By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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The Contraceptive Mandate Finally Leads America Out of the Victorian Era (Next New Deal)
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Ellen Chesler and Fellow Andrea Flynn applaud the Affordable Care Act's proactive steps on women's reproductive health care, which are also key to women's economic security.
- Roosevelt Take: Read Ellen and Andrea's new white paper, "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Expanding Access to Family Planning," here.
Comcast's Power Unveiled, Courtesy of Apple (Bloomberg View)
Rumors of a new content deal between Comcast and Apple demonstrate just how much control the internet service providers could have over what media Americans can access, writes Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford.
Private Charity Can't Replace Government Social Programs (LA Times)
Michael Hiltzik looks at "the voluntarism fantasy," as Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal describes the idea that charity alone could replace the public safety net. Hiltzik agrees with Konczal: it's just not possible.
- Roosevelt Take: Mike explains the origins and flaws of this fantasy in Democracy Journal.
The Minimum Wage Symposium: A Lot of Data and a Couple of Fights (The Stranger)
Anna Minard reports on the Income Inequality Symposium held in Seattle on Thursday, March 27. She quotes Roosevelt Institute Fellow Dorian Warren, who emphasized how income inequality leads to political inequality.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute President and CEO Felicia Wong gave the closing remarks at the symposium.
Blueberry Lies: WSJ Spearheads Disingenuous Effort to Keep Exploiting Farm Workers (Salon)
While the Journal may claim a case of "hot goods," in which the Department of Labor seized goods produced in violation of labor law, is regulation run amok, it's a truly necessary enforcement tool, writes Catherine Ruckelshaus.
Interns Are Now Protected Against Sexual Harassment in NYC (ProPublica)
Blair Hickman reports that in response to the dismissal of an unpaid intern's sexual harassment claim against her boss, the New York City Council passed a law including interns in labor protections, regardless of pay.
Jobs and Skills and Zombies (NYT)
There is no skills gap in the U.S. job market, writes Paul Krugman, but this "zombie idea" keeps hanging around. By blaming unemployment on the workers, this creates a very real policy gap.