Image: FoxNews.com
-The country added 163,000 jobs last month, a huge increase when compared to the 64,000 that were added in June. Even with this good news, there’s bad. First, the unemployment rate is up to 8.3 percent. Second, the country is producing as much stuff now as it did before the downturn, when there were five million more jobs. If companies can do more with less, they will. And third, the jobs being created is only covering the new people coming into the workforce. Add to that the ongoing concerns about the European economy and things are still looking pretty dark. But, the Federal Reserve sounds like it’s now ready to act with stimulus measures, so that could be a good thing.
-Gabby Douglas has the gold! The 16-year-old won the women’s all-around competition yesterday, becoming the first black American to win that coveted prize. Even with all the that, people have found a reason to bad mouth her. The Internet has gone in on Douglas’ hair, of all things. We’re going to ignore all that. #GoGabbyGo.
In other Olympics news, Michael Phelps is competing in the last individual race of his career today. And the U.S. basketball team is cruising, setting a points record beating Nigeria 156 to 73. Want to imagine getting your own gold? Go to the BBC site where you can plug in your height and weight and find out which Olympic athlete you resemble.
-Those angered by Chick-fil-A’s position on same-sex marriage are staging a kiss-in in protest. Participants will show up at restaurants across the country and kiss other protesters of the same sex. Wednesday was “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” which brought record-breaking sales. The day was organized on Facebook and attended by many who support the stance put forward by company president Dan Cathy. Chick-fil-A restaurant locations are largely in regions where support for same-sex marriage tends to be low. But if the company tries to move into areas where the tide on the issue is turning, the company will likely run into trouble.
-The U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria and (former U.N. Secretary General) Kofi Annan is stepping down from his post at the end of the month. During a press conference, Annan criticized the lack of action and support he received from the Security Council. Violence continues in the country, where the city of Aleppo is now the main site of fighting between the government and rebels. More than 14,000 people have died.
-A study conducted by two liberal advocacy groups, U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) and Demos, found that just 47 people have given 57.1 percent of the $230 million donated by individuals to PACs during this 2012 election. Super PACs supporting Mitt Romney have spent $144 million on TV advertising in swing states so far. Billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his family have donated good portion of the $36 million that they’ve given to Winning Our Future, a PAC with ties to Newt Gingrich. They’ve also given $10 million to Restore Our Future, a PAC started by Mitt Romney’s former aides. The report’s authors ”calculate that it would take 321,000 middle-income families, donating an equivalent share of their wealth (0.15 percent), to match the Adelsons’ giving,” The Washington Post reports.
Still a little unsure of what a PAC is? Stephen Colbert started his own super PAC and invited legal expert Trevor Potter on The Colbert Report to explain what they are and how (horribly) they’re allowed to be behave.
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