Afternoon News Bytes: Feb. 10, 2012 | Sojourners

Afternoon News Bytes: Feb. 10, 2012

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Demonstrations Whisper Of An Arab Spring In Jordan
“We want social justice,” the crowd chanted after Friday Prayers on Jan. 27, reading from a handwritten list of political, economic and social grievances. “Real elections,” they shouted. “I’m a citizen, not a beggar.”
Learn more HERE

THE NATION: Perfect Storm Threatens Long-Term Unemployed
In December, there were more than 13 million unemployed workers and about four people looking for work for every available job. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), 5.5 million people have been unemployed for more than half a year, up from 1.2 million in 2007, and the average duration for an unemployed person is over nine months.
Learn more HERE

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Obama: Birth Control Policy Meets Everyone's Needs
President Barack Obama declared Friday he's found a solution to a birth-control uproar that will protect religious liberty but also ensure that women have access to free contraception, as he rushed to defuse an election-year issue that threatened to overtake his administration.
Learn more HERE

THE ATLANTIC: Will Inequality Keep Getting Worse?
Last October, after a conversation with Chicago Booth professor Steve Kaplan, I posted this graph showing that the share of national income going to the top 1% had fallen dramatically.
Learn more HERE

POLITICO: What Davos, Occupy Have In Common
It was easy to miss the stunning scenery at Davos, Switzerland, last week since all the World Economic Forum’s meetings and receptions are indoors and, literally, 24 hours each day.
Learn more HERE

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES: On Immigration, 'Amnesty' Isn't A Four-Letter Word (OPINION)
Under the Reagan administration, 'amnesty' wasn't a dirty word. It meant hope, dignity and a second chance for illegal immigrants. Why can't we do that again?
Learn more HERE

THE HUFFINGTON POST: In Year Of Uprisings, Reporters Brave Crackdowns From Wall St. To Tahrir Square (OPINION)
You wouldn't think handling a notebook or a camera could be a hazardous line of work. But according to the latest global Press Freedom Index, abuse and oppression of reporters has made journalism an increasingly risky job in many countries. The past year has even left a notable taint on the U.S. press, despite the country's mythos as a beacon of free expression.
Learn more HERE

for more info