By Marc Fisher Danielle Paquette and Annie Gowen, The Washington Post Fri., Jan. 18, 2019 WASHINGTON—The pantry was looking awfully empty, but now there will be mac and cheese, followed by more mac and cheese, and then maybe on the next day, how about maybe just a little mac and cheese? Because it’s free, the latest giveaway for federal workers who are not being paid for their work, and because, in Shawanda Hardy’s house, there’s a son who’s in middle school and getting taller every hour or so, and the rent went up $50 last month, and even if the government says you should ask your landlord to let things slide for a while, that’s not really how life works, is it? “God is going to see us through,” said Hardy, a single mother In Prince George’s County, Maryland, who works as an assistant to the head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Except she’s not working now, as the politicians in Washington, … [Read more...] about Free mac and cheese, clean closets, empty bank accounts are part of life during U.S. government shutdown
Arizona department of real estate
Gannett Is Target of Fund-Backed Bid
By Cara Lombardo WSJ Sun., Jan. 13, 2019 A hedge-fund-backed media group known for buying up struggling local papers and cutting costs is planning to make an offer for USA Today publisher Gannett Co., according to people familiar with the matter. MNG Enterprises Inc., one of the largest newspaper chains in the country, has quietly built a 7.5% position in Gannett’s stock and plans to publicly urge the McLean, Va., publisher to put itself up for sale, the people said. MNG, better known as Digital First Media, will also offer to buy Gannett for $12 a share, they said, which would represent a 23% premium over Friday’s closing price of $9.75. The shares, which fell steeply last year, have been rising lately. Closely held Digital First is known for its contentious history with the newspaper industry in part because of its penchant for slashing costs. It has over the past few years made multiple approaches to Gannett about a deal but has been rebuffed, the … [Read more...] about Gannett Is Target of Fund-Backed Bid
MAILBAG: Leafs take a big hit with Hyman’s injury
By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter Fri., Dec. 21, 2018 The next three weeks promise to be very interesting for the Maple Leafs, without Zach Hyman. It means somebody else gets some prime real estate, on the left wing with John Tavares. Hyman has been a very effective winger — a puck digger, a forechecker, a heavy presence along the boards and in front of his net. Hyman has been a very effective winger — a puck digger, a forechecker, a heavy presence along the boards and in front of his net. He has his detractors though because he doesn’t have an elite finish like the other two players he usually plays with, whether that’s Tavares and Mitch Marner now or Auston Matthews and William Nylander the past couple of years. Their critique: you’d think he’d have more offence (seven goals, eight assists) or better possession numbers (50.61 per cent this year). Overlooked though is just how physical he is. No one gets hit as much Hyman. … [Read more...] about MAILBAG: Leafs take a big hit with Hyman’s injury
A minimum-wage worker needs 2.5 full-time jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment in most of the US
caption The federal minimum wage is far below what a worker needs to earn to afford a one-bedroom apartment. source Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Many minimum-wage workers can’t even afford a modest one-bedroom apartment, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual report. The national housing wage for a modest one-bedroom apartment is $17.90, while the federal minimum wage is $7.25. A low-income worker earning the federal minimum wage would need 2.5 jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment. What do you get when you combine minimum wage with increasing apartment rents? Many workers who can’t afford a place to live. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) annual report recently took a look at the Housing Wage, an estimate of the hourly wage a full-time worker needs to earn to afford a rental home at the US Department of Housing and Urban … [Read more...] about A minimum-wage worker needs 2.5 full-time jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment in most of the US
How 29-year-old Hope Hicks, Trump’s ‘real daughter,’ became the youngest White House communications director in history — now ensnared in its biggest scandals
caption Hope Hicks. source Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Hope Hicks is President Donald Trump’s 29-year-old White House communications director. But before joining Trump’s 2016 campaign, she had no political experience. Hicks was born in Greenwich, a town of 60,000 on the southwest tip of Connecticut that’s a favorite spot for hedge-fund headquarters. She was a model, actress, and lacrosse player as a child, before getting her English degree at Southern Methodist University. Hicks didn’t intend on playing such a large role in a presidential campaign, instead falling into the gig through a job at the Trump Organization. Now she’s the youngest White House communications director in history. And Hicks has been with Trump – to use his words – “from the beginning.” White House staffers may even called her his “real daughter.” Recently, Hicks has become ensnared in two high-profile … [Read more...] about How 29-year-old Hope Hicks, Trump’s ‘real daughter,’ became the youngest White House communications director in history — now ensnared in its biggest scandals