By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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An Agenda to Save the Euro (Project Syndicate)
Roosevelt Institute Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz lays out a plan to reform the political structure of the eurozone. Eliminating austerity policies, among other changes, could save the Euro and the European project of unity.
Life in a Mobile Nation (NYT)
The New York Times draws on former Roosevelt Institute | Pipeline Fellow Nona Willis Aronowitz's recent series on where Millennials are building their lives for a Room for Debate discussion. The responses consider whether a city can be ideal for all stages of a life.
A Government Ban on 23andMe's Genetic Testing Ignores Reality (The Guardian)
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network alumnus Rahul Rekhi says the FDA is trying to regulate 21st century technology with 20th century policy. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing could have plenty of potential, but an outright ban closes that option for research.
Study: States that Reject Medicaid Expansion Lose Money (USA Today)
Kelly Kennedy reports on a new study from the Commonwealth Fund laying out the state-by-state financial losses from refusing Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. That money would have gone to local health care providers, growing the states' economies.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute Fellow Andrea Flynn's white paper, "The Title X Factor," says that states refusing Medicaid expansion is one of the reasons Title X family planning funds remain so important.
Pension Theft: Class War Goes to the Next Stage (Truthout)
Dean Baker decries the new sport of pension theft, a game that has just opened in Detroit and Illinois which he fears will spread further. Pensions are written into contracts, but apparently those contracts don't matter when they affect average workers.
Fast Food Strikes Hit 100 Cities Thursday (The Nation)
Allison Kilkenny speaks to fast food workers who plan to join strikes today as the call for higher wages spreads. The first fast food strikes were just over a year ago in New York City, and they have spread across the country; today's actions are expected to be the largest yet.
It’s Not Just Fast-Food Workers Who are Underpaid (Reuters)
Helaine Olen points out that while so-called "fast casual" dining might look nicer, with higher food quality and prices to match, that doesn't mean workers are paid any more than in fast food. It's important to keep that in mind with today's fast food strikes.
Don't Blame Robots For Declining Wages -- Blame Dissolving Unions (TPM)
Tali Kristal says that technology has only done so much to bring down wages. Her research shows the largest declines in share of income going to workers occurring in sectors where unions are disappearing, which does give us a possible path for wages to go back up.