Social Security's 89,000 mistakes, and more

last updated 8 January 2015

Social Security's 89,000 mistakes

As part of the Obama administration’s stimulus plan, Social Security mistakenly sent 89,000 checks for $250 each to people who were either dead or in jail. About half the checks have been returned, but most of the prisoners will get to keep theirs.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

China embraces the automobile

China is fully embracing the car culture. The government has built 30,000 miles of highways, auto sales were up 46 percent last year, and McDonald’s has built 105 drive-throughs there and plans 300 more.

The Wall Street Journal

Social-networking for babies and toddlers

About 92 percent of American babies and toddlers under 2 have their pictures and names posted online (sometimes along with the names of their mothers) on social-networking sites such as Facebook, a new study found. Privacy advocates warn that identity thieves may someday exploit this information.

CNN.com

CBO projects huge spending increases on the "Big Three"

Over the next decade, spending on the big three entitlement programs—Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—is projected to rise by 70 percent, 79 percent, and 99 percent, respectively, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Wall Street Journal

“Marriage gap” for educated women disappears

The “marriage gap” for women with college degrees has disappeared, according to the Pew Research Center. Of women who attended college, 84 percent have married by age 40—the same percentage as women who did not attend college. “It’s a historic reversal,” said researcher Richard Fry.

The Washington Post