Political Reading Recap 6/3: A New Tomorrow

Recapping the Month's Top News & Perspectives on Basic Income, Education, Housing, Paid Leave, Democracy, Foreign Policy, Energy/Sustainability, and Guns/Crime Reduction

Welcome back to the Political Reading Recap, where I sift through news & perspectives each week to provide you with the most important readings. After taking the past month off for my wedding and honeymoon, I decided this week’s Political Reading Recap should cover the month instead of the usual weekly summary.

Today’s rich assortment of 95 articles will cover:

Basic Income, Education, Housing, Paid Leave, Democracy, Foreign Policy, Energy/Sustainability and Guns/Crime Reduction

Basic Income

In this section, we examine the diverse discussions surrounding UBI. From the AI Dividend to economic multiplier effects, the articles present a spectrum of views on UBI’s role in promoting fairness and addressing job loss due to automation. We observe the influence of basic income through various perspectives, including health outcomes, support for artists, and the compelling tale of a man crossing Australia’s vastness. As we review global experiments and debates, we’re reminded of UBI’s potential to redefine financial security and human rights.

• AI Dividend, Universal Basic Income, and Economic Multiplier Effect

• What If Everyone Had a Free Basic Income?

• OPINION: A guaranteed basic income is the next step toward equity in NM

• Could giving low-income patients cash improve their health?

• Economic Visionary Andrew Spira Champions UBI as Solution to Automation and Job Loss

• Why free money makes you more likely to get a job: Basic income lessons from Tacoma and beyond

• Universal Basic Income: The Future of Financial Security in America?

• Basic Income scheme for arts having 'positive' effect

• Billionaire backlash shows the power of basic income

• Man walking length of Australia for basic income rescued from cliffside

• What can be learned from Australia’s natural experiment with basic income during COVID-19?

• Universal Basic Income: 14 Reasons Everyone Deserves Free Money

• An article to better inform the debate about the amount of UBI

• Why Not Invest Directly In Families? It Works.

• States Are Banning Guaranteed Income Programs

• SCHIFF LEADS LETTER CALLING FOR GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES

• Conservatives are fighting guaranteed basic income programs using a surprising argument: They aren't universal

• We’ll need universal basic income – AI ‘godfather’

• Guaranteed Income: The First Step Towards Guaranteeing Human Rights in America

• Google Announces A Major Step In Its Push For Universal Basic Income

• A basic income grant could be a priority for the new government, report card shows

• After first year of Uplift's guaranteed income program, what has it done for participants?

• Republicans’ appetite for government: Most want expansion, not cuts, of entitlement programs

• The overlooked potential of basic income in addressing socio economic crises

• Universal Basic Income: How Does It Work? Why Should Consider It?

• House Speaker Pelosi says may look at guaranteed income, other aid

• In Her Hands guaranteed-income initiative will enroll 270 additional Atlanta women

• This college town is experimenting with giving low-income entrepreneurs and gig workers $12,672, no strings attached

Education

The focus on education this month centers on the critical role of school choice. Reports challenge misconceptions and underscore the growing national endorsement for educational freedom. Highlighting Universal pre-K programs and the array of voices advocating for school choice, we’re invited to consider the transformative effect of educational independence.

• For some students, need for school choice is no laughing matter

• With more states supporting school choice, it’s time for the movement to go national

• New Report Debunks Anti-School Choice 'Welfare for the Wealthy' Narrative

• North Rockland School District awarded $2.4 M for Universal pre-K programs

• Conservatives aren’t the only ones calling for school choice

Housing

Our attention turns to the legislative arena with Congress’s potential embrace of YIMBY principles and Austin’s progressive enactments. The advancement of the YIMBY Act and the promise of prosperity through a land value tax offer fresh solutions to the housing crisis, urging us to rethink urban development.

• Is Congress having its YIMBY moment?

• Austin forges ahead with YIMBY ratifications

• Press Release: Niskanen welcomes committee passage of the YIMBY Act

• Column: How Georgism and a land value tax could spur prosperity in Bloomington

Paid Leave

The discussion on paid leave uncovers a range of viewpoints, from the challenges of integrating family leave into federal legislation to the international comparison of maternity policies. As we look at the expansion of paid sick leave laws and the push for universal child care, the narrative highlights the pressing need for supportive structures in today’s workplace.

• Manchin casts doubt on including paid family leave, Medicare vouchers in spending bill

• 3 Reasons For The Rise Of Paternal Leave In The 2024 Workplace

• Maternity leave in the United States vs. the rest of the world

• The State of Paid Family Leave in the US

• Connecticut Greatly Expands Paid Sick Leave Law

• Military service members now have 12 weeks of paid parental leave

• Fearful Women Shun Maternity Leave, Study Reveals

• Teamsters protest at Union Station in support of paid sick leave for CPKC railroad workers

• Federal Report Calls for Universal Child Care, Six-Month Family Leave

• Reducing the Stigma of Paid Parental Leave for Fathers

• Paid time off for pregnant women could go national as work movement, led by New York

Democracy

This section scrutinizes the mechanisms of democracy, examining the systems that determine our electoral process. From the controversies surrounding ranked-choice voting to the advocacy for proportional representation, the articles prompt us to ponder the reforms needed for a truly participatory democracy.

• It’s not my fault the progressive vote is split. Blame the system

• Colorado voters could be blocked from implementing ranked choice voting

• Ranked-choice voting that has rocked Alaska politics faces November tests across the nation

• Judge weighs arguments in case seeking to disqualify ranked choice repeal measure from Alaska ballot

• The Supreme Court Just Made Gerrymandering Even Easier

• Ranked-choice voting has challenged the status quo. Its popularity will be tested in November

• Will Challenging Status Quo Truly Bring Electoral Reform?

• Eugene voters reject STAR Voting proposal

• Want Better Political Candidates? Use Proportional Representation

• Why did Alabama ban ranked choice voting?

• Ranked-choice voting close to being illegal in Louisiana

• We're taking ranked-choice voting national for presidential elections

• It’s time to make the U.S. House of Representatives more representative

Foreign Policy

The articles in this section traverse the complex domain of U.S. foreign policy, analyzing military strategies, geopolitical tensions, and the moral dilemmas of alliances formed post-conflict. As we dissect the interplay between AI and diplomacy, we face the pressing necessity for readiness in both conflict and diplomacy.

• Inside a huge U.S. military exercise in Africa to counter terrorism and Russia and China's growing influence

• How to Respond to China’s Tactics in the South China Sea

• America’s Military Is Not Prepared for War — or Peace

• Artificial Intelligence And U.S. Foreign Policy In Asia

• US Condemns Loss of Life, But Says No Policy Changes After Civilian Deaths in Israeli Strike

• US lawmakers pledge support for Taiwan and its new president after China's military drills

• US shifts to domestic uranium production amid geopolitical tensions

• Why Does (Almost) Every Country the US Defeats Become Its Ally?"

• Nuclear Weapons at Any Price? Congress Should Say No

• Philippines, US simulate mock invasions in largest ever war games

Energy/Sustainability

The debate on energy and sustainability is alive with discussions on the role of nuclear power in America’s clean energy future. We investigate groundbreaking fusion energy research, the role of AI in nuclear regulation, and the achievements in renewable energy adoption, envisioning a world moving towards sustainability.

• US Energy Secretary calls for more nuclear power while celebrating $35 billion Georgia reactors

• Biden Administration Strengthens Commitment to Reducing Food Loss and Waste

• Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Steps to Bolster Domestic Nuclear Industry and Advance America’s Clean Energy Future

• Enhanced Safety of Advanced Reactors

• The US Government Needs a More Coherent Strategy on Critical Minerals

• Nuclear Energy’s Bottom Line

• Data centers’ nuclear option

• Your future's in the trash can: How the plastic industry promoted waste to make money

• Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ilhan Omar Reintroduce the End Polluter Welfare Act with Broad Support

• It's Settled, More Nuclear Energy Means Less Mining

• Researchers achieve major breakthrough toward realizing fusion energy: 'It is a pivotal moment'

• The Scandalous Science Behind Nuclear Regulation

• Revolutionizing Nuclear Power: The Impact Of AI On Efficiency And Regulation

• Scientists generate heat over 1,000 degrees Celsius with solar power instead of fossil fuel

• Bright Future for Renewables: Solar Drives Energy Growth in 2024

• Biden administration issues billion-dollar loan for reactivation of nuclear power plant: 'There's a growing sense among officials in the industry and government that it may not be the last'

• Renewable energy passes 30% of world’s electricity supply

Guns/Crime Reduction

Lastly, we examine initiatives aimed at curtailing violence and enhancing public safety. From proposed national gun licenses to the success of focused deterrence strategies, the articles offer insights into the comprehensive approach required to cultivate safer communities.

• Cory Booker proposes national license for all gun owners

• Strategizing Ways To Reduce Violence

• FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Highlights Accomplishments on the Second Anniversary of Historic Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety

• Can 'focused deterrence' lower Kansas City's homicide rate?

• Hochul says anti-gun violence programs have led to dramatic drop in shooting incidents statewide

• Efficient justice: Thinking at the margins about crime and punishment

• Improving Public Safety Through Better Accountability and Prevention