Portside

“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long shot.” -- Charlie Chaplin:

The arrival of national landlords has raised questions about the long-term effects on mom-and-pop landlords, neighborhoods and affordability.

[Moderator's Note: The translation below was sent from Cuba's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The translation previously posted by Portside had many problems which is why we are re-posting. Below the English translation is the original in Spanish.]

Charts illustrating that while corporate profits have rebounded, more than four million Americans have been without work for six months or longer, and the price of continuing long-term unemployment isn't just borne by the jobless and their families. It's dragging down the entire economy—to the tune of $1 trillion a year.

Since the 2008 recession, companies have increasingly turned to temporary employees to work in factories and warehouses and on construction sites. The temp industry now employs a record 2.8 million workers.The trend carries a human cost. A ProPublica analysis of millions of workers’ compensation claims shows that in five states, representing more than a fifth of the U.S. population, temps face a significantly greater risk of getting injured on the job.

Dean Baker refutes Bill Keller's New York Times article, "Inequality for Dummies," published on December 22, (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/opinion/inequality-for-dummies.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0) in which he contrasts the "left-left against the "center-left.

According to a new paper on women and unionization by progressive think tank the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), "Even after controlling for factors such as age, race, industry, educational attainment and state of residence, the data show a substantial boost in pay and benefits for female workers in unions relative to their non-union counterparts. In other words, all other things being equal, unions are good for working women.

In the Brazilian state of Pará, an army of 25,000 workers is building the world’s 3rd largest hydroelectric plant, a controversial construction project –because of the dam’s low efficiency, its environmental impact and its effects on the Indians, riverbank-dwellers and the inhabitants of Altamira. Folha’s reporters spent 3 weeks in the region to put together the most comprehensive coverage –with 24 videos, 55 pictures, and 18 infographics (see links for full graphics).