The chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Jason Furman, recently wrote in the Washington Post that "Last year saw the largest single-year reduction in poverty since the 1960s."

Furman's claim is echoed by a recent Census Bureau report that showed that the typical household saw its income grow by about $2,800 - the fastest rate on record.

But while those numbers seem rosy - they are hardly enough to conclusively say that the U.S economy is healthy.

For one - the media celebrated the household income figures despite the fact that any two or more people living in the same residence are considered a "household" - and the figures don't necessarily reflect anything about personal income.

But according to Nick Buffie at the Center for Economic and Policy Research - "Income Inequality Has Gone Up Whether We Look At Households or Individuals".

Buffie writes that whether you look at personal - family - or household income, "No matter how you toy with the precise definition of income, it's clear that inequality has gone up: by all three metrics, median income growth failed to keep pace with overall growth from 1974 to 2015."

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Will the REAL Journalists Please Stand Up (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Friday's Daily Stack 

Quote: "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." -- James Oppenheim.

 

Hour One: Why Don't Seniors Get A Benefit Increase Every Year?
- Daniel Marans, The Huffington Post    

Article: "The Worst Idea To Save Social Security Got 2 Thumbs Down In The Final Debate" by Daniel Marans.

Article: "Political Polarization in the American Public" by Pew Research.

Article: "National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform" (Bowles-Simpson/Simpson-Bowles) by Wikipedia.

Article: "Excerpts of Hillary Clinton's Paid Speeches to Goldman Sachs Finally Leaked" by Lee Fang, Zaid Jilani, Alex Emmons, Naomi LaChance.

Article: "Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget" by Wikipedia.

Article: "The Mike Pence vs. Tim Kaine vice-presidential debate transcript, annotated" by Aaron Blake.

Article: "Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)" by BLS.

Article: "Consumer Price Index for the elderly" (CPI-E) by BLS.

Bill: "S.2251 - Seniors And Veterans Emergency Benefits Act or the SAVE Benefits Act" by Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA].

Bill: "H.R.4144 - Seniors And Veterans Emergency (SAVE) Benefits Act" by Rep. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL-8].

Bill: "H.R.4012 - Seniors And Veterans Emergency Benefits Act or the SAVE Benefits Act" by Rep. Grayson, Alan [D-FL-9].

 

Article: "Full transcript: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's final presidential debate" by Tara Golshan.

Article: "Historical Background And Development Of Social Security" by SSA.

Article: "Police Raid Indiana's Largest Voter Registration Office Following Fraud Accusations From GOP" by Spencer Woodman.

Hour Two: Pocan Rx Pricing Letter to President Obama
- Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd District)    

Article: "Pocan Rx Pricing Letter to President Obama" by Mark Pocan.

Article: "Martin Shkreli, ex-drug CEO, mocks Congress amid inquiry" by BBC.

Article: "Mylan CEO Faces Tough Questioning in Congressional EpiPen Hearing" by Jonathan D. Rockoff, Louise Radnofsky and Daniela Hernandez.

Article: "Congress outraged over hepatitis C treatment VA can't afford" by Chip Reid.

Article: "Average retired Social Security beneficiary to get measly $5 raise in 2017" by Robert Powell.

Law: "Bayh-Dole Act" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Prop 61 State Prescription Drug Purchases. Pricing Standards. Initiative Statute." by California Secretary of State.

 

Article: "Study Links Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Reduced Mortality From Opioid Overdose" by Eric Sarlin.

Article: "Medical Marijuana States See Big Drop in Drug Prescriptions and Medicare Spending" by Sophia Kercher.

Article: "Medicare Part D" by Wikipedia.

 

How CA is Leading the Fight for Lower Drug Prices..
- Garry South, Yes on prop 61 campaign for lower drug prices in CA    

Article: "Stand up to Big Pharma greed. Vote yes on Proposition 61" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "United States emission standards" by Wikipedia.

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Bob Ney 

Article: "Massive web attacks briefly knock out top sites" by BBC.

Article: "Prosecutors allege Harold Martin III, at same firm as Edward Snowden, stole 'astonishing quantity' of data" by Ellen Nakashima.

Article: "Barack Obama Offers Blistering Takedown Of GOP Obstructionism In Pitch For Health Care Law" by Jeffrey Young.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman 

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Hour Three: When Peace Is Dangerous
- Alexander Zaitchik, Freelance Journalist.

Article: "When Peace Is Dangerous" by Alexander Zaitchik.

Article: "Chevron's "Amazon Chernobyl" in Ecuador: The Real Irrefutable Truths About the Company's Toxic Dumping and Fraud" by Steven Donziger.

Site: World Resources Institute (WRI).

Article: "Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" by Wikipedia.

 

Article: "Is it legal for me to personally import drugs?" by FDA.

Article: "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006" by Wikipedia.

Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

He's back! Thom will be back from Vegas and the presidential debate and who knows what tales he will have to tell?

 

We'll have the latest news and information...everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

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