Family Report Shows Brokenness in U.S. Homes

Americas 10 Poorest Counties in Appalachia, Deep South or on Indian Reservations
Friday, December 17, 2010 By Dan Joseph (CNSNews.com) - America’s 10 poorest counties, both in terms of the percentage of those living below the Poverty level and median household income, lie either on Indian Reservations, are in the Deep South or are found in the Coal Mining areas of eastern Kentucky.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Poverty and Income Estimates for 2009, the 10 U.S. counties with the highest percentages of their population living in Poverty are: 1. Z

GOP Pulse: Slow Walking to 2012
Thune dips his feet in New Hampshire: The Rapid City Journal notes that Sen. John Thune (R-SD) is giving a Radio Interview with New Hampshire Radio Station WKXL. "While Iowa is nearby South Dakota and shares many of the same issues, New Hampshire is another ballgame entirely, and it's hard to see why else Thune would be doing in an interview with a New Hampshire Radio Station other than to get himself in front of an important primary state." Gingrich talks up Haley before visit: In an interview...

Earmarks, Spending, and the Scope of the Federal Government
The Washington Post reported yesterday that Republican senators were turning their back on a massive spending bill stuffed full of their own Earmarks. Those earmarks, the Post noted, included quite a few to benefit Mississippi, the home state of Senators Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran: Wicker, along with Cochran, had by then already sponsored earmarks in the spending bill that would fund an airport expansion in Tunica ($1.75 million), new riverwalk lights in Columbus ($300,000), improvements to a...

Housing Starts and Vacant Units
by CalculatedRisk on 12/17/2010 01:36:00 PM Here is an update to a graph showing total Housing Starts and the percent vacant housing units (owner and rental) in the U.S. Over a year ago, I used this chart to argue that there would be no "V shaped" recovery, and that Housing Starts wouldn't rebound rapidly. See: Housing Starts and Vacant Units: No "V" Shaped Recovery. In that earlier post, I also argued that the Unemployment Rate would remain high throughout 2010. Hey, housing matters! Note: Ho...

Census Bureau Data: Richest Counties Get Richer, Poorest Get Poorer
Source: ABC News Kentucky Has County With Lowest Median Household Income; Richest 3 in Virginia The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, at least judging by the most extreme neighborhoods for median household income in the latest Census Bureau data. The Census' American Community Survey, released this week, provides detailed neighborhood data, including languages spoken in a home, commute time and income levels. The poorest county, Owsley County, Ky., had the lowest median household income o...

Black segregation falls, but Latino and Asian separation up
California's relatively small and slow-growing black population is experiencing far less residential segregation that it did in years past, but its rapidly growing Latino and Asian American populations are experiencing more, a new nationwide study of housing patterns indicates. The study, "Racial and Ethnic Separation in the Neighborhoods: Progress at a Standstill," was written by John R. Logan of Brown University and Brian J. Stults of Florida State University, was based on data from decennia...

Schedule for Week of December 19th: Happy Holidays!
by CalculatedRisk on 12/18/2010 11:42:00 AM This is a holiday week (Merry Christmas!), but there will still be plenty of economic releases. There are two key housing reports: November existing Home Sales on Wednesday, and New Home Sales on Thursday. ----- Monday, Dec 20th ----- 8:30 AM ET: Chicago Fed National Activity Index (November). This is a composite index of other data. Morning: Moody's/REAL Commercial Property Price Index (CPPI) for October. ----- Tuesday, Dec 21st ----- 11:00 AM: Th...

Latest Indicators: Jobless Claims Dip; Trade Gap Grows; Housing Starts Up
What is this? The number of people filing first-time claims for jobless benefits decreased by 3,000 last week, to 420,000, the Employment and Training Administration says. Bloomberg News says that signals "a labor market that is on the mend" in part because the slight decline was unexpected and in part because claims have now dipped in three of the past four weeks. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says the nation's Deficit "on trade in goods and services" widened to $127.2 billion in t...

Serf And Turf
Don't like the way wealth is distributed? Then you can join congressional Democrats and grump about it, or you can get some wealth for yourself. Ahh, if only that were true. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States in 2009 was $49,777, not statistically different from the 2008 median. The nation's official Poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008 — the second statistically significant annual increase in the po...

Latest Indicators: Jobless Claims Dip; Trade Gap Grows; Housing Starts Up
What is this? The number of people filing first-time claims for jobless benefits decreased by 3,000 last week, to 420,000, the Employment and Training Administration says. Bloomberg News says that signals "a labor market that is on the mend" in part because the slight decline was unexpected and in part because claims have now dipped in three of the past four weeks. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says the nation's Deficit "on trade in goods and services" widened to $127.2 billion in t...

Black segregation in US drops to lowest in century (AP)
WASHINGTON – America's neighborhoods took large strides toward racial integration in the last decade as blacks and whites chose to live near each other at the highest levels in a century. Still, segregation in many parts of the U.S. persisted, with Hispanics in particular turning away from whites. A broad range of 2009 Census data released Tuesday also found a mixed economic picture, with the Poverty rate swinging wildly among counties from 4 percent to more than 40 percent as the nation...

Census: Rich Areas Richer, Poor Get Poorer
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, at least judging by the most extreme neighborhoods for median household income in the latest Census Bureau data. More Video ...

Why the Census may be bad news for Missouri Democrats
WASHINGTON — The Census will make clear on Tuesday what has been speculated about in Missouri political circles for a while: The state could lose a Congressional Seat effective the 2012 Elections. Democrats could be most at risk. Going into the 2011 Congress, they will hold only three seats in the nine-member House delegation because the party just lost Rep. Ike Skelton's district in the November Midterm Elections. But they might have trouble keeping that many. It depends on how the Rep...

More D.C. area commuters leaving the driving to others, census data show
Network News X Profile View More Activity READ MORE Traffic & Roads See the latest alerts, a construction calendar, traffic cams and more to help you get around Washington. >> Dr. Gridlock is here to help >> Get transit tips | Traffic By the numbers DataPost Looking for research help, deeper understanding of the day's news, or do you just like numbers? Here's are some of the most interesting, searchable databases developed by The Washington Post and other local and national organizations ...

Mass. expected to lose House seat through Census
BOSTON — Massachusetts is expected to lose a Congressional Seat when the new Census figures are released. The U.S. Census Bureau will release the results of its once-a-decade count at 11 a.m. Tuesday, and all signs are toward a population shift from the North to the South — and a shift in U.S. House seats along with it. Massachusetts currently has 10 House seats. If, as expected, it loses one on Tuesday, state lawmakers will have to decide how to get rid of one congressman. Populati...

Washington area is wealthiest and most educated region in the nation, census data show
The Washington area's affluence and education levels make it the wealthiest and most educated region in the nation, according to Census data released Tuesday that reflect five years of relative prosperity compared with the rest of the country. This Story More D.C. area commuters leaving the driving to others, Census data show Commuters data Poll: Have you changed your commute? Washington area is wealthiest and most educated region in the nation, Census data show U.S. Census Bureau: American C...

Mass. expected to lose House seat through Census
BOSTON — Massachusetts is expected to lose a Congressional Seat when the new Census figures are released. The U.S. Census Bureau will release the results of its once-a-decade count at 11 a.m. Tuesday, and all signs are toward a population shift from the North to the South — and a shift in U.S. House seats along with it. Massachusetts currently has 10 House seats. If, as expected, it loses one on Tuesday, state lawmakers will have to decide how to get rid of one congressman. Populati...

Nebraska's Standhardinger decides to leave school
Nebraska reserve Christian Standhardinger is leaving the team to explore other Basketball options. Coach Doc Sadler said Friday night that Standhardinger would consider transferring to another school or playing professionally overseas. Standhardinger averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in six games. Sadler suspended the sophomore forward the last four games for academic reasons. Sadler recruited Standhardinger out of Germany, and he averaged 8.1 points in 3.8 rebounds in 16 games after becoming...

Which States Will Gain/Lose House Seats?
The Census Bureau will release its official state population totals next week along with the resulting allotment of House seats for the next decade. Cook Political Report: "For some states, there isn't much suspense. Georgia, Nevada, and Utah are all but certain to gain an additional seat in the House, while Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are all but certain to lose a seat and Ohio is all but certain to lose two seats. However, much like NCAA ba...

Showing Their True College Colors
Passion for College Football can be found just about everywhere - including the floor of the House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the House approved a measure recognizing Cam Newton, the Auburn University Quarterback who just captured college football’s prestigious Heisman Trophy. But while more ceremonial resolutions are often unanimously approved, this particular one was opposed by a Bipartisan group of 15 lawmakers, with another 18 voting present. House Republicans have already said ...

Berm notice: Oil Spill Commission staff finds Jindals sand piles were Underwhelmingly Effective, Overwhelmingly Expensive
Back in June, I warned that Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) was demagoguing a sand barrier ’solution’ that probably won’t help, will take many months, use up valuable resources, vanish in the first storm — and many scientists think will make things worse.  As one Coastal geologist explained: “I have yet to speak to a scientist who thinks the project will be effective.” By July, surprise, surprise, Jindal’s “barrier islands” were washing away [see photo a

Pawlenty attack on public sector unions rated Pants on Fire wrong
Even if the House passes the Compromise Legislation to extend the Bush Tax Cuts and federal Unemployment Benefits today it will do nothing to help the 99ers, who have exhausted their eligibility completely. And this at a time when the ranks of the 99ers is set to swell significantly. A District Court judge heard oral arguments from the State of Minnesota on Friday urging the court to dismiss a Lawsuit by three couples who are suing for the right to marry. Solicitor General Alan Gilbert argued th...

Minneapolis Fed: Employment to grow, unemployment flat in 2011
The Minneapolis Federal Reserve officials said Thursday that the region can expect an increase in employment and little change in Unemployment rates in 2011. Businesses in the region are optimistic about an Economic Recovery, they added, and the Fed’s model… Monday night’s meeting of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board was a contentious one as the issue of Bullying and Suicide in the district again came up. The state’s largest School District opened an investigation into the...

Okur returns to Jazz from long absence
Utah's Mehmet Okur is playing for the first time since rupturing his left Achilles' tendon last season. The 6-foot-11 forward came off the bench during the first half of Utah's game against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night. Okur was bothered by tendinitis late last season before the rupture occurred during the Playoffs against Denver last April. He missed the remainder of the Playoffs as well as the first 26 games this season. Last season, Okur started 73 games, averaging 13.5 points and ...

February 24, 2009 - Investigation Update: Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections, 2008–2009
The numbers of new cases have declined substantially since the peak in December, but illnesses are still being reported among people who ate the recalled brands of Peanut Butter crackers after the recall. The outbreak is expected to continue at a low level for the next several months since consumers unaware that they have recalled products in their home continue to consume these products, many of which have a long shelf-life. Consumers should avoid eating recalled products. (See consumer recomme...