News from February 2016
Op-Ed Why does Bernie Sanders want to increase income inequality?
A supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders holds a sign at Sanders' first campaign rally in Michigan. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images) Free tuition at public colleges and universities — it's a rallying cry in Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, and it sounds like an effective strategy for ensuring that the widest range of students can graduate from college without burdensome debt. But zero tuition actually runs counter to Sanders' core principle of reducing income inequality. In this case,…
A seat for everyone at the table
Concerns about economic inequality have become more and more prominent over the past few years. Occupy Wall Street drew attention to it. Economists have dissected it. Politicians ranging from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-vt.) to Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have proposed remedies for it. What is missing from the discussion, however, is the recognition that political inequality and economic inequality are inextricably and reciprocally linked. The voices heard in American politics are skewed substantially in the…
Dan Kammen Named US Science Envoy
The US State Department annonced the appointment of Professor Dan Kammen as US science envoy. The program showcases science and tehcnology as engines of progress and economic growth, and as tools of diplomacy. "I am keen to assist the impressive suite of engagements that the State Department is already doing in this area, and to add what I can on the scientific, technical, and policy/social engagement sides," says Professor Kammen. "The opportunities to work with the Power Africa…
How New York Made Pre-K a Success
Borscht isn’t found on most prekindergarten menus, but it’s what the cooks were dishing up for the 35 children at Ira’s Daycare in Briarwood, Queens, on a recent school day. Many families in this neighborhood are Russian émigrés for whom borscht is a staple, but children from half a dozen countries, including a contingent from Bangladesh, are also enrolled here. These youngsters are among the 68,547 4-year-olds enrolled in one of the nation…
‘Forked’ Rates Restaurants On How They Treat Their Workers
Protesters gather at a McDonald's to ask for higher wages on April 15, 2015 in Miami Gardens, Fla. Food labor advocate Saru Jayaraman writes in a new book that the company has taken the "low road" and lobbied extensively for lower wages and working conditions standards at the federal and state levels. Saru Jayaraman may be restaurant obsessed, but don't call her a foodie. She's the founding director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a national organization that…