GDP 3rd Quarter UP 3.5% but Unemployment Hits 10.2%

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Today, the government announced a surge in the national unemployment figure of 10.2% — which seriously underestimates the ‘effective unemployment’ rate of those who have stopped looking for work or who are undermployed. Leo Hindery issues these numbers regularly, and I will post them when I receive them.

A Skunk We Should Want? Live-Blogging a Joe Biden Discussion on Challenges Facing US Middle Class

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WASHINGTON, DC — 10:00 am — Vice President Joe Biden was raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania and has lived for decades in Wilmington, Delaware — both working middle class communities that have been under siege from both domestic and international economic forces.

No End In Sight. . .In Afghanistan

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(photo credit: Spencer Ackerman) US military crusade chronicler Spencer Ackerman has written a long, thoughtful treatment of the issues and players wrestling over the tough calls President Obama must soon make on America’s course in Afghanistan. It’s titled “The Decision” and appears in The National.

Matthew Hoh: US Has Lost Track of Why It is In Afghanistan

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Matthew Hoh, the first US government official to formally resign his post because of objections to America’s course in Afghanistan, makes a compelling case that America has lost its strategic sensibilities in this war which President Obama has adopted as “the good war”.

Seven Minutes with Daniel Yergin

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Daniel Yergin has issued an updated version of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. When I asked why he chose to release an update of his earlier work, Yergin identified four key factors that have to be added to the energy policy picture.

Washington Note Headlines — 2 November 2009

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Karzai Declared Winner. Abdullah Abdullah withdraws from runoff amid concerns about systemic fraud in election system — and Karzai is declared winner. Intrade never had much doubt in the outcome. Clinton Schedules Then Retracts Meeting with Japan Foreign Minister Okada.