Today, Trump Media—the parent company of Truth Social—launched Truth API, a paid data service institutional traders can subscribe to for the reportedly low price of up to $100,000/month. It’s the latest instance of the Trump presidency's shameless self-dealing and naked collusion with Wall Street 🧵

For decades, productivity has risen while wage growth for most workers has lagged behind. Join us tomorrow at 3 PM ET for a conversation with @arindube.bsky.social on The Wage Standard, his new book on how we got here and how we can reset the labor market in workers' favor. ⬇️ Register below!

Roosevelt Institute Book Club presents: The Wage Standard by Arindrajit Dube

Join us on August 6th in conversation with Arindrajit Dube to learn how corporations have set this “wage standard” and what it will take to reset the labor market toward a new, worker-focused one.

rooseveltinstitute.org

"If not for Frances Perkins, Social Security, as Americans understand the program today, would not have been created." A timely reminder from @prospect.org that Social Security was built through intentional political choices and can be strengthened through them, too.

Frances Perkins: The Architect of Social Security - The American Prospect

In her words, Frances Perkins, the first woman cabinet secretary, ‘came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain, common workingmen.’

prospect.org

Stripping Head Start requirements for class sizes, health screenings, home visits, early learning, disability access, and program hours is not just “deregulation.” It weakens one of the few comprehensive sources of care available to low-income families.

Trump Administration Plans to Upend Head Start by Deregulating It

The White House tried but failed to block funding for preschool for poor children. Instead, it will seek to strip away standards on health, literacy — and brushing teeth.

nytimes.com

☝️ A good reason to make time for all 17 essays!

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · yesterday

Some very interesting work here. I really like the optimistic tone about the possibilities of campaigning on renewable energy. It's so much more interesting than the studied pessimissim of the "climate hushers."

How will we know today what Social Security needs for the next 75 years? That is the challenge of reform, and one I tackle head on in this report. It's predicting the future from examining the past. My latest in partnership with @rooseveltinstitute.org rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...

What the 1983 Social Security Reform Missed—and 2032 Must Get Right

Kathryn Anne Edwards explains how wage inequality and economic mismanagement weakened Social Security—and what the next reform must get right before 2032.

rooseveltinstitute.org

1/ My colleague @todusola.bsky.social and I did this piece on the real effects that prediction markets can have on people in our society who DO NOT use those markets, b/c the sheer range of bets available on those platforms gives people incentives to modify their behavior about all sorts of things.

How Prediction Markets Are Shaping Real-World Events and Eroding Public Trust

Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are rapidly expanding beyond sports betting into politics, news, and global events, raising concerns about insider trading, market manipulation, and their...

rooseveltinstitute.org

In 1983, Congress rescued Social Security with reforms projected to keep the program solvent for 75 years. Instead, the trust fund is now projected to be depleted in 2032. What happened? The latest research from @kedseconomist.com breaks it down: 🧵

We’ll be tuning in tomorrow to hear from our allies @leehepner.bsky.social and @lindsayowens.bsky.social about how our data is used against us in the marketplace.

Your Data, Their Profit: The Consumer Cost of AI Surveillance Pricing | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Meeting for Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism on August 4, 2026 at 10:30 AM

judiciary.senate.gov

Last fall I was horrified to hear from a Roosevelt Network alum and Detroit public servant about the fight Detroit is putting up against RealToken to protect its tenants from crypto-fueled greed. Now @wsj.com has investigated the full scope of the harm.

Roosevelt Institute@rooseveltinstitute.org · last wk.

Today, @wsj.com released its months-long investigation into RealToken, a private-equity crypto business that has put tenants in Detroit through hell—selling fractional ownership to foreign investors and collecting rent but failing to maintain properties.

Americans are being told they need millions to retire, and most are nowhere close. Our work on Social Security is featured in @fortune.com look at the country’s growing retirement crisis and the choices ahead about how the program is funded.

'No one is close': BlackRock’s Larry Fink warns Americans have saved egregiously less than they need for retirement | Fortune

Many Americans have less than $150,000 saved for retirement.

fortune.com

#ICYMI: ✅ The democratic case for equity stakes in AI ✅ One year after the OBBB, where does the clean energy transition stand? ✅ Reforming SSI could be the key to drastically reducing poverty More in the #RooseveltRundown ⬇️

How to Keep Big Tech from Deciding Our AI Futures

How public equity stakes could give Americans more say over AI and Big Tech, plus what the One Big Beautiful Bill means for the clean energy transition.

rooseveltinstitute.org

Mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level in a year. That's a direct consequence of an economic agenda that has reignited inflation fears and made borrowing more expensive across the economy.

Mortgage Rates in US Rise to 6.66%, Highest Level in a Year

Borrowing costs increase as continued fighting in Iran fuels concern about higher inflation.

bloomberg.com

The conflict with Iran is a painful reminder that working-class families are still vulnerable to global energy shocks. Record levels of domestic oil and gas production have done little to insulate them from global volatility.

Trump claims US fuel prices ‘not very high’ as costs surge amid Iran war

National average gas price stands at about $4.16 per gallon as Americans grapple with price hikes sparked by the war

theguardian.com

Amazon and Walmart’s AI shopping tools can identify false “Made in USA” claims. But according to new research from @center-law-economy.bsky.social, they often fail to warn shoppers when those claims are misleading. This is a consumer protection failure.

Amazon, Walmart AI detect 'made in USA' fraud but do not flag it, study says

Amazon and Walmart AI shopping assistants can often detect ‌when "Made in USA" product labels are false, but the big retailers are not using that technology to crack down on the listings, according to...

reuters.com

The economy has weathered a remarkable number of shocks this year. But if conditions change, policymakers may have less room to respond than they’ve had in the past. More in the latest jobs analysis from @mikemadowitz.bsky.social

Our Surprisingly Resilient Economy Could Use Some Backup from Policymakers

The US economy and job market remain surprisingly resilient in 2026, but unclear jobs data and limited policy options leave the country exposed to a downturn.

rooseveltinstitute.org

Climate policy isn't going away because Washington stopped talking about it. Americans are already paying the price through fires, floods, heat, and rising costs. Our new collection asks a different question: what should the next agenda for climate look like post-DOGE and the rollback of the IRA? 🧵

Building Up in 2029: How to Make Green Statecraft Durable

Explore 17 essays on durable US climate and industrial policy after Inflation Reduction Act rollbacks, covering governance, planning, finance, and production.

rooseveltinstitute.org

The fundamental assumptions of neoliberal economics are crumbling around us. The question isn't whether change is coming, it's what that change looks. @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social joined Nick and Goldy to talk about the @rooseveltinstitute.org's Good Life Agenda, their answer to that question.

NYC’s plan for five municipal grocery stores is a useful test of a public option: government providing an affordable baseline alongside private grocers. The reaction has been predictable. But the idea itself is hardly unprecedented.🧵

Mamdani’s city-run grocery stores to offer 30% price cuts on meat, produce

The first store won't open until 2027, but the mayor is seeking help now from grocers.

gothamist.com

Today, @wsj.com released its months-long investigation into RealToken, a private-equity crypto business that has put tenants in Detroit through hell—selling fractional ownership to foreign investors and collecting rent but failing to maintain properties.

How a $140 Million Crypto Real Estate Empire Fell Apart

Watch how RealToken went from attracting thousands of global investors to liquidating its $140 million portfolio.

wsj.com

A tax code that allows fortunes to compound indefinitely not only widens inequality, but concentrates political power. In a new essay for @projectsyndicate.bsky.social, @mikemadowitz.bsky.social argues that when private fortunes are vast enough to shape policy, taxes become a democratic issue.

Saving Democracy Requires Taxing Extreme Wealth

Michael Madowitz believes the design of policies to address concentrated wealth has vastly improved, and not a moment too soon.

project-syndicate.org

The affordability crisis is a symptom of a deeper imbalance in who holds power in our economy. 🎧⬇️ Listen to @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social on @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social explain why a winning economic agenda must give working people more control over their jobs, their time, and their futures.

Pitchfork Economics@pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social · last wk.

Democracy can’t just survive. It has to deliver. @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social joins Nick & Goldy this week to talk about @rooseveltinstitute.org's Good Life Agenda, public power, and why people lose trust when government feels disconnected from everyday life. Listen: bit.ly/Ewilkins

The OBBBA was sold as tax relief for working families. But a year later, many Americans see a different reality: the biggest benefits are flowing upward, not delivering meaningful relief for working households that are facing the greatest economic pressures. www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

We treat roads and utilities as essential infrastructure. Why not the systems that move our money? @tonantzin-tlc.bsky.social lays out how public payment rails could cut through the fees and delays that make everyday financial transactions harder than they need to be.

From Public Money to Public Rails: Reclaiming the Infrastructure of Money and Payments

The Problem Money is a public good, but the infrastructure that moves it is fragmented and largely controlled by private intermediaries. Payment delays, transaction fees, and uneven access increase co...

peri.umass.edu

For decades, the US has treated industrial capacity as something markets would maintain on their own. This plan recognizes that building the next generation of manufacturing requires a more intentional approach, combining public investment, workforce development, and stronger domestic capacity.

Congressman Chris Deluzio@deluzio.house.gov · last wk.

I want my kids to know an America that works hard, builds strong, and dreams big. That’s why I’m introducing my Build America Plan to help us reindustralize the USA.

One year after the OBBB was signed into law, clean energy projects are still moving forward, but cuts to key tax credits have made US emissions goals harder to reach. New analysis from @toddntucker.com and @joepeck.co.uk breaks down the law's impact on clean energy investment and US emissions:

Where America’s Clean Energy, Manufacturing, and Emissions Trajectories Stand One Year After the OBBB

One year after the OBBB cut clean energy tax credits, new analysis examines its impact on US investment, manufacturing, project cancellations, and emissions.

rooseveltinstitute.org

This administration’s new tariffs rely on "Section 301" authority to counter losses incurred by importers to the US using forced labor. But there are better ways to leverage trade to protect American labor and improve conditions for workers abroad. From @toddntucker.com & Ambassador Miriam Sapiro:

How Trade Can Serve the American Worker

Even without new deals, Biden made progress that his successor can build on.

foreignaffairs.com

The crypto industry poured hundreds of millions into political spending, expecting friendlier rules. Instead, it's finding itself boxed in by the president, who has made billions in personal profits from crypto and refuses to support meaningful conflict-of-interest protections.

Crypto Boosters See a Lack of CLARITY - The American Prospect

After spending hundreds of millions on Congress to advance their market structure bill, the CLARITY Act, the crypto industry faces one giant obstacle: Donald Trump’s corruption.

prospect.org

A new @nytimes.com investigation details how Louisiana officials rewrote tax policy, signed NDAs, and fast-tracked approvals to land Meta's $50 billion data center before communities could weigh in. The people who will live with the impacts of AI deserve a voice in shaping it.

How Meta Got Everything It Wanted in a Secret Louisiana Data Center Deal

A Times examination details how the Silicon Valley giant used private talks with local officials to start a project big enough to cover nearly six square miles.

nytimes.com

“Economics is ultimately about people, and the purpose of economic policy should be to help people live good lives.” In his foreword to our #GoodLife Agenda, @pkrugman.bsky.social argues that growth should not be the end goal. It’s a means to building a society where more people thrive.