economy

Jan 10 2013

The Business Mind

Despite our recent elections, and the return to business as usual in Washington, many of us are still holding our economic breath. While politicians argue over “fiscal cliffs,” many of us are waiting for a signal that the economy can begin chugging again in earnest. Breaking the grip of this lethargy demands that the American entrepreneur recapture and re-internalize the mindset of a leader.

Jan 8 2013

Major implications for the state

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—An unprecedented drop in California’s child population coupled with a growing wave of Baby Boomer retirements has major implications for the state and should drive lawmakers to adopt policies that will nurture young people with improved educational opportunities and healthcare, according to a report released today.

Julianne Malveaux  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Nov 29 2012

Counting the Cost

Discussions of the fiscal cliff also include discussions about ways to change Social Security and Medicare benefits in order to save money. One of the proposals is to raise the Social Security retirement age to 70.

After all, some argue, there is nothing magic about 65 or 67, so why not push the rate up to 70?

The difference is the kind of work we do. I can’t imagine that I will ever stop talking and writing, advanced age notwithstanding. 

Dec 29 2011

Spreads to Los Angeles

The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to receive wide coverage was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, which began on Sept. 17, 2011. By Oct. 9, Occupy protests had taken place or were ongoing in over 95 cities across 82 countries, and over 600 communities in the United States, including Los Angeles. As of Dec. 20, the Meetup page “Occupy Together” listed 2,751 Occupy communities worldwide.

James Clingman  |   OW Guest Contributor
Dec 8 2011

The college bubble–poof!

A quiet economic storm, or more likely a hurricane, has been brewing for several years now, and it’s gaining more strength every day. After the Dot.Com bubble burst in the early 1990s, we were shocked. Then along came the housing bubble and folks started losing their primary assets: their homes. Black people lost more than $1 trillion in wealth, when housing values dropped. Yes, it was the result of dishonesty and greed among borrowers and lenders alike, but the vast majority of us are suffering from it nevertheless.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.