The Obamas’ Legacies, Taking on Trump, the Fake News Problem, and More

1. It’s the Economy, Stupid

Roosevelt VP of Research and Policy Nell Abernathy moderated a discussion with Roosevelt Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz and Roosevelt President and CEO Felicia Wong about the Trump administration’s economic policies and what progressives must do now to support workers. Click here to watch it on Facebook.

2. Michelle Obama’s Legacy

In The Nation, Roosevelt National Network Director Joelle Gamble examines how the First Lady has embodied the tension between respectability and authenticity experienced by black women in the public sphere, and how women like her have opened the door to a different kind of movement politics.

3. The Fake News Solution

Writing for Jacobin, Roosevelt Fellow and Senior Economist Marshall Steinbaum argues that the answer to the problem of “fake news” is not to let Facebook and other companies self-police, but for Congress to take action to limit private corporations’ power to control the flow of information, as it did in the 1930s.

4. Trump’s Economic Radicalism

Bryce Covert and Roosevelt Fellow Mike Konczal write in The Nation that although President Obama had modest economic victories, including his response to the Great Recession, the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank, and his executive orders, they are worth defending—and they will all be under fire from the Trump administration.

5. Could Putin Trigger a Revote?

With the Electoral College poised to vote on Monday, Roosevelt Fellow Todd Tucker and law professor Steven J. Mulroy write that Russia’s interference in the 2016 election could provide grounds for courts to order a do-over of the November election, particularly if evidence emerges that ballots were tampered with.

What We’re Reading:

In The Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on the Obama presidency, what it meant to black Americans, how Barack Obama’s unique upbringing shaped his character and the challenges that he faced, and what it means for Trump to succeed him.

Featured Roosevelt Event:

Roosevelt’s Chicago Leaders Class is now accepting applications for spring 2017. The program brings together undergraduate students from the Chicago area each semester for a crash-course in local public policy issues, grassroots organizing, and political advocacy. Interested students can learn more and apply here by Sunday, Feb 5th 2017.