Social Issues

Authored by Mike Shedlock via www.themaven.net/mishtalk,

Most defined benefit pension plans are nothing but Ponzi schemes. Plans are now unraveling because of demographics. An increasing number of retirees, needing untenable returns, are supported by fewer and fewer people putting money in the system. Democrats sponsored a bailout scheme. Will it pass?

Pension and Investments reports Sen. Sherrod Brown to Unveil Multiemployer Loan Program Legislation.

Even though 2017 is already the worst year for mass shootings in modern U.S. history, Americans are more worried about cybercrime than violent crime.

That's according to a new Gallup poll which found that 67 percent of U.S. adults frequently or occasionally fret about having personal, credit card or financial information stolen by hackers. 66 percent also worry about the threat presented by identity theft.

Last week, Goldman Sachs pointed out a very disturbing trend in the US labor market: where the participation rate for women in the prime age group of 25-54 have seen a dramatic rebound in the past 2 years, such a move has been completeloy missing when it comes to their peer male workers.

From issues such as declining fertility rates to the ongoing complications resulting from China’s famous “One Child Policy”, there are many demographic challenges that the world must grapple with in the coming years.

However, Visual Capitalist's Jeff Desjardins notes one problem of particular importance – at least in places like Europe and the Americas – is a rapidly aging population. As the population shifts grayer, potential consequences include higher dependency ratios, rising healthcare costs, and shifting economies and cities.

In observance of Veterans Day, Reuters published a story reminding the public how remarkably little has been done to address to rapidly worsening opioid crisis, which has now been blamed for a range of societal ills, including rising male unemployment, cash-strapped foster systems, overtaxed local first responder services - the list goes on.

And one group that has been particularly hard-hit by the crisis is Veterans, who are prescribed opioid painkillers at higher rates compared with the broader population.