Free Republic

Springfield and its surrounding cities and towns lost a collective 5,600 jobs in July, a further sign of a stalling economy. “It’s a continuous story. There is just too little demand for goods and services,” said Karl J. Petrick, an assistant professor of economics at Western New England University. “Probably the best we can hope for is slow growth. The best we can hope for is to just narrowly avoid sliding back into recession.” Springfield’s unemployment rate rose last month to 12.5 percent from 12 percent recorded in June, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development...

Gov. Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have signed off on $1.50 toll hikes for all Port Authority crossings that’ll go into effect next month, sources said. The final fare hikes are far lower than the ones the Port Authority rolled out last month, which called for a $4 increase on most crossings and were met with widespread disgust by politicians and the public. Christie and Cuomo are also calling for an audit of the agency. The new $1.50 hikes will apply to cash and EZ-Pass customers on all the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels. Cash payers will also...