U.S. Unemployment Falls To 7%

WASHINGTON – A fourth straight month of solid hiring cut the U.S. unemployment rate in November to a five-year low of 7 percent. The surprisingly robust job gain suggested that the economy may have begun to accelerate.

It also fueled speculation that the Federal Reserve will scale back its economic stimulus when it meets later this month.

Employers added 203,000 jobs last month after adding 200,000 in October, the Labor Department said Friday. November’s job gain helped lower the unemployment rate from 7.3 percent in October.

The economy has now generated a four-month average of 204,000 jobs from August through November. That’s up from 159,000 a month from April through July.

US Employers Add 169K Jobs; Rate Falls To 7.3 Percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers have yet to start hiring aggressively — a trend the Federal Reserve will weigh in deciding this month whether to slow its bond buying and, if so, by how much.

Employers added 169,000 jobs in August but many fewer in June and July than previously thought, the Labor Department said Friday. Combined, June, July and August amounted to the weakest three-month stretch of job growth in a year.

The unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent, the lowest in nearly five years. But it fell because more Americans stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed. The proportion of Americans working or looking for work reached its lowest point in 35 years.

All told, the report adds up to a mixed picture of the U.S. job market: Hiring is steady but subpar. Much of the hiring is in lower-paying occupations. And many people are giving up on the job market in frustration.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-employers-add-169k-jobs-rate-falls-73-pct

Woman Arrested After Green Paint Found On Smithsonian Statue, Organ At National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral at twilight, view from the north (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A wave of vandalism continued to mar some of Washington’s more popular landmarks Monday with at least three more attractions spattered with green paint, and authorities announced the arrest of a woman near one of the incidents at the Washington National Cathedral.

The latest crimes occurred three days after the Lincoln Memorial was defaced in similar fashion; on Monday, the light-green paint was discovered on an organ in the cathedral’s Bethlehem Chapel, in the cathedral’s Children’s Chapel and on the granite base of a statue next to the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall.

D.C. police announced Monday evening that they had charged Tian Jiamel, 58, whom they belive to be homeless, with one count of defacing property.

Read more:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/green-paint-found-on-smithsonian-statue-organ-at-national-cathedral/2013/07/29/3d65169a-f884-11e2-b018-5b8251f0c56e_story.html

10 Cities Where Workers Have Big Cursing Problems: Report

English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s Note:  Philadelphia made the list!

Where a worker lives may determine how much they swear at work, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder.com (NBC News).

Those who work in the nation’s capital might not be surprised to hear that it’sWashington D.C. that ranks first among the cities with workers with the most potty mouths.  Just take a look at Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who reportedly told TARP inspector Neil Barofsky that he was “the most f@*&ing transparent secretary of the Treasury in this country’s entire f@#&ing history!”  For Barofsky’s part, he recently said the U.S. was “pretty f@#%ed.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/12/cities-where-workers-swear_n_1765823.html

Deal Will Keep Sunoco’s Philadelphia Refinery Operating

Sunoco Inc.‘s Philadelphia refinery, which was threatened with closure at the end of this month, will be reborn as an “energy hub.”

The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C., private-equity manager, announced plans Monday to operate the refinery with Sunoco as a joint venture called Philadelphia Energy Solutions. The venture will save 850 jobs at the refinery, the largest fuel-production plant in the northeastern United States, and may employ hundreds more if plans to expand production are realized.

Carlyle officials say they are “reimagining” the business to exploit new, cheaper domestic sources of crude oil to replace expensive imported petroleum, a major reason the refinery was uncompetitive. In September, Sunoco announced plans to exit refining and to sell or shut down the plant this summer, saying it was losing a million dollars a day on fuel production.

Carlyle, which will have a majority interest in the venture and operate the refinery, also plans to increase dramatically the use of low-priced natural gas from Pennsylvania’s booming Marcellus Shale region to reduce refining costs and emissions.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120702_Deal_reported_to_keep_Sunoco_s_Philadelphia_refinery_operating.html

Here Is The Official BS For Why Gas Prices Have Risen

Image via Wikipedia

So it would seem because the economy has improved, albeit very little, and we all spent a few extra dollars on Christmas presents – GREEN LIGHT – it’s okay a gouge us at the gas pump.  Some mumbling about commodities, the dollar is worthless, gas supplies are good and all that rot.  So bend over America!

Gas prices have risen nationally, 16 cents over last month and 46 cents over last year!  The price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $3.05 (national average).

Many people are only doing absolutely necessary driving, me included!  This is highway robbery!  Time for another boycott!  Seems if we don’t buy anything, the price of gasoline will come back down following this logic!

Great way to stimulate the economy, not!