Daily Digest – January 23: Politics Broke the Economy

January 23, 2015

Roosevelt First is our weekday morning email featuring the Daily Digest.


The Politics of Economic Stupidity (Project Syndicate)

Roosevelt Institute Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz says the economy’s “near-global stagnation” is the result of “stupid politics,” meaning austerity policies that slow demand.

It’s ‘Pathetic’ What Politicians Have To Do To Stay In Office (HuffPost Live)

Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Robert Johnson discusses the State of the Union and campaign financing, noting that fundraising makes our government less healthy.

The Most Dangerous Man In American Politics (Buzzfeed)

Ben Smith says that U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara has proven he’s willing to cross not just Wall Street but his own political party in pursuing justice.

The Government Just Took a Step Toward Ending Mass Homelessness (ThinkProgress)

Allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to contribute to the National Housing Trust Fund could mean a small but steady supply of cash for building affordable housing, reports Bryce Covert.

McDonald’s Sued Over Claims Workers Were Fired From Store With ‘Too Many Black People’ (The Guardian)

Jana Kasperkevic reports on the lawsuit, filed by 10 former McDonald’s employees in Virginia, which tries to hold the parent company accountable alongside the franchise owner.

Americans Overwhelmingly Want Paid Sick Time, Even if It Lowers Their Wages (WaPo)

Christopher Ingraham counters the common conservative argument that mandatory sick leave will lead to lower wages with data that shows workers support sick leave anyway.

New on Next New Deal

After Four Decades with Roe, U.S. Women Still Need Abortion Access, and So Much More

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Andrea Flynn and Shulie Eisen look at Kansas as an example of how economic inequality intersects with lack of access to reproductive care to create a crisis for women.