Unemployment claims higher than projected

Fresh applications for unemployment benefits topped 260,000 in mid-October, up 13,000 – or 0.5 percent – over the previous week, according to the Labor Department. The Washington Examiner has the scoop: The increase in claims was more than the 4,000 uptick private-sector forecasters had projected. While claims remain reassuringly low, they are slightly off the…

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Arizonans facing up 75-percent hike on Obamacare premiums

Arizonans enrolled in Obamacare had better re-evaluate their family budgets, as residents in 2017 will face premium increases as steep as 75 percent. The Washington Examiner has the story: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona plans to raise Obamacare premiums by 51 percent, and Centene Corp. will sell plans in only Maricopa County at a…

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Daily Signal: ‘No other’ freedom as ‘widely and intensely attacked’ as free speech

Free speech under President Obama’s presidency has faced unprecedented setbacks, especially when considering IRS targeting of Americans for their political beliefs. The Daily Signal has the commentary: The Constitution has long been subject to attacks from individuals hostile to its guarantees of freedom, economic opportunity, and limited government, but in recent days no other provision…

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U.S. attorney general declines to prosecute EPA employee in center of pollution scandal

The Environmental Protection Agency employee in the thick of the scandal that polluted three U.S. rivers due to a Colorado mine wastewater spill will not face prosecution, the U.S. Attorney General’s office says. The Washington Examiner has the details: The EPA’s Office of Inspector General said Wednesday that it found evidence the unnamed employee may…

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Federal deficit up 25 percent over last year

Our federal deficit is growing, this year spiking to nearly $590 billion – up 25 percent over last year – according to the latest Congressional Budget Office estimate. The Washington Examiner has the details: The federal deficit for fiscal 2016 jumped to $588 billion, $149 billion bigger than last year’s, the Congressional Budget Office estimated…

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Underemployment number unchanged after eight months

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday revealed underemploment has remained the same since February and that the number is virtually unchanged from last year. The Washington Examiner has the details: The U-6 unemployment rate, which measures underemployment by looking at workers who have been forced into part-time work or who are only sporadically looking for…

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