Civil Rights News: Hope for Jobless; High Cost of Health Care; Corporate School Reform

Facing Hardship, Jobless Still Say They Have Hope
Michael Cooper – New York Times

A poll on jobless Americans shows hope prevails over hardship. However, while optimism for future employment and the job market exists, fear for the current state of unemployment benefits grows. This comes at a time when 14 million Americans are unemployed, and even more are underemployed.

Spending More Doesn’t Make Us Healthier (Blog)
Ezekiel J. Emanuel – New York Times

Health care costs are too high and growing exponentially. With the United States spending 15 percent more than the next highest-spending country, the U.S. healthcare system is actually doing worse than its counterparts and quality is uneven. But remedying the cost does not mean rationing.

A primer on corporate school reform (Blog)
Valerie Strauss – Washington Post

The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss gives a run down on how proposals for corporate education reform “would do for schooling what the market has done for health care, housing, and employment: produce fabulous profits and opportunities for a few and unequal outcomes and access for the many.”