Jobless Bank Teller: Congress Needs to Extend Unemployment Insurance

Karen, an unemployed bank teller in Pennsylvania, says unemployment insurance (UI) is a life saver—and Congress needs to extend UI before 6 million jobless workers lose their lifeline.

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Can Hip Urban Crafts Help Revitalize Rust Belt Manufacturing?

A new culture of small, local companies could still use the Rust Belt’s ingenuity and know-how, and the Rust Belt could use their energy and cachet. If they figured out how to work together, they might change the way things are made in America.

The welding torch has been passed. The Midwestern forges may still flicker and cough (at least, that’s what Chrysler ads want you to think) but if you haven’t noticed, a lot of new American manufacturing is going on in cities like Brooklyn and San Francisco. Making things in America seems divided between the fire and smoke of old-style factories and the bird-branded tote bags ridiculed in Portlandia, between industry and craft. While San Francisco won’t start smelting ore anytime soon--and Allentown would play an unlikely host to a single-bean chocolate tasting--new industry doesn’t have to leave its old urban centers empty as it migrates to the hip warehouse districts of major coastal cities. In fact, given the right incentives and connections, it might set them humming again and set the stage for a revolution in American-made products.

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Women for Obama :: OFA :: South Carolina

Women for Obama in Richland County held a 'Dials and Dessert' discussion and phone bank Thursday at the campaign’s state headquarters to share their stories and engage voters about what President Obama and his administration have done for women and their families. Over a spread of various desserts and sweets, both veteran volunteers and new ones came together to talk about the issues, make phone calls to ask for support, and brainstorm new ways to educate voters about the President’s accomplishments. Check out some great photos from the event and read what some of the participants had to say below.

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MITT ROMNEY: Simply out of touch - Ten Thousand Times Over

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President Obama Announces Historic New Mercury Emissions Standards

Wednesday, at long last, the EPA unveiled its new rule covering mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

This  is a Big Deal. It's worth lifting our heads out of the news cycle and taking a moment to appreciate that history is being made. Finally controlling mercury and toxics will be an advance on par with getting lead out of gasoline. It will save save tens of thousands of lives every year and prevent birth defects, learning disabilities, and respiratory diseases. It will make America a more decent, just, and humane place to live. 

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Crafty Nevada Business Owner Says the American Jobs Act Would Remove a Roadblock to Growth

 Laura Zander and her husband Doug left San Francisco and their jobs as software engineers at the end of the dot com bubble. They first settled in a small California town and poured their savings into Zander’s store, Jimmy Beans Wool in 2002. 

“Jimmy” is Laura’s nickname from her husband after their favorite musician. The “Beans Wool” described the store itself: part yarn shop, part coffee shop. While the coffee was good, it was the yarn that became the hit, and Zander sold the espresso machine on eBay six months later. Knitting had been Zander’s hobby. It was now her business.

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Obama Osawatomie :: We shall go up or down together

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