More Deadpan at AP: We're 'Entering ... Historically Slow Growth'
These economics reporters at the Associated Press have become experts at deadpan humor.
Earlier today, I noted how the wire service's Christopher Rugaber told readers, in the wake of a government report showing the lowest wage and benefit increases on record, that "the job market is not yet back to full health." No kidding, Chris. On top of that, the AP's Martin Crutsinger reacted to yesterday's…
Deadpan Humor at AP: 'Job Market Is Not Yet Back to Full Health'
Christopher Rugaber at the Associated Press and the "expert" he quoted in his writeup on the government's awful Employment Cost Index report seemed to be taking their cues from Steven Wright's deadpan comedy act. The problem, of course, is that they were writing and saying isn't funny at all.
Rugaber, with his "expert" help, assembled an impressive array of understatements and misstatements in…
Absurd CNN Email: (Annualized) 2.3 Percent Is 'Solid' GDP Growth
The bar-lowering in the business press continues.
In the wake of today's disappointing news from the government on U.S. economic growth, an email from CNNMoney.com failed to properly describe reported second-quarter growth, and falsely characterized today's results as "solid":
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Generosa iniciativa migratoria en California es aclamada por/en Univ
Latino
“California sigue siendo uno de los estados más generosos con los inmigrantes”, fue frase usada por la presentadora de Univision, Satcha Pretto, al anunciar una nueva iniciativa californiana para canalizar 15 millones de dólares del contribuyente a organizaciones tales como la Hermandad Mexicana, “para ayudar a quienes intentan adquirir su ciudadanía”.
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‘Generous’ California Immigrant Initiative Hailed on Univision
Latino
“California continues to be one of the most generous states with immigrants,” was how anchor Satcha Pretto launched into a recent Univision morning news story about the implementation of a new California initiative that will channel $15 million of taxpayer money to organizations such as Hermandad Mexicana (the Mexican Brotherhood), in order to “help those who are trying to acquire their…
Venezuela Orders Food Providers: 'Divert' Output to Empty State Stores
The news out of Venezuela has apparently become so grim that the arguably Chavista-sympathetic press barely bothers to report it in any kind of sutstantive fashion. Inflation has gone wild, the level of violent crime has become frightening, and the government has taken to jailing citizens who dare to tweet their dissatisfaction with the regime of Nicolas Makuro (note that the linked report was…
'Unexpectedly' Again: Pending Home Sales Fall 1.8 Percent
Yet another important economic statistic confidently predicted to rise has fallen — hard.
This time it was June's pending sales of existing homes. Just in time for summer, they were predicted to increase by a seasonally adjusted 1.0 percent to 1.5 percent. Instead they fell by 1.8 percent, the steepest drop since December 2013. Additionally, May's original 0.9 percent increase was revised down…
AP Fails to Note That Consumer Confidence Drop Is Worst in Four Years
The Conference Board's July Consumer Confidence report released earlier today threw a heavy dose of cold water on the idea that the economy might finally achieve a broad-based, genuine recovery this year.
Despite month after month of "all is well" reporting — and excuse-making when all hasn't been well — from the U.S. business press, the American public has apparently finally figured out that…
MSNBC.com Slams Hillary for Dodging Keystone Pipeline Question
"Dodge City" blared the teaser headline atop msnbc.com's home page. "Clinton blatantly sidesteps Keystone question," noted the subheadline for the story by the Lean Forward network's Alex Seitz-Wald.
Press Mostly Fails to Note Union Exemptions in Some Minimum-Wage Laws
I guess the slogan of labor has changed from "Look for the union label" to "Look for the union waiver."
The Los Angeles Times published a long front-page story early this morning on an issue some people thought disappeared after its initial exposure two months ago. The issue is whether union workers should be exempt from minimum wage laws, especially the sky-high minimums being enacted in some U…
AP Waits Four Paragraphs to Reveal Size of Historic Chinese Stock Dive
Based on how they handled it today, it's pretty obvious that the Associated Press's Ken Sweet and his wire service's headline writers want the lowest possible number of users of their reporting — consumers and subscribing print and broadcast outlets — to know about the mainland Chinese stock market's historically deep 8.5 percent Monday dive.
It took four paragraphs for Sweet to get to the…
Not News: Coal CEO Decries EPA's 'Power Grab of America's Power Grid'
In a speech at a Republican Lincoln Day dinner in West Virginia earlier this week, Murray Energy Corp. founder and CEO Robert Murray decried the Obama administration's determination to, as described at the financial news site SNL.com (to be clear, no relation to Saturday Night Live), "bypass the states and their utility commissions, the U.S. Congress and the Constitution in favor of putting the U…
Sympathetic AP on Hillary Emails: Darn It, They're Such a Distraction
The press — especially the Associated Press — wants everyone to know that the email controversy "swirling" around her is partisan and distracting. Why anyone would worry about its national security or legal implications is almost completely lost on them. That's their story, and they've been sticking to it for months.
The latest installment from the AP came tonight from Lisa Lerner, Eric Tucker…
New-Home Sales 'Unexpectedly' Dive; AP Says They're Just 'Not As Hot'
Thanks to year-over-year declines in manufacturing orders, manufacturing shipments, and wholesale sales, along with bloated inventories, apologists for the current condition of the U.S. economy are down to three defenses supposedly demonstrating that all is still really well after yet another rough first quarter (once again excused away as due to supposedly historically awful winter weather).…
