Daily Digest – January 12: Free Community College is Simpler Than Financial Aid

Did Obama Just Introduce a ‘Public Option’ for Higher Education? (The Nation)

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal says free community college for all would be easier to run and more popular than means-tested financial aid models like Pell Grants.

Why Is the Financial Industry So Afraid of This Man? (Salon)

Sean McElwee and Lenore Palladino say blocking Roosevelt Institute Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz from an advisory panel is just one sign of the financial industry’s influence over its regulators.

December Caps Off a Year of Strong Job Growth But Stagnant Wages (Working Economics)

Elise Gould looks at the 2014 data and says that while the numbers are mostly positive, it’s concerning that at this rate, we won’t reach pre-recession labor market health until August 2017.

There’s An Awful Side to the Jobs Report (Business Insider)

Shane Ferro says that while the December jobs report was largely good, the drop in average hourly earnings is a sign of trouble, especially with basically flat wage growth since early 2010.

Kicking Dodd-Frank in the Teeth (NYT)

Gretchen Morgenson breaks down the details of a Republican bill that claims to make “technical corrections” to Dodd-Frank, but would actually seriously weaken financial reform.

As White House Defends Unions, States Go on the Attack (AJAM)

Republican midterm victories at the state level will mean more anti-union “right to work” laws and other policies that weaken the labor movement, writes Ned Resnikoff.

New on Next New Deal

Can Community College Systems and Infrastructure Handle Free Tuition?

Rachel Kanakaole, New Chapters Coordinator for the Western Region of the Roosevelt Network, questions whether community colleges can handle the increased enrollment that will come with free tuition.