In today’s rundown: The economy keeps the local homeless population on the rise. | Workers’ advocates say the indiscriminate use of background checks by employers is making it difficult for millions of Americans to find work.
— “High rates of unemployment among minorities, foreclosures, the rising cost of rent, utilities and fuel and extreme budget cuts are being a rise in the area’s homeless population,” the Afro American reports.
— The New York Times highlights “redemption research” — studies that show that ex-offenders are less likely to be arrested again over time. The article features the story of a woman who is struggling to find employment after being convicted of robbery in 1997.