By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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How to Tackle the Great American Cable Monopoly (FT)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford points out that the real issue in the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger is how much power that monopoly would have over markets like high-speed Internet access and TV programming.
Volkswagen Official Threatens to Block Expansion if Workers Won't Unionize (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
The head of VW's works council complained about anti-union efforts in Chattanooga when he suggested that the company doesn't have to invest further in the South, reports the Times Free Press.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kirsch explains why the UAW effort in Chattanooga failed despite VW's neutrality.
Even Economists Cited By The CBO Disagree With Its Minimum Wage Report (HuffPo)
The general consensus seems to be that raising the minimum wage will have little effect on employment, reports Jillian Berman, and economists are questioning the CBO's methodology.
Gap to Raise Minimum Hourly Pay (NYT)
The clothing retailer cited the need to invest in staff as it announced that it will raise wages to $9 an hour this year and $10 next year, reports Steven Greenhouse.
Wal-Mart Says ‘Looking’ at Support of Federal Minimum Wage Rise (Bloomberg News)
Renee Dudley writes that Wal-Mart is considering whether an increased minimum wage could mean that shoppers have more money to spend. That’s what proponents have been saying all along.
Republicans' Favorite National-Debt Researchers Are Now Even More Discredited (TNR)
Danny Vinik reports on a new study showing that the trajectory of debt – growing or shrinking – is what affects growth. That makes long-term planning more important than any debt-to-GDP threshold.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal wrote about the data problems discovered in the Reinhart-Rogoff study on debt-to-GDP ratios, which first raised doubts about its conclusions.
New on Next New Deal
Solving California's Water Crisis Requires A Look Beyond This Year
Focusing on reactionary measures and short-term solutions will only lead to even bigger problems, writes Melia Ungson, the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network's Senior Fellow for Energy and Environment.