By Rachel Goldfarb, originally posted on Next New Deal.
Click here to receive the Daily Digest via email.
Legalizing Marijuana is Hard. Regulating a Pot Industry is Even Harder. (WaPo)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at the questions surrounding the new legal marijuana market in Washington state, which is regulated by the Liquor Control Board. The challenges are numerous, and the state's priorities for regulation are still unclear.
Limits to Growth – of What? (TripleCrisis)
James K. Boyce sees growth of national income as a poor measure of national prosperity, because everything from the BP oil spill to the prison system contributes to growth. He thinks policy goals need to shift from pro-growth to growing the good and shrinking the bad.
Signed, Sealed, Deposited (Pacific Standard)
David Dayen suggests that we save the Postal Service by returning to postal banking, which would not only bring in new income but also offer simple inexpensive banking services to the millions of unbanked and underbanked Americans.
Paid via Card, Workers Feel Sting of Fees (NYT)
Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Stephanie Clifford reveal the hidden costs of being paid via payroll cards. The fees for withdrawls, statements, inactivity, and more can result in employees who functionally make less than minimum wage.
North Carolina Axes Benefits for Long-Term Unemployed (MSNBC)
Ned Resnikoff reports that because they cut their maximum benefit, North Carolina is ineligible for federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation. They've also cut the timeline, so where other Americans can collect unemployment for up to 99 weeks, North Carolinians will be limited to 19.
44% of Young College Grads Are Underemployed (and That's Good News) (The Atlantic)
Jordan Weissmann looks at 23 years of recent college graduate unemployment and underemployment, and it's clear that things haven't changed much: unemployment remains in step with all working adults, and underemployment hasn't changed much either.
It’s Not Just the Interest Rate: How Congress Can Help Students (The Nation)
Zoë Carpenter examines other changes Congress could make to the student loan system, even as they've failed to stop the interest rate increase. Her suggestions, such as better income based repayment options, would have far more effect on current debtors.
New from the Roosevelt Institute
Are Less Visible Taxes Really the Answer?
Roosevelt Institute | Pipeline Fellow Elizabeth Pearson makes the case that public opinion about taxation is malleable and that progressives should focus on raising awareness of the purpose of taxation and the benefits taxes will produce.