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The weekend box office estimates are in, and it appears that The American took the top spot. The George Clooney spy thriller earned close to $13 million and grossed $16 million in its five-day weekend. Last week’s number one movie, Takers , dropped to number two, grossing an additional $11.5 million. Even though critics universally panned the film, it has made $40 million since its August 28 release. Fox’s new release, Machete , nabbed the number three spot with a $11.3 million gross. The Last Exorcism and Going the Distance took the number four and five spots, respectively. Drew Barrymore’s new film underperformed at the box office, grossing only $6.9 million. Numbers for Labor Day weekend will not be official until Tuesday, but it appears that this year’s estimates match 2009’s weak holiday numbers. At this time last year, The Final Destination reigned supreme with a $15.5 million showing.

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Labor Day Weekend Box Office Estimates Are In

But will all their rehearsals pay off when the duo take the stage on September 20? The latest season of Dancing With The Stars is getting a lot of hype, and it hasn’t even started yet! With plenty of young faces (along with slightly older favorites like the Hoff and Margaret Cho), we’re definitely excited to see what sorts of moves the contestants will bring to the table. But how about Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol? Is she hiding some fancy footwork underneath her frumpy workout gear?

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Bristol Palin Gets Ready To Tango With Mark Ballas

President Obama has for months said that rebuilding the economy and creating jobs is his “most urgent task.” And today, despite sagging public confidence in his abilities, he will launch a week of events to again make the case that he means business. n Obama will travel to Milwaukee, where he will begin to explain a “broader package of ideas” to stimulate the economy, including new tax breaks for small businesses, extending a research and development tax credit, and creating new infrastructure projects. He also heads to Cleveland Wednesday to deliver a speech on the economy. “The economy is moving in a positive direction, jobs are being created; they’re just not being created as fast as they need to, given the big hole that we experienced,” Obama said Friday . “We’re moving in the right direction. We just have to speed it up.” The latest round of proposed economic fixes comes after the Labor Department reported last week that the economy shed 54,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate ticked upward to 9.6 percent. But private sector businesses did continue to add jobs for the eighth consecutive month, a sign that the White House maintains shows the economy is bouncing back. “The economy is continuing to recovery, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than in the early spring,” said Christina Romer , the outgoing chairwoman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisors. Many economists believe additional stimulus measures, such as those Obama is proposing, could hasten the job growth the economy needs in the months ahead. “At this point, it’s not my ideal strategy,” said the economist Paul Krugman . “But I think if [Obama] can get a payroll tax holiday that’s really largely, on paper, a tax cut for businesses, a lot of the benefit would flow to workers and be a reason to employ more people. So, I’ll take it.” Still, its unclear whether Congress will consider and pass the measures before the November elections or whether their effects would be felt by voters before they head to the polls. So far, the small, positive economic gains touted by the administration — and the argument by many Democrats that the recession could have been much worse without their economic policies — have failed to win popular support. The latest USA Today/Gallup poll found Americans believe Republicans would do a better job than Democrats in handling the economy by a 49 to 38 percent margin.

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Obama Puts Jobs on Labor Day Agenda

Labor Day is the perfect day to explain to kids complaining about going back to school just how much worse things could be for them. In fact, they once were: Kids were forced into back-breaking jobs day and night in mines, textiles, glass factories, canneries and other places where children don’t belong. Labor activists eventually ended child labor — and won better working conditions for adult workers, including the eight-hour work day. Today, though, few schools teach in depth about the labor movement and I doubt many kids know what the holiday is intended to honor. To help you use this holiday as a learning experience for your children — which is exactly what I knew you were planning to do today — here are some facts and figures and history kindly assembled by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies. It’s your government at work. Celebrated –On the first Monday in September, Labor Day honors the social and economic contributions that the American worker has made to the growth nealth and prosperity of the country. It was first celebrated in this country in the 1880s — at a time when people commonly worked 12-hour days. The first Labor Day rally, in 1882, was in support of an eight-hour workday. Founder of Labor Day :There is still some doubt about who first proposed a holiday to honor workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire , general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor , was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” But McGuire’s claim on Labor Day history has been challenged; many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York, and the first Labor Day rally was held that year. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day. Who Are We Celebrating? 154.4 million Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May 2010. Employee Benefits 83% Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2008. 78% Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits. The Commute to Work 17.7 million Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m. They represent 13 percent of all commuters. 76% Percentage of workers who drive alone to work. Another 11 percent carpool and 5 percent take public transportation (excluding taxicabs). 25.5 minutes The average time it takes people in the nation to commute to work. New York and Maryland had the most time-consuming commutes, averaging 31.6 and 31.5 minutes. (They are not significantly different from one another.) 3.5 million Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes each day. Our Jobs Americans work in a variety of occupations. Here is a sampling: Teachers 7.2 million Chief executives 1.7 million Janitors and building cleaners 2.1 million Computer software engineers 1.0 million Aerospace engineers 137,000 Electricians 874,000 Registered nurses 2.8 million Social workers 729,000 Clergy 441,000 Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists 773,000 Chefs and head cooks 351,000 Customer service representatives 1.9 million Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 373,000 Firefighters 293,000 Roofers 234,000 Pharmacists 243,000 Machinists 409,000 Musicians, singers and related workers 186,000 Artists and related workers 213,000 Gaming services workers (gambling) 111,000 Tax preparers 105,000 Service station attendants 87,000 Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers 751,000 Farmers and ranchers 751,000 7.6 million Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these, 4 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job. 284,000 Number of moonlighters who work full time at two jobs. 10.1 million Number of self-employed workers. 26.4 million Number of female workers 16 and older in management, professional and related occupations. Among male workers 6 and older, 24.7 million were employed in management, professional and related occupations. 27% Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. About 7 percent work 60 or more hours a week. 4.1 Median number of years workers have been with their current employer. About 10 percent of those employed have been with their current employer for 20 or more years. 10.3 million Number of independent contractors. 16.1 million Number of labor union members nationwide. About 12 percent of wage and salary workers belong to unions, with Alaska, Hawaii and New York having among the highest rates of any state. North Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 3 percent. -5.3% Percentage decline in employment in the United States, between September 2008 and September 2009. Employment declined in 329 of the 334 largest counties (large counties are defined as having employment levels of 75,000 or more). -14.5% Percentage decline in Elkhart County, Ind., between September 2008 and September 2009, the largest decline in employment among the 334 largest counties. Los Angles County saw the largest numerical loss over the period: 278,000. 1.7% Percentage increase in employment in Yakima County, Wash., between September 2008 and September 2009, the largest percentage increase among the nation’s 334 largest counties. 5.9 million The number of people who work at home. $46,367 and $35,745 The 2008 real median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers, respectively. Hot Jobs 53% Projected percentage growth from 2006 to 2016 in the number of network systems and data communication analysts. Forecasters expect this occupation to grow at a faster rate than any other. Meanwhile, the occupation expected to add more positions over this period than any other is registered nurses (587,000). -0- Follow my blog every day by bookmarking washingtonpost.com/answersheet. And for admissions advice, college news and links to campus papers, please check out our Higher Education page at washingtonpost.com/higher-ed Bookmark it!

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Things you should know about Labor Day

But that same dream is proving more and more unrealistic for today’s working people. As the nation celebrates another Labor Day under the cloud of stubbornly high unemployment and a very shaky recovery, the job picture is changing, probably forever. When the first Labor Day was celebrated some 128 years ago, Americans were just beginning to work for employers in large numbers. Organized labor, the catalyst for that first Labor Day observance in New York City, was in its infancy. As the nation became the world leader in industrialization and large corporations began to dominate the economic landscape, labor unions grew in stature, eventually representing one-third of the nation’s work force at their height right after World War II. Today is indeed a new day. Labor unions now represent just 12.3 percent of American workers, according to a Labor Department estimate in 2009. The nation is still dealing with the lingering effects of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, and unemployment nationwide hovers just below double digits. Even those who are working can expect to stay in the same job for an average of just three to five years, the Labor Department reports. As the dynamics of the workplace shift under the feet of today’s workers, the job market has become increasingly uncertain territory. What will the jobs of tomorrow look like and what kind of training will they require? How can people just beginning their working lives or contemplating a change in career properly prepare for gainful employment? And how should they plan for retirement? It is also a time of uncertainty as America looks to retool its work force to remain competitive in the global marketplace. In the likely scenario that more and more jobs will be technology-based, there are concerns about the level of training in this country. A 2008 study by the Alliance for Excellent Education indicates that 15-year-olds in the United States rank 21st among those in 29 industrialized nations in science literacy and 25th in math literacy. These numbers do not bode well for adequately preparing a 21st-century work force. Rather, they point to the need for new educational strategies, including higher standards, better teacher training and more time in school. Last December, U.S. News and World Report listed the best careers for this year and beyond. Topping the list were positions in the scientific field, especially ones that involve development of “green technology” and jobs in medical care — everything from home health care workers to biomedical engineers. Computer software engineers, urban planners and financial advisers are also expected to be needed in greater numbers. In the end, though, it will take a more robust economy to fuel job growth. Partnerships between the public and private sectors will be needed to develop new ways to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure as well as its capacity for innovation. Patrick Corvington, the chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, speaking in New Orleans recently to commemorate the work of nonprofit organizations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, noted that Americans are problem solvers. Corvington, a Haitian immigrant who worked to pay for his own education, said this nation is still very much a land of opportunity, with caring people who can find a way through any crisis. The time is now to find that way. A focus on better training, more incentives for innovation and a greater understanding of the needs of today’s workers are vital if this nation is to continue celebrating the spirit of its labor force — if the next Labor Day is to see more people working and the one after that still more. The focus must stay on putting people to work and keeping them on the job over the long term. That is the way to economic stability.

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A new day for labor – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Today is Labor Day, the holiday saluting U.S. workers. The following services will be affected: • City, state and federal offices and courts will be closed. No mail will be delivered. • All Chicago libraries will be closed, and there will be no garbage pickup. • City and suburban schools, public and private, will be closed. • Banks and financial markets are closed. • The CTA and Metra will be on Sunday/holiday schedules. • Today is the final day that lifeguards will patrol Chicago’s public beaches. Parking meters also must be paid. Dan Rozek

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Labor Day closings

There is not much for the American labor force to celebrate on this Labor Day. The latest labor statistics, released Friday, showed the unemployment rate for August at 9.6 percent, slightly higher than in July. Nonfarm payroll actually dropped by 54,000, but distorting that figure was the fact 114,000 temporary census workers finished their jobs. Still, eliminating that number, the economy gained just 67,000 new private sector jobs in August. If that number was not anemic enough, when measured against the kind of growth the nation needs just to tread water, it is downright pathetic. Economists say the economy must add, conservatively speaking, 125,000 jobs each month just to keep pace with U.S. civilian work force population growth, never mind trying to reduce unemployment. And the 9.6 percent unemployment figure is deceptively rosy. The Department of Labor placed the total unemployed and under employed number for August at 16.7 percent, also a small increase from the prior month. It includes part-timers who want full-time work and those only “marginally attached” to the labor force because they have largely given up and are not counted in the official unemployment number. About 42 percent of those out of work have been jobless for 27 weeks or more. This chronic unemployment remains at historical highs. Don’t expect any quick fixes. Keynesian economists call for a big jobs program with more stimulus money poured into the private sector to encourage hiring and with the federal government acting as the employer of last resort. Republicans, concerned about exploding deficit spending, would never support it and Democrats, facing an already tough election, have no stomach to fight for it. Republicans call for cutting government, but that is no magic solution either, because it would put more out of work and reduce consumer spending power. It might have long-term benefits, freeing up money in the private sector, but that’s hotly debated. The depressed housing market is one problem that has to be solved. People stuck with mortgages worth more than the value of their homes cannot move to pursue jobs and are reluctant to spend and invest. Republicans and Democrats have to work together on policies that free these trapped homeowners. Also needed is training and re-education efforts to match the skills of the unemployed with new employment opportunities, but that too takes time, money and political cooperation. An angry electorate will likely lash out at the party in power come November, the Democrats, but it is hard to imagine a more politically divided government will find the means to address this intractable problem.

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Labor Day finds employment outlook bleak

There are three problems with the claim that Alex Jones makes about Machete igniting a race war. First, from occasionally watching as much as this blogger cares to of MSNBC’s Lockup , race wars are something that only happen in prisons and not in civilization. Second, a movie attacking Arizona’s psychotic illegal immigration law, as Machete reportedly does, is bound to make someone in Arizona who’s involved in the administration of the law look bad. Allegedly Machete makes whites look like evil bad people and Mexicans look like the good great people who will overcome the white people. Or at least that’s what Alex Jones of PrisonPlanet.com says here : Welcome to stereotypes. Blacks have been dealing with that problem since film was created. Oh, come to think of it, according to CMR, there aren’t any African Americans in Machete. Oh well. Now, I’m really upset. Oh, third, according to the search stats, only people in Arkansas, Alabama, and Texas care about this issue. They represent 20 percent of the search traffic. So, the Machete Race War is really only on the minds of those in Arkansas, Alabama, and Texas anyway. Translation? Don’t worry about it. But see the movie first. I’ve not seen it. Maybe I will.

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Machete Race War? Alex Jones Claims Machete Movie Is Racist – Zennie62

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‘The American’ Leads Box Office on Labor Day Weekend

Editor’s note: This is the last in a series of profiles of three finalists for appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court. Colleagues and lawyers consider Judge Robert M. Russel one of the best judicial writers in Colorado. But the Colorado Court of Appeals judge agonizes over perfecting his prose and interpreting the law. “His opinions are very well-written and very thoughtful, and I know how much he struggles to get the right answer within the law,” said his friend Thomas Kearns, a lawyer. “It almost torments him.” Russel, 54, is one of three candidates for a seat on the Colorado Supreme Court. Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to announce his choice by Wednesday. State Deputy Attorney General Monica Marie Marquez and 4th District Judge David S. Prince also are finalists. Court of Appeals Judge Sean Connelly said judicial writing must be clear or it can lead to uncertainty or more litigation. “The amazing clarity of Bob’s writing is the product of his lucid thinking,” Connelly said. “He is the most thoughtful person I know. Bob approaches each case with an open, penetrating mind. He is a model judge and would be a pre-eminent justice.” Russel graduated from Alameda High School in Lakewood and went to the University of Northern Colorado for a bachelor’s degree in music education. In 1984, he graduated with a law degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before and after law school, Russel worked at Kent Denver School teaching music and English and coaching girls basketball. He taught advanced legal writing and appellate advocacy for the law schools at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver. “He is an extremely analytical and bright fellow and a sweet, sweet man,” said retired Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Sandra Rothenberg. “He started out as a high school music teacher, and he is a renaissance man with a lot of different interests. He is a solid humble guy. He would just make a really good contribution to that court.” Russel lives in Lakewood with his wife, Robin. They have two children, Michael, 21, and Emily, 20. Off the bench, Russel raises bees, plays the drums and works in his garden. Before becoming a judge in 2004, Russel headed the appellate division of the U.S. attorney’s office in Denver on criminal and civil appeals and did the same job for the Colorado attorney general’s office. As an appeals judge, Russel wrote a 2007 opinion in favor of granting a new trial for Hassan McGlotten, a man convicted of gang-related shootings and racketeering who claimed he was denied due process in filing an appeal. Russel also wrote a dissenting opinion in a 2008 case involving a dispute over land-use statutes between the Hygiene Fire Protection District and Boulder County. The district wanted to put a fire station on a piece of land, but Boulder denied the plan, claiming it violated its zoning rules. The court’s majority ruled in favor of the Hygiene Fire Protection District. Russel disagreed because he believed the county had more rights over the development of the land. Kearns said that in the more than 25 years he has known Russel, his friend never has shown favoritism for a particular belief, even in social situations where politics are discussed. “I have no idea what his political philosophy is, whether liberal or conservative, and that is unique,” Kearns said. “He really seems to focus on the particulars of an issue rather than be driven by a preconceived philosophy. What better quality for a judge than that?” Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona[at]denverpost.com

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Supreme Court Finalists: Candidate’s writings show clarity of thought

An increasing number of Americans wish President Obama would stop trying to fix the economy, since his every effort seems to bring the country closer to bankruptcy.  Obama’s accomplishments in his first two years have already earned him the crown of the most reckless and profligate president in history, so why not rest on his leftist laurels and give a stimulus to those green jobs on America’s putting greens? “That’s why we stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions and dropping folks who become seriously ill.” (In contradistinction to Democrats, they don’t care if you die a slow, painful death.) ” Companies were rewarded with tax breaks for creating jobs overseas…We also ended a tax loophole that encouraged companies to create jobs overseas.” Did the teleprompter mention the tax breaks for overseas jobs? (Obama learned in his junior year seminar, Semiotics of the Oppressed, that multi-national corporations are evil. They don’t care if you lose your job and starve to death, slowly and painfully.) ” Wall Street firms turned huge profits by taking, in some cases, reckless risks and cutting corners.” (Profit and risk, bad; government, good.) “That’s why we’ve put an end to the wasteful subsidies to big banks that provide student loans.” (So we in government can confiscate those profits and waste them ourselves.) ” For a decade , middle class families felt the sting of stagnant incomes and declining economic security.” (If you’re still playing find-the-villain, substitute ” During the George W. Bush presidency” for ” for a decade” -which inconveniently includes the first two years of Obama’s own spendthrift presidency.)

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Obama’s Belabored Labor Day Speech – American Thinker