About 7 years ago

07/18/2017 - Midnight Reads – Is the Most Powerful Lobbyist in Washington Losing Its Grip?

Is the Most Powerful Lobbyist in Washington Losing Its Grip?

– The Washington Post 

This should be the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s moment. Yet in recent months, the U.S. Chamber — historically one of the cornerstones of Washington politicking and policymaking — has been deeply shaken. Members are divided over the border-adjustment tax, health care and climate change. Some want the Chamber to more vigorously stand up to President Trump to protect free trade.

 

How Income Inequality Makes Economic Downturns Worse

– CityLab

A new study shows that urban counties in the United States were more likely to enter the Great Recession earlier when they had a larger gap between the rich and the poor. Ultimately, the study shows that more unequal places with greater concentrations of wealth among the wealthy leave the rest of the population more vulnerable to economic shocks; more unequal places tend to have higher levels of geographic segregation which limit the ability of less advantaged neighborhoods to cope with and bounce back from economic downturns; and more unequal places also have a smaller middle class which also leaves them more exposed to economic crisis.

 

The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis

– The New York Times 

The extreme rise in housing costs has emerged as a threat to California’s future economy and its quality of life. It has pushed the debate over housing to the center of state and local politics, fueling a resurgent rent control movement and the growth of neighborhood “Yes in My Back Yard” organizations, battling long-established neighborhood groups and local elected officials as they demand an end to strict zoning and planning regulations.

 

Not So Fast: U.S. Restaurant Workers Seek Ban on Surprise Scheduling

– Reuters

Reuters looks at how the issue of scheduling is becoming a new battleground in the fight to boost living standards for low-paid workers, waged largely by the “Fight for $15” movement.