The United States ostensibly offers a free public education to every student who wants one. The reality is different. What you see above—originally published this week on Clashtalk, Gawker's community Kinja site, by an outraged parent—is part of a "fee slip" for a public high school in Park Ridge, Ill. (the full image is below). The parent in question owes $586.25 in mandatory fees for her daughter to attend tenth grade. Why?

Real estate prices are skyrocketing! The housing bubble is already re-inflating itself! Great news for property owners. Bad news for the increasing number of people who are living on your couch.

A big new annual survey on how Americans pay for college is out today, and the trend lines are clear: families are finding ways to kick in less for school, and nobody's bearing the brunt of the trend more than black students.

Subsidizing a sports stadium with public money is pretty much always a losing proposition for the public. (Go Jaguars!)

On one hand, the U.S. economy of the past few years has been great— for investors, banks, and the young affluent types propelling the new tech boom. On the other hand, progress for the middle class is all but absent (not to mention the lower class). Sooner or later, one hand is going to cut the other hand off.

Morgan Stanley today posted a 42% rise in quarterly profits, just the latest in this week's nonstop parade of big banks announcing huge earnings. Remember this moment, when the bad times come.

Bank of America posted a 63% gain in second quarter profits today, making it the fifth big bank to announce huge earnings this week. Fear everything.

Goldman Sachs today became the fourth big bank to post huge profits this week. Wall Street is back on top! This is how it always starts.

Citigroup today became the third major bank to post huge profits this quarter, as finance once again becomes the most profitable industry in America. We are definitely in for some bad shit soon.

America's Part-Time Recovery, in which the regular jobs that were vaporized in the Great Recession are replaced with shitty part-time jobs, is working out beautifully for the noble job creators. Thanks to a combination of high unemployment, the looming Obamacare law, and greed, it appears that for many workers, part-time status is the new normal.

Here you will find another in a theoretically bottomless barrel of stories explaining why hedge funds are scams.

For 80 years, it's been illegal for hedge funds to advertise to the public, due to various SEC regulations. Now, those regulations are changing. Hedge funds will soon be able to advertise! *Eyes you up and down* Probably not to you, though.

The average rent of an apartment in America is just over $1,000 per month. But do you know how much the average rent is in New York City. Do you? DO YOU? TOO MUCH.

After the Great Recession struck, many "Main Street" types of Americans were mad that the entire global economy managed to melt down without resulting in any "Wall Street" types of Americans being thrown in jail. Finally, the law on this point is changing.

The highly paid money managers of Wall Street often point out that they're not just making money for themselves; they're helping to enrich the retirement funds of millions of state workers, just like you. False! A new study points out that the more Wall Street makes, the less your pension fund makes.

Private equity firms have discovered an exciting new strategy for screwing their investors over (more than usual).

The Renaissance Technologies Medallion fund is one of the most successful hedge funds in history, earning an average profit of 80% per year over the last quarter of a century. The IRS believes the fund has been successful— too successful— at dodging taxes.

"From 2008 to 2011, only 17% of court-ordered claims for back pay and labor law penalties were collected" by low-wage workers in California. Almost everyone got screwed by the boss.

Throughout America, the housing market has recovered so well from its collapse five years ago that we're already talking about the next collapse. This has been great news for current homeowners. But for poor people who would prefer not to be homeless, times are only getting harder.

A new report says the majority of Americans with student loans are "concerned they will be unable to repay their debt." Next week, federal student loan rates are likely to double.