Category Archives: Readings from around the webs…

Economic Populism at Heart of Emerging Debate Among Democrats | Bill Moyers

By Robert Borosage

Over at The Washington Post, the usually sensible Greg Sargent endorses the notion that divisions among Democrats are “mostly trumped up.” The tension between the Wall Street wing of the party and the Warren (as in Elizabeth) wing is an overblown fiction of a press corps desperate for some action.

It’s true that the prior divisions on social issues have dissipated, as liberals have swept the field. Obama’s halting attempts to wean the US from its foreign wars have garnered widespread support. And on economics, Sargent argues that Democrats “largely agree on the menu of policy responses to the economic problems faced by poor, working and middle class Americans — a higher minimum wage, universal pre-K, higher taxes on the wealthy to fund a stronger safety net, job creation and job training — whatever the broader rhetorical umbrella is being used.” Even Hillary says she agrees with Thomas Piketty that extreme inequality is a “threat” to our democracy. Continue reading Economic Populism at Heart of Emerging Debate Among Democrats | Bill Moyers

The economy is showing signs of improvement – The Washington Post

So why aren’t Democrats talking about it?

By Jaime Fuller

Today, President Obama will be in Denver, talking about improvements in the economic picture and his work toward making them happen. The unemployment rate is at 6.1 percent, and the United States has added 1.4 million new jobs since the beginning of 2014. Continue reading The economy is showing signs of improvement – The Washington Post

Rachel Maddow: Interview: Wendy Davis takes local view on border, chemical safety | MSNBC

Wendy Davis takes local view on border, chemical safetyWendy Davis, Texas state senator and Democratic candidate for governor, talks with Rachel Maddow about Greg Abbott’s change in Texas policy on chemical plant safety, and how to deal with the influx of unaccompanied undocumented minors across the border.

Curated from www.msnbc.com
To view Rachel Maddow’s reporting on Greg Abbott and his policy changes on safety, click here.

Robert Scheer: Hillary Clinton Flaunts Her Surveillance State Baggage | Truthdig

By Robert Scheer

Who is the true patriot, Hillary Clinton or Edward Snowden? The question comes up because Clinton has gone all out in attacking Snowden as a means of burnishing her hawkish credentials, eliciting Glenn Greenwald’s comment that she is “like a neocon, practically.” Continue reading Robert Scheer: Hillary Clinton Flaunts Her Surveillance State Baggage | Truthdig

Hillary Clinton Begins to Move Away From Obama Ahead of 2016 | WSJ

By Peter Nicholas

Hillary Clinton, a presumed presidential candidate for 2016, has made clear she wouldn’t be running for a de facto third Obama term. WSJ’s Peter Nicholas joins the News Hub with Simon Constable with more on this. Photo: Getty Continue reading Hillary Clinton Begins to Move Away From Obama Ahead of 2016 | WSJ

The Rachel Maddow Show: Koch-backed AG helps hide chemical plant dangers | MSNBC

Wayne Slater, senior political writer for the Dallas Morning News, talks with Rachel Maddow about Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott allowing chemical plants to keep their contents secret, a move that benefits Koch Industries, and a campaign donor.

Continue reading The Rachel Maddow Show: Koch-backed AG helps hide chemical plant dangers | MSNBC

America’s Looming Rental Crisis – CityLab

For the past half-century or more, homeownership has formed the cornerstone of the American Dream. But ever since the economic crisis, America has been in the throes of a long-running Great Reset as it shifts gradually from homeownership toward renting. The number of “renter households” increased by more than half a million in 2013 according to a recent analysis on the state of the housing market from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

A recent post over at the economics blog Sober Look suggests that the shift is occurring faster than even I expected. This huge growth in the renting population means that, in the coming years, America’s housing crisis will have less to do with foreclosures and underwater homes and more to do with rental housing, as the supply of these units is falling far behind growing demand. Continue reading America’s Looming Rental Crisis – CityLab

Arthur Delaney: The White House Had A Plan To Help The Long-Term Jobless. How’s It Going?

By Arthur Delaney

“I’ve been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families,” President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address. “This week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment real.”

More than 300 companies signed a pledge that they wouldn’t avoid hiring anyone just because of a long jobless spell. Studies have shown that long-term unemployment has become its own obstacle to getting hired. Continue reading Arthur Delaney: The White House Had A Plan To Help The Long-Term Jobless. How’s It Going?