I left a high paying job in the mainstream media to go independent. If you can donate to help fund my mission of real news I would appreciate it. I can’t keep doing this without some of you. It’s $6 a month, you can quit at anytime.
LANSING, Mich - In February alone, 6,000 became unemployed as numerous businesses issued layoff notices.
According to Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for Michigan’s Center for Data and Analytics, the state’s “unemployment rate has gone up slightly in the first two months of the year, mainly due to a rise in the number of unemployed people.”
Over the last year, 70,000 Michiganders have lost their jobs.
In February alone, 6,000 became unemployed as numerous businesses issued layoff notices.
According to Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for Michigan’s Center for Data and Analytics, the state’s “unemployment rate has gone up slightly in the first two months of the year, mainly due to a rise in the number of unemployed people.”
He also noted in a statement the “size of the state’s labor force and number of payroll jobs have also increased in both January and February.”
The reality is February’s one-tenth of a percentage point increase in unemployment to 5.4% marks the 11th straight month of growing unemployment in the Great Lakes State, which is now at the highest rate since September 2021, when it declined to 5.6% as the pandemic waned.
Rourke told WEMU factory workers returning from layoffs last month mitigated some manufacturing job losses, but weak demand for new vehicles continues to drive workforce reductions. Click here to read more.
CHICAGO, IL - Fewer than one-third of Illinois fourth-grade students met or exceeded reading proficiency standards on a recent national assessment, part of a nationwide literacy crisis in which students are already behind in fourth grade.
Students failed to meet or exceed reading standards in most states in 2024. Illinois joined 40 other states and Washington, D.C., in which 1 in 3, or fewer, fourth-grade students met or exceeded reading standards.
Research has pinpointed third grade as a critical reading milestone because students need to have learned to read by then or they will not be able to absorb curricula during the remainder of their school years. If they cannot read, social studies, math and other subjects become incomprehensible and their futures bleak.
But there’s hope: Many states, including Illinois, have passed laws aimed at aligning reading instruction with evidence-based practices to improve the literacy and academic achievement of students. Still, Illinois could and should do more. Click here to read more.
WASHINGOTN D.C. - Considering the massive propaganda effort to brainwash Americans into believing that climate change will doom humanity if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels yesterday, it is impressive to see just how little the American public buys the narrative.
A recent poll finds that Americans value energy independence, keeping car prices lower, and reducing the cost of electricity ahead of fighting climate change.
When asked, “Is it more important to make America energy independent or fight climate change?” most respondents (57%) chose energy independence, while another 39% chose climate change, and 4% said they were not sure.
When asked, “Which is more important, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, or keeping the price of cars low enough for families to afford them?” about half of respondents (50%) chose keeping car prices low, while 43% said reducing greenhouse gas emissions was more important. The remaining 7% said they were not sure. Click here to read more.
BRANSON, Mo. — The leader of the Predator Poachers, an online vigilante group who try to catch alleged pedophiles in sting operations, was arrested at a Steak ‘n Shake in Missouri, authorities say.
Alex Rosen, who has amassed more than 400,000 followers on X while chronicling his takedowns of accused predators, went to the Branson restaurant on March 26 and asked to speak with a certain employee, according to a probable cause statement.
The employee, according to an interview from Rosen, was previously accused of molesting a 12-year-old, and Rosen said the worker had engaged in similar activity again.
Rosen was asked by the restaurant manager to leave the property and was told multiple times he was trespassing, police said. Click here to read more.
PHOENIX, AZ – Two parents in Phoenix helped police catch a pedophile who’s now in prison for sending graphic videos and images to three elementary school boys in Scottsdale.
They’ve asked to conceal their identity, as their son was only 11 when he became one of at least six victims as young as 10 years old in at least three states, lured by the same man through the popular video game Fortnite.
And the one thing these parents did to ensure police and prosecutors got enough evidence to put him away for a very long time is a lesson for all of us.
“There were no busted-in doors, no broken locks, no shattered glass, but our home was violated. It rocked us and changed us forever,” the Dad said.
“So, what we’re seeing now is in sectors such as manufacturing and professional and business services, those are still our weakest sectors over the past year or so,” Rourke said. “Our retail trade has also been declining since last year. That’s not really a surprise due to all the news we’ve seen.” Click here to read more.
