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Education Pays Big in Jobs and Salaries
Utah economist Jeff Thredgold’s Tea Leaf economic update this week focuses on the U.S. employment strength: “U.S. economic growth naysayers were slapped down again last Friday with the release of the March employment report, which showed solid employment gains and a drop in the nation’s unemployment rate. Unfortunately, these loud ‘recession is imminent’ forecasters will simply wait for the next less-than-rosy morsel of economic information to make their case.”
Thredgold also said the employment report shows dramatic evidence that education is important:
“As one might expect, unemployment rates in an increasingly sophisticated economy are lower for those with higher levels of education. The jobless rate for those with less than a high school diploma was 7.0% in March, while the jobless rate for those workers who finished high school and had no college was 4.1%. The jobless rate for those workers with some college or an Associate’s degree was 3.6%. The jobless rate for those workers with a Bachelor’s degree or higher?…1.8%. And as before, the earnings differential for college graduates versus high school graduates is enormous, with the average college graduate making nearly twice as much annually as the average high school graduate. Education pays!”
Washington Watch
Hatch: Sign Stem Cell Bill
Sen. Orrin Hatch urges Pres. Bush to sign the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which would "advance the promising field of ethical embryonic stem cell research by allowing federal funding to support scientists using stem cells derived from frozen embryos that are discarded each year" (see press release).
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- The Politico: Liberal Democratic lawmakers say they feel marginalized by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who's "played down some of the liberal concerns and charted a course toward the political middle. They have begun to complain that Pelosi has overplayed her campaign promise to 'govern from the center,' taking special pains to appease moderates while neglecting some long-standing bullet points on the liberal to-do list."
-- The American: Columnist Samuel Thernstrom says Al Gore's proposals on climate change are bad policy but smart politics.
-- Newsweek: Columnist Howard Fineman says former Sen. Tom Daschle is the "secret sauce in the surging presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama."
-- Chicago Tribune: Editorial condemns Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards for declining to participate in an autumn presidential debate co-sponsored by Fox News: "Clinton, Obama and Edwards weren't going to be debating Fox News journalists. They would have been debating each other. Candidates often feed scoops to favored reporters. They crave the friendly questions and the soft focus that help them appear to be commander-in-chief material. But here's what candidates look like when they attempt to choose which reporters are worthy to question them: fragile, egocentric and frightened of tough questions."
Today in Political History
April 12, 1861: Fort Sumter, SC is shelled by Confederacy, starting the Civil War (Source: perspicuity)
April 12, 1945: Vice President Harry S Truman becomes the 33rd president after Franklin D. Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Ga., at age 63. (Source: NBC5)
Wise Words
"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."
-- “Lincoln Observed: The Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks,” edited by Michael Burlingame (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1998), p. 210. (Source: Lincoln)
Political Trivia
Question: What was the latest obstacle in the U.S. House passing the proposed fourth Congressional seat for Utah and the District of Columbia’s first recognized seat?
Answer: The District’s controversial handgun ban. Republicans used a parliamentary maneuver dealing with the gun ban, forcing Democrats to postpone the vote. "The right to keep and bear arms protects the right to vote, and the prospect of defending both rights has put a number of moderate Democrats in an uncomfortable spot," Utah Rep. Chris Cannon said. (Source: Tribune)
Lighter Side
Best of Late Night Humor
David Letterman: “Top Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying The Pope’s Used Car”: Will I be able to see through the stained glass windshield?; Can I keep the vanity license plate, “Holydude”?; Will he throw in the Creedence tapes in the glove compartment?; Should I get something cheaper like Billy Graham’s old Jeep Wagoneer?; Will it upset my Jewish friends?; When’s the last time he washed this thing, the Reformation?
Jay Leno: Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi went to Syria, and she said she found some common ground to talk about with the Syrians. I guess they told each other Bush jokes for a few hours. ... Our official policy is to punish Syria for not renouncing terrorism. Hey, maybe the visit from Nancy Pelosi was the punishment. ... Iranian President Mahmud I’m-A-Nut-Job released those 15 British captives after they were held hostage for 13 days. Iran was worried that if they didn’t act soon, Nancy Pelosi would go over and talk to them too. ... Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards, as well as a number of other Democratic candidates say they will not participate in a presidential debate next month because the debate is on Fox News and Fox News is biased. How are you going to stand up to terrorists when you’re afraid of Fox News? (Source: Patriot Post)
Favorite Headlines
(Source: James Taranto’s Best of the Web at OpinionJournal.com)
-- In the Spring? No Way!: “Scientists: Lake Superior Warming Rapidly” —CNN.com
-- Maybe They Went to the Doughnut Shop: “State Police Looking for New Troopers” —Oregonian
-- Wouldn’t a Higher Salary Be More Appropriate?: “Police Chief Asks Public for Tips” —The Kansas City Star
-- Because if They Weren’t, They’d Be Big Dogs!: “Researchers have finally solved one of the great canine mysteries: Why are small dogs small?” —Los Angeles Times
-- News You Can Use: “Food Safety Experts Share Some Advice: ‘Don’t Eat Poop”’ —The Pueblo (CO) Chieftain
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