By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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Students Rethink How to Build Community (The Nation)
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network Senior Fellow for Equal Justice Erik Lampmann explains how the Campus Network's new Rethinking Communities initiative, which is evaluating institutions like universities on their local impact, could build a more equitable economy for the future.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute Associate Director of Networked Initiatives Alan Smith writes about the theory behind Rethinking Communities' focus on local economies.
Would the U.S. Postal Service Make a Better Banker for the Poor? (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Joshua Brustein takes up the question of postal banking as a method for the unbanked poor to avoid exploitative payday lenders and their ilk. He sees a future in which banks become worse at retail banking, which makes postal banking a solid possible alternative.
Banks Don’t Do Much Banking Anymore—and That’s a Serious Problem (Pacific Standard)
David Dayen writes about how "shadow banks," which include hedge funds, private equity firms, and the like, have taken a primary role in the lending industry as banks do less and less traditional banking. That's a big concern, because shadow banks are far less regulated and expand risk in the entire financial system.
State Could Be First In The Nation To Make Sure Workers Can Take A Vacation (ThinkProgress)
Bryce Covert reports that Washington lawmakers have proposed a bill that would mandate paid vacation for workers who put in at least 20 hours a week at employers with 25 or more employees. There's nothing like this anywhere else in the U.S.
Placed on Unpaid Leave, a Pregnant Employee Finds Hope in a New Law (NYT)
Rachel L. Swarns reports on one of the first cases invoking New York City's new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The law is meant to protect workers like Floralba Fernandez Espinal, who was placed on unpaid leave from her retail job when she brought a note from her obstetrician requesting accommodations.
New on Next New Deal
Obama and the GOP Present Two Very Different Paths to Opportunity for All
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kirsch contrasts the messages presented by the president in the State of the Union with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s official GOP response. Both focus on opportunity, but only one emphasizes the need for collective action.
Internet for the Public Interest Needs Protection
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network member Areeba Kamal calls on the Federal Communications Commission to redefine Internet Service Providers as common carriers in the wake of a court decision that struck down net neutrality regulations.