By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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Government Should Invest in Fiber Optics (NYT)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford writes that U.S. cities can increase competition and expand affordable high-speed Internet access to all residents by building municipal fiber networks.
Gap Between Minimum Wage and Tipped Wage Hits Record High (MSNBC)
Tipped workers make a much lower median wage, reports Ned Resnikoff, and tipped workers face a poverty rate twice that of other workers.
Fannie-Freddie Propose Liquidity Rules for Mortgage Insurers (Bloomberg)
Zachary Tracer and Clea Benson explain newly proposed capital requirements for mortgage insurers, which would demand that they hold a greater amount of liquid assets against their risk exposure.
The Verdict is in: Obamacare Lowers Uninsured (Politico)
The trend is unmistakable, writes David Nather: millions have newly obtained insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Even those who oppose the law can't find anything bad to say about that.
Right-Wing “Populism” is a Joke: Poor-Bashing, Immigrant-Hating and a Revolting Agenda (Salon)
Heather Digby Parton explains how right-wing populism, which places blame for economic problems on "economic parasites," pushes policies that don't help the right's supposed base.
Losing Sparta: The Bitter Truth Behind the Gospel of Productivity (VQR)
Esther Kaplan looks at the closure of one highly productive, award-winning lighting fixture plant in Sparta, Tennessee to explain why productivity isn't enough to improve the economy.
A $13 Minimum Wage Isn’t Enough (In These Times)
Carlos Ballesteros says that organizers in Chicago want a union no matter the minimum wage increase they obtain, because they will still need consistent hours and scheduling.