It’s likely to be pretty slow today, so readers should expect a very light posting schedule. That said, I’ll be around in case there’s breaking news of interest.
As for the holiday, President Obama’s Labor Day message emphasized the federal budget and the prospect of another congressional imposed shutdown; the Washington Post‘s E.J. Dionne Jr. uses Labor Day to remind the political world, “As long as there are markets, government will have to establish rules determining how they operate”; and the New York Times‘ editorial board takes the opportunity to discourage the Fed from raising interest rates.
In the past year, low-wage workers have successfully fought for minimum wage increases in states and cities. Congressional Democrats have championed legislation to raise the federal minimum wage and to fight wage theft and abusive worker scheduling. The Labor Department is moving ahead with a much needed new rule to update the nation’s overtime-pay laws.In the midst of those efforts, it would be a setback for the Fed to act as if the economy is already near full employment. It’s not. The proof is in the paycheck.
We’ll return to a normal posting schedule tomorrow morning and there will be a brand new Rachel Maddow Show on the air tomorrow night. Enjoy the holiday.
