times. “There… Continue Reading

National Archives Backtracks on Records Purge

DCReport – Move Comes After Outcry Over Planned Destruction of Interior Department Documents – “The National Archives is changing the way it decides what records to destroy after an outcry about proposed mass destruction of records at the Interior Department. The change follows a campaign by writer Russ Kick whose website, AltGov 2, features government… Continue Reading

Study – Phone Addicts are the New Drunk Drivers

Zendrive: “…Last year, 6,227 pedestrians lost their lives to the hands of drivers who were most likely driving under the influence of a smartphone. On a national level, drivers are 10 percent more distracted this year than last. And from out under the shadows, Phone Addicts have positioned themselves as public enemy number one, replacing… Continue Reading

In a world of Google and Amazon libraries rethink their role

cent.com: More information is available online than ever. Libraries are stepping in to make sure everyone can access it. “…NYPL has rolled out a host of services aimed at closing the digital divide, which is exactly what it sounds like: the gap between those who can easily get online and those who can’t. The famous… Continue Reading

Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing

ProPublica: “Just in time for Tax Day, the for-profit tax preparation industry is about to realize one of its long-sought goals. Congressional Democrats and Republicans are moving to permanently bar the IRS from creating a free electronic tax filing system. Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., passed… Continue Reading