- Initial claims for unemployment compensation ease off to 336,000: The Department of Labor reported Thursday that, for the week ending Feb. 15, applications for initial claims for unemployment compensation were 336,000, down 3,000 from the previous week's 339,000. For the comparable week of 2013, initial claims were 366,000. The less volatile four-week running average was 338,500, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's average of 336,750. For the comparable week of 2013, the average was 362,250. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment compensation for the week ending Feb. 1 was 3,525,006, up 7,100 from the previous week. For the comparable week of 2013, there were 5,581,677 receiving compensation. The vast bulk of that huge drop is a consequence of 1.85 million workers who have been jobless for 27 weeks or more losing their federal compensation because Republicans in Congress have refused to renew the program.
- N.H. lawmaker introduces bill to keep police from buying tanks, etc., without citizen approval:
New Hampshire state representative J.R. Hoell has introduced state legislation that will require police departments to get approval from citizens at a town hall meeting before they buy military-style gear. The bill, called the Police Equipment and Community Engagement (PEACE) Act, was prompted by the city of Concord buying its police department an armored assault vehicle, a decision justified in part by the police department's stated need to fight protest groups such as Occupy.
When Christopher Roupe answered the door last Friday, he probably didn’t think death would be waiting on the other side. But that’s exactly what the 17-year-old ROTC student found after the police officer outside mistook his Wii controller for a gun, a lawyer for his family says.
Eyewitnesses corroborate the lawyer who said the teen opened the door when the officer did not reply to his asking who was knocking. The officer was serving a violation-of-probation warrant on the teenager's stepfather when the shooting occurred. She was placed on administrative leave.
Credit card issuer Capital One isn't shy about getting into customers' faces. The company recently sent a contract update to cardholders that makes clear it can drop by any time it pleases. [...]
The police need a court order to pull off something like that. But Cap One says it has the right to get up close and personal anytime, anywhere.
Last Saturday, the Quad-City Times told readers it was dropping Brent Bozell’s column because it was ghostwritten by a colleague.
Silence followed.
“We did not receive one letter or comment protesting our decision or defending Bozell,” says a Times editorial.
Mark Ridolfi, the editorial page editor, said that Bozell was one of several rarely used syndicated columnists who write 700-word pieces for 500-word spaces.
- On today's Kagro in the Morning show, Greg Dworkin on the CBO & minimum wage, and ACA news. Billion $ apps; more VW vote fallout; E.J. Dionne calls for "stand your ground" repeal. Creeping Sharia? No, Creeping Derp.