The bottom line

The cost of day care

The cost of full-time day care in a credentialed child-care center now ranges from a high of $16,430 a year in Massachusetts to $4,863 in Mississippi. In nearly two thirds of the country, average annual child-care costs are greater than yearly tuition and fees at a four-year public college.

CNN.com

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A shortage of doctors

If current graduation rates persist, the U.S. will be short some 150,000 physicians by 2028. The most acute shortage will be among primary care physicians, who play a central role as gatekeepers in most health insurance plans but make considerably less money on average than medical specialists.

The Wall Street Journal

Airline fees soar

In the past five years alone, airline fees have soared. Extra charges for everything from baggage and seat changes to onboard pets have grown from $2.45 billion in 2008 to $27 billion last year.

TheAtlantic.com

Measuring wage increases

According to data from the Social Security Administration, the median wage has hit its lowest level since 1998, clocking in at $27,519. Yet the average wage has improved, rising 1 percent from 2011 to $42,498. Statistically, that means only the top half of earners are experiencing wage increases.

AlJazeera.com

The low rate of public investment

Public investment is at its lowest level since World War II, dropping to just 3.6 percent of U.S. output, compared to the postwar average of 5 percent. The decrease is largely thanks to “Republican success in stymieing President Barack Obama’s push for more spending on infrastructure, science, and education.”

Financial Times