Daily Digest – February 4: Looking to History to Understand Today’s Civil Rights Movement

February 4, 2015

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


How Radical Change Occurs: An Interview With Historian Eric Foner (The Nation)

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal interviews Eric Foner about teaching the Civil War online and the relevance of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras to our current political moment.

Would FCC Plan Harm Telecom Investment? Even Industry Opinion Is Mixed (NPR)

Joel Rose speaks to Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford, who says the telecommunications industry changes its tune based on audience: only regulators are told regulation will kill investment.

Is Ending Segregation the Key to Ending Poverty? (The Atlantic)

Alana Semuels takes a close look at programs that have helped families move to less segregated and wealthier neighborhoods, moves which have generally positive outcomes for children.

Obama’s Budget Puts Historic Focus on Child Care and Working Families (AJAM)

E. Tammy Kim and Joanna S. Kao suggest that the president’s proposals around child care and other programs supporting working parents have the most bipartisan potential this year.

Walmart Cut My Hours, I Protested, and They Fired Me (MoJo)

Kiana Howard explains how Walmart illegally retaliated against her for union organizing, something she got involved in when they cut her hours for requesting a public transit-friendly schedule.

Americans Overestimate Class Mobility (Pacific Standard)

Tom Jacobs reports that in four new studies, Americans overestimate the extent to which working more or going to school can increase wealth by about 23 percent.