By Rachel Goldfarb, originally posted on Next New Deal
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What Congress and the Media Are Missing in the Food Stamp Debate (The Nation)
Greg Kaufmann asks why we are talking about everything except the state of hunger in the U.S. when we talk about cutting SNAP benefits. There are people in this country who cannot afford enough food for themselves and their families: as he sees it, nothing else should be considered.
Kansas Bleeds the Middle Class (TAP)
Monica Potts visits Johnson County, Kansas, where she finds that suburban poverty is growing and there are no middle-class jobs available. This low-wage economy is a constant struggle, and there don't seem to be any escape routes in place.
Welfare reform took people off the rolls. It might have also shortened their lives. (WaPo)
Dylan Matthews reports on a new study on a Floridian precursor to federal welfare-to-work programs, which shows a troubling statistically significant difference in the mortality rate of the work program participants. More research is necessary, but it's possible welfare-to-work created new health problems.
Unelected Emergency Manager Preparing To Break Detroit’s Pension Promises (ThinkProgress)
Alan Pyke explains how bankruptcy proceedings would allow the emergency manager to put paying investors who gave the city loans before paying retirees. Investments are supposed to come with risks, but fixed-income seniors are apparently less important than debt.
The Chart That Eviscerates Five Terrible Talking Points About Taxes (Business Insider)
Josh Barros uses this chart on the progressivity of our tax system to remind us to think about how the whole system fits together, particularly when considering issues like the so-called "47% percent” or the progressivity of specific taxes.
We Need a New Deal For Millennials (HuffPo)
Richard Eskow argues that Millennials need to run far away from the politics-as-usual that is destroying their future. Instead, he would see a return to real values in politics, starting with the Millennials running for office themselves.
Guitar Center: Prices So Low, Employees Can't Survive on Wages (The Nation)
Allison Kilkenny reports that the 57 retail workers at Guitar Center's flagship in Manhattan have overwhelmingly voted to form a union. Their demands are pretty reasonable: a living wage, with a commission structure that makes sense in the Internet age.
Former intern sues Atlantic Records (Salon)
Christopher Zara explains this lawsuit, in which a former intern is suing to recover minimum wage and overtime with the help of the organization Intern Justice. This follows last week's ruling that some Fox Searchlight internships are illegal.