By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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"Full Employment": The Two Words Obama Needs to Say Tonight (TNR)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal argues for the return of full employment as a concept that refers to government responsibility for greater prosperity. Including it in the State of the Union address would highlight the best way to deal with economic inequality today.
Time Warner Cable Sale Will Cost Us All (Bloomberg View)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford writes that if Charter Communications buys Time Warner Cable, the result will be decreased competition, increased profits, and higher prices for consumers, but no better product than before.
Obama to Raise Minimum Wage Under Federal Contractors (NYT)
Peter Baker reports that the president plans to sign an executive order requiring workers under federal contractors to be paid at least $10.10 per hour. Obama will highlight this order in tonight's State of the Union, which he used last year to call for a higher minimum wage for all.
Why Is the American Dream Dead in the South? (The Atlantic)
Matthew O'Brien considers the geography of the American Dream by looking at the differences in economic mobility across the country. Among the reasons he lists for these differences are segregation, social capital, and inequality.
The Liberal Case for a Basic Income (BINews)
Almaz Zelleke responds to Max Sawicky's guest post on Next New Deal, which presented a liberal case against a universal basic income. Zelleke argues that the universal and unconditional nature of a basic income marks its importance in the liberal project.
The People’s Bank (TAP)
Abby Rapoport looks at the history of the Bank of North Dakota, the state-run financial institution that helped keep the local economy afloat during the Great Recession. She also looks at proposals to start similar banks as other states try to learn from North Dakota.
GOP Offers Obamacare Replacement — and It’s a Mess (Salon)
Brian Beutler reports on the Republicans' first real plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Beutler suggests that the GOP plan, which is far more regressive and requires major cuts to Medicaid, ignores the shift from health insurance as a privilege to health insurance as a guarantee.