Depressed region of California needs more dynamic thinking to recover, economists say

Behind the scenic roads and vibrant economies of the ocean-side southern California areas of Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, lies a patchwork expanse of big-box stores and under-water mortgages called the Inland Empire.

Once viewed as a viable economic frontier filling the citrus tree basin of high winds More…

ACLU: Rise in Border Crossing Deaths Are ‘Humanitarian Crisis’

Fifteen years after the United States first instituted “Operation Gatekeeper” to reinforce the U.S.-Mexican border with more agents, walls and fences, the American Civil Liberties Union has released a report concluding that the enforcement effort has been deadly.

The report — a joint effort of the More…

Housing: How Low Can It Go?

For the first time in more than a year, the nation’s decimated housing market is showing a spark of life. But like everything else that’s been turned upside down by the credit crunch, it’s not clear whether foreclosed homes selling at fire-sale prices are an encouraging sign — or just More…