Weekend Reading List
This weekend’s reading list has an essay presenting a progressive case for restoring rail travel in the U.S., an investigative report on more shady business practices that occurred at Merrill Lynch, a report on the recent closing of Chicago’s Cabrini Green public housing project, Senator Jeff Merkley’s thoughts on filibuster reform, and a comparison of the stimulative effect of the Democratic and Republican portions of the recent unemployment insurance/tax cuts compromise.
If you’d like to share your thoughts about any of the following, or recommend something for next weekend’s reading list, send us an email.
Bring Back the Rails! – In the second of a two-part essay in the New York Review of Books, Tony Judt makes the progressive case for bringing back rail travel to the U.S.
The Subsidy: How a Handful of Merrill Lynch Bankers Helped Blow Up Their Own Firm – a ProPublica investigative report of how Merrill Lynch kept building its disastrous mortgage-backed securities business by paying traders to buy unprofitable securities.
Remembering Cabrini Green As it Was – A Chicago Reporter story and photo essay about Chicago’s historic and infamous Cabrini Green public housing project, the last of which was demolished earlier this month after the last resident, Annie Ricks, was required to move out.
Thoughts on the Reform of Senate Procedures – Senator Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) proposals for addressing the filibuster and other broken Senate procedures.
Zandi Analysis Shows “Democratic” Measures in Tax Cuts-UI Deal Boost Economy, “Republican” Measures Add to Deficit Risk - A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report on how the unemployment benefits and Democratic tax cut proposals in the recent tax cuts/unemployment insurance compromise will stimulate economic growth, while the Republican provisions will mainly just increase the deficit
Tags: Annie Ricks, Cabrini Green, compromise, filibuster reform, public housing, Reading list, stimulus, tax cuts, trains, unemployment benefits, Wall Street
