By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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The Fight for Fair Wages (All In With Chris Hayes)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Dorian Warren discusses the possibility of a minimum wage increase, and whether Congress will do anything about it. Even if Congress won't act, he's excited by the cities and states that are pushing ahead of higher wages already.
The Volcker Rule is Nearly Finished. Here’s How We’ll Know if it’s Any Good. (WaPo)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at key areas that will indicate whether the Volcker Rule is strong enough to regulate banks as intended. He emphasizes enforcement, since this rule aims to cause dramatic cultural and institutional change on Wall Street.
What is Deficit Mania Doing on the News Pages? (MoJo)
Kevin Drum points out that when reporters take for granted that Congress should prioritize deficit reduction above all else, they aren't doing their job. There's another side to this story, which considers the unprecedented nature of deficit cuts in a recession.
Wanted: More Unemployment (NYT)
Binyamin Appelbaum says that this month's job report isn't anything to be happy about. Since labor force participation has stayed basically stagnant while the unemployment rate drops, we're actually seeing people drop out of the labor force entirely.
Yes, McDonald's Can Do Better (TAP)
Catherine Ruetschlin writes about a new report she wrote with Amy Traub, published by Demos, which shows the math for how Wal-Mart and other low-wage employers could raise wages without passing on costs to consumers.
‘From Bean to Cup,’ Starbucks Labor Action Heats Up (In These Times)
Michelle Chen reports on supply chain-wide labor activism at Starbucks, where baristas are joining in solidarity with factory workers who produce their cups. The factory is pushing to allow temp workers at the factory, which would cut union negotiating power.