There are always a few items we’ve read during a week that deserve more attention but don’t make it into our regular posts. So we bundle them for the Friday roundup.
Here’s this week’s bundle:
NPR: Why America’s Schools Have a Funding Problem
Right now, 13 states are defending themselves in school-funding lawsuits: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
Since the early 1970s, nearly every state has seen at least one lawsuit over how it pays for schools and whether the result is fair or adequate…
WSJ: As the Economy Floundered, Minority Women Opened Businesses
The number of businesses owned by Asian-American, Hispanic and black women grew faster than almost every other demographic group in the years during and after the recession, according to a new report from the Center for Global Policy Solutions.
Research has shown entrepreneurs of color—both men and women—were a key driver of business and job creation from 2007 to 2012, while white-owned businesses shed nearly two million jobs.
Stateline: Frustrated by Federal Inaction, Some States Consider Carbon Taxes
OLYMPIA, Wash. — In November, voters here may make their state the first in the U.S. to impose a tax on carbon-based fuels such as coal, gasoline and natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
Patterned after a similar levy just over the Canadian border in British Columbia, the ballot initiative would make carbon fuels more expensive, thus discouraging their use. The levy would hit consumers and businesses by increasing the price of gasoline, fuel oil and electricity.
Shopfloor: Markit: U.S. Manufacturing Grew at the Slowest Pace Since September 2009
Manufacturing activity has decelerated significantly over the past 12 months, with the main PMI number down from 54.2 in April 2015. In this report, output (down from 51.4 to 50.3) and hiring (down from 52.1 to 50.2) each pulled back to a near-standstill, with exports (down from 50.0 to 48.5) contracting for the second time in the past three months. On the other hand, new orders (down from 52.8 to 52.0) continued to expand modestly, but with some easing for the month.
As such, this report stands in sharp contrast to the better-than-expected sentiment seen in the competing data from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).
