Land O Links
* The Nation rounds up data on why U.S. children struggle in comparisons with youth in other industrialized nations: "In one long-term study of roughly 200 children born into poverty in Minnesota, the quality of the mother-child relationship during the first three and a half years of life strongly predicted whether the child would drop out of high school, abuse drugs, succumb to mental illness or end up behind bars by age 19. Genes have little to do with it."
http://www.thenation.com/article/171261/children-storm-education-and-social-mobility#
* The Detroit Free Press reports on some promising signs of life in the Motor city: “Avis Vidal, a professor of political science at Wayne State University, has studied development in Midtown, defined as the corridor along Woodward between downtown and New Center that includes WSU, the Detroit Medical Center and the cultural district. She says Midtown's progress is promising but remains far from booming. ‘Las Vegas was a boomtown. This is not," she said, suggesting the progress might merit the term ‘boomlet.’”
* Bridge contributor Rick Haglund reports on an ominous trend in a new economic forecast: Wages in Michigan continue to lag the national average, regardless of the size of business you work for.
* Retirement savings plans like 401(k)s “cost” the government a great deal in tax revenue – and these costs may not be even affecting how people save:
* Tis the season for entertaining guests and the like. This website might provide some helpful tips, as it follows Michigan’s wine industry:
http://www.michiganbythebottle.com/
* The U.S. Supreme Court turned a sour eye on an Illinois law – passed by legislators paid with tax dollars – that made it a crime for a citizen – who pays taxes – to record the activities of police officers:
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