The New York Times has an amazing story about the experiences of Newtown, Conn. police officers who responded to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that is worth reading. But, Slate also managed to wrestle something really important out of it's write up on the story . The officers - trained to deal with emergency situations- are experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD. ""One look, and your life was absolutely changed," Michael McGowan, one of the first officers to arrive at the school," told the New York Times. The truth is there is a lot of data out there that says this officer is quite right. Are we thinking enough about this and the many black and Latino children who witness gun violence and even death frequently in some of the country's low-income neighborhoods as we consider gun control and related reforms? Are we thinking about the kids in Chicago, their mental and physical health? The New York Times has another gripping story this morning that indicates we should.
Heading to Atlantic City today to write about that city's changing demographics and the politics of immigration reform. Check out the city's demographic profile here. Do you know Atlantic City, it's immigration, labor and political situations? If so and you want to chat, please shoot me an email at Janell.ross@huffingtonpost.com .
Slate also has this interesting look at the politics and economics of immigration reform. It is true that unemployment among foreign-born workers is a bit lower than it is among those born in the United States. But, the often-repeated idea that an increase in immigrant labor depresses other workers' wages is just plain false. Economists of all stripes seem to agree on this.
The folks over at Politics365 have declared the "Tea Party Officially Dead," upon reports that Sarah Palin has parted ways with Fox News and her reportedly $1 million annual salary.
The Philadelphia Tribune brings us news of questions about Newark Mayor and Senate hopeful Cory Booker's political future.
Finally, the Pew Research Center's daily number brings us sobering news about a period of life I hope to experience and enjoy. The share of Americans who worry or doubt that they will have enough money to retire climbed 13 percent since 2009. That may have something to do with the stock market losses many people sustained, stagnant wages and our national problem of falling median income and rising poverty. And, there's news this morning that in the fourth quarter of 2012 our economy not only failed to grow, but contracted, The New York Times reports. Retirement savings among blacks and Latinos are particularly low due in large part to a lifetime of lower wages, limited saving and higher-cost borrowing (and let us take note that not all of these issues are simply a matter of choice/ smart decision making). Did you know that about 26 percent of black retirees and 25 percent of Latinos depended on Social Security for 100 percent of their income in 2011? That compares to just about 10 percent of Asian retirees and 14 percent of their white peers. One of my best and smartest sources, Algernon Austin at the Economic Policy Institute, (EPI) has done the research. Something serious to think about this morning. http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/more-americans-worried-about-having-enough-for-retirement/
Well, that's all for now.