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Debunking 8 Myths About Why Central American Children Are Migrating

David Bacon In These Times
‘Lax enforcement’ is not the culprit—U.S. trade and immigration policies are. The failure of Central America's economies is largely due to the North American and Central American Free Trade Agreements and their accompanying economic changes.

Face of U.S. Unions Shifting More to Public-Sector Workers, Women

Tom Raum The Detroit News (Associated Press)
A majority of union members today now have ties to a government entity, at the federal, state or local levels. Roughly 1-in-3 public-sector workers is a union member, compared with about 1-in-15 for the private-sector workforce. The typical union worker now is more likely to be an educator, office worker or food or service industry employee rather than a construction worker, autoworker, electrician or mechanic. Far more women than men are in unions.

GDP and the Public Sector

Dean Baker Center for Economic and Policy Research
The reality is that the government and the economy are so thoroughly integrated it is impossible to separate the two.

Higgs Boson Spills Secrets as LHC Prepared for Return

Paul Rincon BBC
Particle physicists have learnt more about the Higgs boson's behaviour and how well it conforms to predictions. In a paper published last week in the journal Nature Physics, researchers outlined how they have watched the Higgs decay into the particles that make up matter (known as fermions), in addition to those that convey force (bosons), which had already been observed. This is exactly as the Standard Model predicts.

ISIS: The Spoils of the ‘Great Loot’ in the Middle East

Conn Hallinan The Nation
As Iraq tumbles into yet another civil war, it is important to remember how all this came about, and why adding yet more warfare to the current crisis will perpetuate exactly what the “Great Loot” set out to do: tear an entire region of the world asunder.

The Plight of Iraq's Civilian Population

Donatella Rovera Al Jazeera
While Iraqi and international political discourse seems largely out of step with the rapidly changing reality on the ground, the sectarian dimension of the conflict is becoming more marked by the day and Iraq's diverse communities are struggling to grapple with the new reality. They increasingly wonder where and how they can be safe.

New Report Helps Explain Why Central American Children Are Leaving Their Home Countries

Guillermo Cantor immigration Impact
In an attempt to help fill the knowledge gap, the American Immigration Council is releasing a study today that was conducted by Elizabeth Kennedy, a Fulbright Fellow currently doing research in El Salvador on child and youth migrants returned from Mexico and the United States. This report sheds light on some of the structural conditions that compel minors to migrate to the United States or other countries in the region.