Central Perk: "The Bear Is Loose" (Again)

marți, 8 iulie 2014

"The Bear Is Loose" (Again)

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For the past few years, whenever President Obama breaks out of the bubble, shakes off his schedule, and does something unexpected, senior advisors say, "the bear is loose."

Lately, the bear has been loose a lot, and this week is no different: The President is hitting the road on a three-day trip to Colorado and Texas, where he will meet with Americans who've written him letters about their challenges and successes.

Learn more about the President's trip and follow along this week.

President Barack Obama has lunch with Rebekah Erler at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis, Minn., June 26, 2014. Erler is a 36-year-old working wife and mother of two pre-school aged boys who had written the President a letter about economic difficulties. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Congress is back in session this week, and if members have been listening to their constituents, they will move quickly to raise the federal minimum wage, which has lost 20 percent of its purchasing power since the 1980s. But absent action from Capitol Hill, states are taking up the slack.

It was a busy Fourth of July at the White House. The President began the day by speaking at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty service members and civilians. Later, he and the First Lady hosted military heroes and their families to the White House for a special Independence Day event, including a USO program featuring Grammy award-winning recording artist Pitbull. And it all culminated with a spectacular fireworks display on the National Mall.

You might be seeing a lot of news lately about the economy creating more jobs. Every month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a report on our country's general employment situation for the previous month -- and this month's showed some good news. We break the numbers down for you and explain why this matters.

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