What’s interesting in the news today?
Open Thread, with a few from me to start off.
1. Sounds like another Summer of Recovery….. 🙄
From TheWashPost “The American economy is less entrepreneurial now than at any point in the last three decades. That’s the conclusion of a new study out from the Brookings Institution, which looks at the rates of new business creation and destruction since 1978.
Not only that, but during the most recent three years of the study — 2009, 2010 and 2011 — businesses were collapsing faster than they were being formed, a first. Overall, new businesses creation (measured as the share of all businesses less than one year old) declined by about half from 1978 to 2011.”
“The authors don’t mince words about the stakes here: If the decline persists, “it implies a continuation of slow growth for the indefinite future.” This lack of economic dynamism, particularly the steep drop since 2006, may be one reason why our current recovery has felt like much less than a recovery. As Matt O’Brien noted on Wonkblog last week, annual job growth rates have stubbornly refused to budge above 2 percent for the duration of the recovery.”
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2. The Obama admin isn’t just obstructing Congressional investigations. Looks like Inspector Generals are being obstructed as well.
From HotAir “Remember the bizarre case of John C. Beale? Last year, it was finally revealed that the former high-level Environmental Protection Agency employee managed to defraud the federal government of almost a million dollars over the course of twelve years while doing almost no work, and then excusing his many absences by claiming that he was jetting off on secret climate-change-related business in conjunction with the CIA, followed by a fake retirement party. Much to the EPA’s chagrin, federal watchdogs were not filled with confidence in either our sprawling bureaucracy generally or the EPA’s power-grabbing/obfuscating tendencies specifically, and began an investigation into the lack of internal controls that allowed the guy to fly under the radar for so long; then in February, the EPA inspector general wrote a letter to Sen. David Vitter informing him that several EPA employees were actively getting in the way of the IG’s investigations thereof. This afternoon, the Associated Press just dropped another bomb on those inauspicious EPA activities:
A unit run by President Barack Obama’s political staff inside the Environmental Protection Agency operates illegally as a “rogue law enforcement agency” that has blocked independent investigations by the EPA’s inspector general for years, a top investigator says.
The assistant EPA inspector general for investigations, Patrick Sullivan, was expected to testify Wednesday before a House oversight committee about the activities of the EPA’s little-known Office of Homeland Security. The office is overseen by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy’s chief of staff, and the inspector general’s office is accusing it of impeding independent investigations into employee misconduct, computer security and external threats, including compelling employees involved in cases to sign non-disclosure agreements.
“Under the heavy cloak of `national security,’ the Office of Homeland Security has repeatedly rebuffed and refused to cooperate with the OIG’s ongoing requests for information or cooperation,” Sullivan wrote in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press. “This block unquestionably has hamstrung the Office of Inspector General’s ability to carry out its statutory mandate to investigate wrongdoing of EPA employees.” …
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3. What Floyd Mayweather tells us about manhood and abortion.
From TheFederalist “Recently Floyd Mayweather publicly broadcast his sadness that his ex-fiancé had aborted his unborn twins. While I know little of the back-and-forth gossip going on here, my heart broke for this man. There was something about a man whom I only knew as a boxer, speaking out in defense of his children, that got to me. Was it personal business? Yes. Was airing it in public not the best option? Probably true. Is it right not to involve a man in a decision like this? No.
A boxer standing in opposition to “killing babies” is an apt metaphor. Men, while capable of brutish violence, channel that effort best into protection of others. Men at their most heroic save lives, fight wars, die for their country, or even patiently smile through tea parties with their daughters. The boy inside the man has always wanted to do right. That is, until women told them that they don’t need their help, their opinion, their love, their care, or protection. From “don’t hold that door” to “don’t think you deserve to be a part of your child’s life,” the message is clear. Go away.
Women lament very often that men have changed, wondering, “Where have all the good men gone?” They falsely attribute it to women outpacing men in education or moving into the workplace. Notice, despite a long period of economic success by men, there never once was a movement to tell women they weren’t needed. Even when they joke, men realize they know better.“
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Wandering Views 
I have a male friend who’s girlfriend aborted their child without his knowledge. She told him after the fact. It has haunted him for thirty years.
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#2 Beale couldn’t have done that as long as he did without collusion on somebody’s part. Probably more than one person.
Something else is going on here. The Inspector General should inspect the reason for non cooperation. That may be more important than the scam Beale was conducting.
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Very sad, but I also think, so why didn’t you marry her? Most women will not abort if the father will marry her . . . Two sides . . .
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Chas, did your guy win yesterday? (Was that the Tillis race?) I hear he has ties to the Koch Brothers 🙄
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Donna, yes. I voted for Tillis. That is a case where I voted for the guy I thought could be Kay Hagen. One other was endorsed by the Tea Party and another by Huckabee. But I want Kay Hagen out of there. That’s my objective. I suspect that drove lots of votes.
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Chas,
I hope you left out a couple of letters.
“:I voted for the guy I thought could be Kay Hagen.” be=beat
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Right Bob. You won’t believe that I proof read that before posting it, but I did.
BEAT Kay Hagen.
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My liberal young friend is again railing against the Republicans. This time they are cruel & heartless for voting against the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (I’m pretty sure that what it’s called). The little I’ve seen on it is that it would force companies to not fire pregnant workers, & to accommodate them if need be. (I really have no actual details, & at present, don’t have time to look it up.)
Anyone know any more about this, or have a good article about it to share?
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I just heard a big endorsement of Tom Tillis for Senate from NC. Chris Hayes and Emily’s list have a long segment against him on MSNBC. Kris Kromm from Institute for southern Studies don’t like him either.
Anyone MSNBC dislikes that much must have something good about him.
I seldom watch a full segment on MSNBC, but I enjoyed this one.
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I’m pretty sure it’s already the law in CA. Women go out on disability when pregnant. You have to hold their job for them; they’re free to decide not to return.
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Michelle – All I could find on it was on a state level in several states. My friend wrote of it as if it were on a federal level. Actually, upon re-reading her post, I see that she refers to Republicans “not signing” the act.
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But I also read that the Paycheck Fairness Act has been shot down (rightfully so) by Republicans. I wonder if she confused the two acts.
Here’s what Matt Walsh wrote about the supposed disparity…
“The ’77 cents’ figure lies by omission.
“Purposefully left out of the equation are relevant details like: tenure, job title, hours worked, region, experience, skill level, industry, occupation, safety risks, education level and difficulty. The figure simply compares all women and all men who work over 35 hours in any job, in any part of the country, for any period of time, at any experience level, however poorly or however competently.”
http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/04/08/thank-god-for-the-gender-wage-gap/#7dk2wSv4efUM0H6b.99
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