By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
Click here to receive the Daily Digest via email.
The War on Poverty Turns 50: Three Lessons for Liberals Today (TNR)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at new research from the Russell Sage Foundation on the successes of the War on Poverty, and considers how those accomplishments should guide liberals as poverty takes center stage in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
Millennial Perspective: How to Strengthen Social Security (National Priorities Project)
Roosevelt Institute | Pipeline member Tarsi Dunlop argues that Millennials should advocate for reforms that will ensure the future of Social Security. Most Millennials agree with her, with two-thirds supporting changes like raising the earnings cap on Social Security taxes.
Vote in Senate Starts Talks on Extending Unemployment Benefits (NYT)
Jonathan Weisman reports on the negotiations over extending emergency unemployment benefits, which expired at the end of December. Yesterday's vote advanced that cause in the Senate, but it's still entirely unclear if anything will come of it in the House.
Forever Temp? (In These Times)
Sarah Jaffe reports that even in industries that used to be known for good jobs, like auto manufacturing, temps are becoming the new norm. Temp jobs in factories pay less and lack benefits, and when workers come from multiple agencies, they're harder to organize.
A Blueprint for Labor’s Engagement With Southern Communities (The Blog of the Century)
Douglas Williams suggests that the Tompkins County Worker Center in upstate New York could provide a model for communities where labor has struggled. The key is the TCWC's strong engagement with the entire community, not just organized labor.
Will Elizabeth Warren Oppose Obama's Pick for Banking Watchdog? (MoJo)
Erika Eichelberger writes that Sharon Bowen, the President's newest nominee for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, might be too close to Wall Street for some senators' tastes, and Democrats like Warren could derail the nomination.
The Quest to Improve America’s Financial Literacy Is Both a Failure and a Sham (Pacific Standard)
Helaine Olen says that the call for expanding financial literacy education in the U.S. carries little meaning, because the real problem is low wages. The financial literacy movement falsely implies that economic insecurity is always caused by bad choices instead of structural problems.