WHAT A 21ST-CENTURY SAFETY NET SHOULD LOOK LIKE

TOP OF THE NEWS:

- What a 21st-century safety net should look like (WaPo) "Modern American capitalism is not working for many Americans. That’s why, no matter what your political leanings, fixing an economy that can no longer be counted on to create steady, well-paying jobs for all has to be our top priority. So we should be encouraging more innovation and experimentation around portable benefits — a 21st-century safety net tied to the individual, not the job. This approach could provide greater income stability and protection for workers who hold multiple jobs — whether across a single day or an entire career. Americans want this economy to work better for more people. They want to know how their jobs will pay for the economic security they have earned by following the rules. And they’re worried about their kids and whether any young person entering today’s workforce will ever have an opportunity to catch up. If the new president and the new Congress do not find new ways to work together and demonstrate a real resolve to begin tackling these challenges, then we will have learned nothing from the election — and that will be on us."

BUSINESS:

- Trump just scored perhaps the biggest victory of his new tenure. But it comes with a huge asterisk. (WaPo) "'Our politicians have aggressively pursued a policy of globalization — moving our jobs, our wealth and our factories to Mexico and overseas,' Trump said in his June jobs speech. 'It doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn it all around — and we can turn it around fast.' Economists have pushed back on that point. Since North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, quashing tariffs and tripling the product exchange between the United States, Canada and Mexico, about 4.5 American manufacturing jobs have disappeared — a consequence they ascribe to both globalization and automation. Though Trump argues that NAFTA shoved jobs south of the border, wiping out some of the best-paying gigs Americans can find without a college degree, proponents of the move say it brought prices down for American families, stretching their dollars while boosting the economy." and Indiana official: Carrier deal is about federal contracts (Politico) "The agreement reportedly includes $700,000 in state tax breaks offered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, a quasi-public entity that doesn't require legislative approval for its deals. But John Mutz, a former Indiana lieutenant governor who sits on the agency’s 12-member board, told POLITICO that Carrier turned down a previous offer from IEDC before the election. He said he thinks the choice is driven by concerns from Carrier’s parent company, United Technologies, that it could lose a portion of its roughly $6.7 billion in federal contracts." and Trump's Already Making America Great Again -- and He's Not Even President Yet (Rush Limbaugh) "You're saying, 'My gosh, this is really happening! I mean, this is just flat-out cool. Somebody campaigned on something that nobody else has ever even tried to do and pulls it off even before he is inaugurated.'"

ENTERTAINMENT:

- Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock Donating Proceeds from Sales of Vegan Shoes to Planned Parenthood (Breitbart) "The limited edition 'Ramos Ad-Rock' sneakers feature a 'weather resistant, nylon cordura body, synthetic fleece lining and channel quilting on the ankles,' according to the shoemaker. A pair costs $97 and the company boasts that all of its shoes are 'cruelty-free' and are produced in factories audited by independent third parties that monitor for ethical working conditions."

HEALTH:

- Do These Stimulants Actually Improve Focus? (FastCompany) "For non-prescription stimulants, I found the most benefit in tea. It didn’t stimulate me as quickly as coffee did, but tea made me feel focused for longer, and without feeling like my energy dropped off a cliff as that effect wore off."

- Fooling With Fentanyl: Don't (Ozy)

NEWS:

- C.I.A. Chief Warns Donald Trump Against Tearing Up Iran Nuclear Deal (NYT) "He also said the incoming administration should be careful how it characterizes the fight against Islamic extremists, because of the risk of playing into the hands of terrorists. 'The new team needs to be disciplined in the language that they use, the messages that they send, because if they are not disciplined, their language will be exploited by the terrorists and extremist organizations as a way to portray the United States and the government as being anti-Islamic, and we are not.'"

POLITICS:

- Trump's conservative dream team (Politico) "Trump has yet to reveal his nominees for the Defense Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Agriculture Department and several other major Cabinet posts. But at this rate, with cooperation from a Republican Congress, Trump will have the support to dismantle a significant portion of President Barack Obama’s legacy and set his sights on Great Society programs that have been the linchpin of the social safety net for nearly 50 years." and Trump’s latest Cabinet picks signal he has no intention of governing as a populist outsider (Vox)

SPORTS:

- Mind Over Body: Playing in the N.F.L. at 38 (NYT) "As Newman acknowledged, his freedom to do what he wants when he wants has prolonged his career. It has enabled him to obey what he called an intuitive understanding of his body, nurturing it with as much sleep, exercise and sustenance as he feels it needs. Newman is the first corner to start at least eight games at 38 since Otis Smith in 2003, according to Elias. Newman takes an iconoclastic approach to his wellness. For one thing, he does not use a nutritionist. In maintaining his muscular 195 pounds, the 5-foot-10 Newman does not deprive himself — at the steakhouse, he ordered lamb chops and a Caesar salad with anchovies — but he rarely indulges."

TECHNOLOGY:

- While We Weren’t Looking, Snapchat Revolutionized Social Networks (NYT) "Snap, which is based far outside the Silicon Valley bubble is pushing radically new ideas about how humans should interact with computers. It is pioneering a model of social networking that feels more intimate and authentic than the Facebook-led ideas that now dominate the online world. Snap’s software and hardware designs, as well as its marketing strategies, are more daring than much of what we’ve seen from tech giants, including Apple."

- Banned from Twitter? This site promises you can say whatever you want. (WaPo)

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:

- City Flags Are a Hot Mess. Here Are Some Beautiful Redesigns (Wired)

- Watch this ‘gun’ take down a flying drone (WaPo)

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