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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
The Myth of Economic Inequality
By
Danielle Kurtzleben
Richer rich people aren't hurting anyone, experts say...even if it can be tougher to join them
JewishWorldReview.com | (USNWR)
The gap between the rich and the poor is growing in the United States and has been for decades. The topic came to the forefront of the national debate last year with the rise of Occupy Wall Street. However, a growing income gap may not be the problem that some make it out to be.
The evidence that growing inequality hurts the middle class and poor is weak, as Scott Winship, a fellow at Washington-based liberal think tank the Brookings Institution, testified to the Senate Budget Committee at a hearing about inequality and economic mobility.
"There is very little evidence to suggest that the gains at the top have come at the expense of other Americans," he said.
Without question, income inequality has grown substantially in the United States. According to an October report from the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency that provides economic data to Congress, real income for the top 1 percent of the population grew by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007. Meanwhile, household income for the middle 60 percent of the population grew by just under 40 percent, and for the bottom 20 percent, it grew by just 18 percent. That's a wide disparity, but explosive income growth for the richest Americans isn't necessarily detrimental to the poorest Americans.
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As an example, Winship pointed to Mitt Romney, who made $22 million or so in 2010, and Mark Zuckerberg, who could make $5 billion off of his stock options this year.
"Should we be concerned about the poorer man?" asked Winship.
In other words, extreme economic inequality isn't always problematic; it's simply a fact of life as some Americans get fantastically richer and skew the numbers even further. This means that the income gap within the bottom 99 percent has grown much more slowly than that between the 99 percent and the top 1 percent. This means that a tiny segment of the richest Americans has an increasingly large impact on measures of inequality, though the negative impact on other Americans may be minimal.
"How will the typical American end up better off if the Facebook IPO were to fall through so that Zuckerberg could not exercise his options?" said Winship in his opening statement.
While the problems of inequality can be deceptive and perhaps overstated, growing income disparities can point to larger economic problems. For example, the CBO has cited a lack of skilled labor as one contributing factor to inequality, as demand and pay grow for rare skilled workers. Better education, particularly in STEM fields, could mean a better chance at a better life for many.
Likewise, while income gaps continue to grow, economic mobility--the ability to move up (or down) the income ladder--is very limited.
Even while a vast majority of Americans are earning more than their parents did, many Americans find it difficult to move from their places on the economic ladder, says Erin Currier, project manager at Pew's Economic Mobility Project, which studies economic opportunity in the U.S. Many Americans, particularly the richest and poorest, tend to "stick" at their parents' places on the ladder: "65 percent of kids raised in the bottom 20 percent never make it to the middle class as adults," says Currier.
In part, this is again a question of education; the cost of higher education has increased faster than median family income in recent decades. Postsecondary education, says Currier, quadruples the chances that a child born in the bottom fifth of the population will make it to the top fifth.
Some inequality is good, as Winship told the committee members today. "In a world of perfect equality, there would be no rewards for hard work or risk," he said. The worry may instead be that those rewards are diminishing.
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© 2012, U.S.News & World Report LP All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services
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