On Friday, the Labor Department revealed the latest jobs report and the picture was not pretty. Their broadest measure of unemployment and underemployment has reached its highest level in decades, and if their statistics went back so far, it would most certainly be at its highest level since the Great Depression.

One out of every six workers, or 17.5%, were unemployed or underemployed in October 2009. The previous record high was set in December 1982 at 17.1%. WIthout an end in site to our economic woes, the figures could go even higher in the coming months.

That 17.5% figure includes the officiall unemployed, which are those who have looked for work in the last four weeks. It also includes discouraged workers who have looked in the past year, and millions of part-time workers wanting to be full-time.

The official jobless rate is at 10.2% for October, and remains lower than the early 80's peak at 10.8%. But again, this latest figure continues the upward trend, and isup from 9.8% in September 2009. It is highest in those states which had big housing bubles, such as Arizona and California, and those with large manufacturing sectors, including Ohio, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Oregon.

A mass shooting at Fort Hood on Thursday has thus far resulted in the deaths of twelve individuals and as many as 31 wounded. Officials confirmed that three shooters were involved. One has been killed and the other two have been apprehended.

A spokesman for the Army at the Pentagon said the shootings began around 1:30pm. The first of the two shootings took place at a personnel and medical processing center called a Soldier Rating and Processing Center, which handles administrative details for soldiers. The second shooting incident took place at a theater on the base, the Howze Theatre.

All three shooters were said to be US military soldiers. The suspects were in military uniform. The shooter-at-large had a high-powered sniper rifle. Officials have not yet confirmed whether those killed and injured were civilians or military personnel.

Following the attack, the base has been locked down. The Fort Hood website has posted an alert reading "Effective immediately Fort Hood is closed". The site also says, "This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation." and indicates that units at the base have been ordered to account for all personnel. The FBI is also sending agents to the scene.

The U.S. Congress has granted final approval to new legislation that would allow widows and widowers of full US citizens to move from American visa to permanent resident.

A legal provision known as "widow's penalty", was most recently highlighted by the story of a Japanese widow and the baby of a marine killed in Iraq.

Sargent Michael H. Ferschke were married by phone during his deployment to Iraq. One month later, Ferschke died. The couple had a child together, but she and the baby faced being sent back to Japan because U.S. law did not recognize their standing, and would not permit them to move from the status of American visa to residency.

On Tuesday, Congress approved legislation that would effectively abolish the provision. The measure is also a part of a larger Homeland Security bill which Presiden Barack Obama is expected to soon sign.

Under the new law, widows and widowers would be allowed to submit petitions seeking permanent American residency.

In a big departure from the policies of the George W. Bush era, the Justice Department issued a new policy memo to prosecutors on Monday telling them that pot-smoking patients and their sanctioned suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that permit medical marijuana. In the 3-page legal memo, federal prosecutors are told it is not a good use of their time to arrest those who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.

The guidelines issued by the Justice Department, however, make it quite clear that federal agents can and will go after those who's marijuana distribution goes beyond what is permitted under state law, and those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

"It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal."

The U.S. Navy announced Friday that the latest Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ship (T-AKE) would be named the USNS Medgar Evers. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus made the announcement today during a speaking engagement at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

The naming of the Navy's newest underway replenishment ship recognizes civil rights activist Medgar Evers (1925 to 1963). He helped to lead efforts to secure the right to vote for all African-Americans and to integrate public facilities, schools, and restaurants. A native of Mississippi, Evers was assassinated in the driveway of his home on June 12, 1963. His death prompted President John F. Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.

Designated T-AKE 13, USNS Medgar Evers will be the 13th ship of the class. It is being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, CA. As a combat logistics force ship, it will help the Navy deliver ammunition, food, fuel and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea. It will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 11 Navy sailors.

President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. Nobel observers were shocked by the unexpected choice, especially with it being so early in his presidency, which began just tow weeks before the February 1 nomination deadline.

According to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, Obama woke up to the news a little before 6:00am ET. The administration was taken by surprise with the announcement, and thus far has made no immediate comment on it.

When informed of the decision this morning, one aide queried: "It's not April 1, is it?"

Obama was not informed that he won the award prior to the announcement out of Oslo this morning. The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided not to inform him because they did not want to wake him up. Committee chairman Thorbjoer Jagland said: "Waking up a president in the middle of the night, this isn't really something you do."

The committee applauded the change in the global mood shaped by Obama's calls for peace and cooperation. However, they also recognized several Obama initiatives that have yet to bear any fruit, including easing American conflicts with Muslim nations, reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, and strengthening the U.S. role in fighting climate change.

Jagland added:

On Sept. 17, 2009, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor to the parents of Army Staff Sgt. Jared C. Monti for "conspicuous gallantry." Monti, 30, was serving with the 10th Mountain Division when he was killed in a battle at Gowardesh, Afghanistan.

This was the sixth occasion since Sept. 11, 2001, that the nation's highest award has been presented. Some believe, however, the number of recipients is too low. In the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010, the Department of Defense came under fire for setting decoration standards too high. Still, regardless of political pressure and changing definitions in popular media, the department has held fast to its own definition of the word "hero," which has stood the test of time.

Robert Mueller, the current director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, has promised to arduously fight online scammers. Unfortunately, we may have placed our faith in the wrong person. Mueller has been banned from internet banking by his wife after he himself almost fell for a phishing scam on the web.

That's right, the guy in charge of fighting online crime was nearly conned himself.

Mueller revealed to a San Francisco audience on Thursday that he once began to enter his personal information into a scammer's web form in response to what he deemed a "perfectly legitimate" email from his bank. After being asked for his password, the FBI chief realized he'd made a monumental mistake. He quickly changed all his passwords and turned to his wife, chuckling over what he called a "teachable moment".

When the first swine flu vaccinations begin being given to the general public in just a few weeks, there will be some people who get them that will have strokes or heart attacks. Some pregnant women may miscarry, and some children may have seizures. However, officials are warning that these events will not necessarily have anything to do with the flu vaccine.

Federal officials are aware of the potential public relations challenges, recalling how sensational reports of death and illness thwarted the large-scale swine flu vaccine drive of 1976. This time, however, they are prepared and have begun making plans to quickly respond to such events to reassure the wary public that the vaccine is not the culprit.

It is important to keep in mind that each year 200,000 Americans will have their first seizure, and there are 1.1 million heart attacks, 795,000 strokes and 876,000 miscarriages. Some of these will inevitably occur within hours or days of receiving a flu shot.

Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg says that the government "is right to expect coincident deaths, since people are dying every day, with or without flu shots." Fineberg is the president of the Institute of Medicine, and co-author of "The Epidemic That Never Was", a book on the history of the 1976 swine flu vaccination drive.

I didn’t really know until today that the Pee Dee endorsed torture.

Then today I read PD Deputy Editorial Page Editor Kevin O’Brien, the paper’s right wing bomb thrower.

“Water flowed,” he said, “up some deserving noses.”

How cavalier.

“Yes, our guys did this. They did it to our enemies. They did it to protect us. And they did it knowing full well that when word of their rough methods got out, they would be demonized.”

“Rough methods,” huh? Afraid to call it what it is, Kevin?

Be a plain spoken right-winger. Be honest at least. Call it "torture." But to “enemies,” so it’s alright.

Why the Pee Dee has such a rabid right-winger tossing us right-wing propaganda I don’t know because this is not exactly even Southern Ohio, never mind the Deep South where this stuff sells well these days.