Daily Digest – February 20: Teach Civic Engagement, Not Just Citizenship
February 20, 2015
College as a Catalyst for Civic Engagement (Medium)
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network member Zach Lipp builds on a recent column by Frank Bruni, arguing that liberal education should develop the skills of civic engagement, not just citizenship.
Walmart Is Giving Raises. Walmart Is Feeling the Pressure. (Gawker)
Walmart hasn’t decided to raise its wages to be nice, says Hamilton Nolan. Rather, it’s a sign that Walmart is giving in to the ongoing campaigns by low-wage workers, who will win.
The Gig Economy Won’t Last Because It’s Being Sued to Death (Fast Company)
Sarah Kessler looks at these lawsuits, which center around the question of defining workers as independent contractors or employees, and how that question is changing the gig economy already.
Why Counting America’s Homeless is Both Imperative and Imperfect (Fusion)
Susie Cagle illustrates and writes about the 2015 homeless count in San Francisco, explaining how the homeless count works, why it’s done, and what she encountered.
Hospital To Nurses: Your Injuries Are Not Our Problem (NPR)
Daniel Zwerdling looks at one hospital in North Carolina that has a history of dismissing nurses’ cases for medical bills and workers’ compensation when they are injured on the job.
A Whistleblower’s Horror Story (Rolling Stone)
Speaking to the whistleblower from Countrywide Financial, Matt Taibbi says the lack of punishment beyond fines for companies could disincline future whistleblowers from coming forward.
New on Next New Deal
Four Ways to Prune a Rose: Why the NYT Missed the Mark on the Inequality Debate
Eric Bernstein, a program associate at the Roosevelt Institute, explains why a study that claims inequality isn’t rising was framed and conducted incorrectly and should be dismissed.