GOOD DAY FOR: Two million workers, as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents today, to $6.55, its first increase since 1997. (CNNMoney.com) The minimum wage is now about a third of the average U.S. wage; it was about half the average wage in the 1950s and 60s. Some 2 million workers will be affected by the increase. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
BAD DAY FOR: U.S. bragging rights, after Toyota said it sold 4.8 million cars and trucks worldwide in the first half of 2008, trouncing General Motors, which sold 4.54 million. Both automakers have been dented by the sagging U.S. market, but Toyota has weathered the shift to smaller cars more successfully. Toyota is well on its way to dethroning GM from its 70-plus years as the world’s top auto seller this year. (MarketWatch)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 JuneHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
