Weekend Reading

Kenosha Judge Shrugs Off Kyle Rittenhouse’s Admitted Bond Violations, Denies Higher Bail And New Warrant

Breathing device sobers you up by hyperventilating the alcohol out

Sanders Responds to CBO Report on $15 Minimum Wage

Don’t Believe the Bad Press About the Economic Impact of a $15 Minimum Wage

CBO analysis confirms that a $15 minimum wage raises earnings of low-wage workers, reduces inequality, and has significant and direct fiscal effects

CBO attacks plan for higher minimum wage — or does it?

GOP senators criticized for appearing to pay half-hearted attention to trial

GOP senators discover their discomfort with intemperate tweets

Majority Of Those Arrested In Capitol Siege Had History Of Financial Trouble

Michigan's top GOP lawmaker: Jan. 6 Capitol attack was a 'hoax'

As DeJoy Readies New Assault on Postal Service, Pressure Grows for Biden to 'Clean House'

The Congestion Con

Further Means Testing of the Stimulus Will Be Disastrous for Suffering Americans

Resolution Cuts Pot Possession Fine to $1

Did UW-Whitewater send Robin Vos and Steve Nass to Madison to act like grade schoolers?

Holiday Reading

The FDA Is Cracking Down On The Shady, $3 Billion Homeopathic Drug Industry
How Many Taxpayer Dollars Is An Amazon Warehouse Job Worth?
22% Of City Workers Live In Suburbs
Study: Rich Kids 10 Times As Likely To Become Inventors, Creating 'Lost Einsteins'
Math Says You're Driving Wrong And It's Slowing Is All Down
State Of Wisconsin's Spending On Private Workers Up 57% Since 2010
Eau Claire Lawsuit Could Impact Foxconn, Other Developments
In Defence Of The Labour Theory Of Value
Can We Cut The Crap On The Debt From The Tax Bill Hurting Our Kids?
7 Reason To Be Thankful For Social Security
6 Reasons for Progressives to Stop Worrying and Love the GOP Tax Scam

US Infrastructure Is A Disaster

• 1 in 9 of the country's bridges are rated as structurally deficient, meaning they require significant maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement. 
• Of the 84,000 dams in the U.S., 14,000 are considered "high hazard" and 4,000 are deficient. It would cost $21 billion to repair these aging dams.
• 42% of the country's major urban highways are considered congested, and 32% of major roads in the U.S. are in poor or mediocre condition.
• Even though a third of Americans don't drive cars, 45% of households lack access to transit. 
• There are 240,000 water main breaks in the U.S. each year, and many water mains and pipes are over 100 years old.
• The Federal Aviation Administration anticipates that the national cost of airport congestion and delays will nearly double from $34 billion in 2020 to $63 billion in 2040.
• 90% of locks and dams experienced an unscheduled delay or service interruption in 2009. Barges being stopped for hours can prolong transport of goods and drive up prices.
• Congestion on rail lines is costing the U.S. economy about $200 billion a year, or 1.6% of economic output.
• Although public school enrollment is gradually increasing, national spending on school construction declined to $10 billion in 2012, about half of what was spent before the recession.
• National Park Service facilities saw 279 million visits in 2011 and has a deferred maintenance backlog of $11 billion.

10 Signs That US Infrastructure Is A Disaster

Worst State Highway Systems

20. Wisconsin

2013 Ranking: Wisconsin’s state highway system is ranked 31st in the nation in overall highway performance and efficiency.

Last Year's Ranking: It is a slight decline for Wisconsin which ranked 27th in the previous Annual Highway Report.

Problem Areas: Wisconsin ranks 7th in deficient bridges, 15th in fatality rate, 30th in urban interstate congestion, and 31st in disbursements per mile.

Total Spending Per Mile: $165,184/mile.