By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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The House’s Food Stamps Cuts Aren’t Just Cruel. They’re Dumb. (WaPo)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal explains why the GOP's plan to require states to follow a $2,000 assets test for SNAP eligibility is bad policy. Assets tests create poverty traps, forcing families to avoid saving in order to stay afloat.
Countdown to Shutdown: A Primer on Where Budget Wrangling Stands (The Atlantic)
David A. Graham writes an update on what's happened in Congress over the weekend. So far, Republicans have been unwilling to pass a clean continuing resolution in the House, and the schedule for today allows only ten hours of legislative work time.
Who Will Notice a US Government Shut Down? Public Workers, Foreign Governments and People With the Flu (Quartz)
Tim Fernholz lays out who will feel the immediate effects of a government shutdown on October 1, which looks exceedingly likely. The less obvious groups include sick people, since the CDC will stop tracking epidemics, and anyone who planned to buy a house in October.
This Week in Poverty: Five Things You Might Have Missed on 'Poverty Day' (The Nation)
Greg Kaufmann looks at five points from the U.S. Census poverty data that weren't covered by mainstream media. Most strikingly, instituting a monthly benefit for every child as is common in other developed countries could nearly eliminate child poverty in the U.S.
I Worked All Week for Free?!: The Horrifying, True Story of $0 Paychecks (Salon)
Josh Eidelson explains why a group of guest workers on H-2B visas are striking and putting pressure on Florida politicians to reform labor laws. After putting in a full week, these workers are charged rent that is greater then their earnings - and the boss is also the landlord.
Viewpoint: The Decline of Unions Is Your Problem Too (TIME)
Eric Liu explains why every American is harmed by the lowest rate of union membership in 97 years. Organized labor used to keep the economy healthier; today, the people setting the rules are only focused on shareholder profits.
New on Next New Deal
"Inequality for All" is "The Progressive Economic Narrative: The Movie"
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kirsch reviews the new film starring Robert Reich, which articulates the narrative that progressive economists have been pushing through Reich's humor and passion, as well as profiles of families scarred by the new economy.