Alex Salmond has overruled his Cabinet by promising to renationalise Royal Mail in an independent Scotland without first calculating the cost.         More: continued here

On the House menu, a vote to slash food stampsMSNBCBlanca Sanchez and her son, Victor Manuel al Canta, choose food with help from volunteers during their once-a-month shopping trip at the food pantry at the People's Resource Center, on August 20, 2013 in Wheaton, Illinois. Photo by Melanie Stetson … More: …

Congresswoman Uses Steak, Vodka, And Caviar To Hammer Republicans On …BuzzFeedJackie Speier decided to make an unconventional pitch on the House of Representatives floor Thursday to defend food stamps. Speier used a cooked steak, a bottle of vodka, and a can of caviar to point out members of Congress who …

The U.S. unemployment rate is so high that the poor can't find jobs More: continued here

The Portland Phoenix Postmaster General: Post Office In Midst Of Financial DisasterCBS LocalDonahoe told a Senate committee Thursday that “the Postal Service as it exists today is financially unsustainable.” He's asking Congress to let the Postal Service end Saturday mail delivery and reduce its annual payments for future retiree health …

Goldman Sachs downgraded shares of FedEx Corp. on Thursday, saying that the package-delivery giant's stock was at a fair price after a long rally. THE OPINION: Goldman Sachs analyst Tom Kim lowered FedEx … More: continued here

BBC News Brian Taylor: By Royal (Mail) appointmentBBC NewsIt was, we are assured, a grand design – and not in any way an example of policy on the hoof. The renationalisation of the Royal Mail in Scotland, that is. Perhaps one should say the putative renationalisation because, of course, the …

Daily Mail Royal Mail unveils commemorative Merchant Navy stamps designed by Silk …The DrumRoyal Mail has unveiled a new set of Merchant Navy stamps to commemorate its contribution to British life over the last 200 years. Designed by Silk Peace, one set of six stamps features different merchant ships spanning …

House poised to vote on food stamp cutsMinnesota Public RadioWASHINGTON — The U.S. House plans to vote tomorrow on a bill that cuts food stamps by nearly $40 billion over 10 years, a move that would eliminate benefits for an estimated 32,000 Minnesotans. Food stamp funding has long been part …

U.S. News & World Report House to Vote on Cutting Back on Food StampsABC NewsHouse Republican leaders scrambled Thursday to line up support in advance of a late-afternoon vote on legislation that would cut nearly $4 billion a year from the food stamp program, now used by 1 in 7 …