News Day – January 9

“Shockingly awful” and “spectacularly grim” employment figures materialize, right on schedule. Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows unemployment in December running at 7.2%, and notes that, “Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has grown by 3.6 million, and the unemployment rate has risen by 2.3 percentage points.” BBC notes that total job loss numbers for October and November have also been revised upward.

This week’s MN Job Watch: Some 500 employees in corporate HQ have taken Best Buy’s buyout offer. On the other side of the metro, Anderson Windows is cutting 50 jobs, and laying off another 400 employees. Alliant Tech/Federal Cartridge is eliminating 70-80 jobs, after cutting 40-50 in November. Macy’s will close its Brooklyn Center store, as well as cutting hours at the downtown St. Paul store.

The Strib reports that nursing homes are closing, and waiting lists growing, as reimbursement rates continue low. The state’s 393 nursing homes say they are losing $23 per day per resident at the current rates of state reimbursement. The state/federal Medicaid program pays for two-thirds of nursing home residents’ care.

John Judis in The New Republic and Paul Krugman in the New York Times both question whether the Obama economic agenda goes far enough in dealing with the nation’s crisis. Krugman:

This is the most dangerous economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it could all too easily turn into a prolonged slump.
But Mr. Obama’s prescription doesn’t live up to his diagnosis. The economic plan he’s offering isn’t as strong as his language about the economic threat.

For the full text of the Obama address on the economy, click here.

Meanwhile, in other news of the day:

Gran Torino has opened in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities Daily Planet has a line-up of stories about the Minnesota and Hmong connections, written by both Daily Planet reporters and Hmong Today.

One RNC protester has pleaded guilty to the molotov cocktail charges. The other still awaits trial.

Minnesota salmonella cases make us one of the lucky states hit by the latest outbreak, with causes as yet undetermined.

“Your vote didn’t count.” That’s the message for about 400 voters, now receiving letters from the Secretary of State to tell them that either the Coleman or the Franken campaign challenged their absentee ballots and that the ballots consequently were not opened and counted.