Will Wall Street Ever Face Justice? (NYT)
Phil Angelides argues the mortgage fraud task force could succeed given the right resources, but calling prosecution efforts thus far a success is like visiting a landfill and congratulating yourself for sweeping up some dust.

How Empires Fall (Including the American One) (TomDispatch)
Andy Kroll interviews Jonathan Schell, the author whose thesis that nonviolent resistance is the most powerful force in today’s society seemed totally ridiculous until protesters from Cairo to lower Manhattan went out and proved it for him.

Four Fiscal Phonies (NYT)
Paul Krugman writes that while the GOP candidates have issued dire warnings that America’s growing debt will trigger our own Greek crisis, their fiscal plans would leave our economy and finances in ruins without the intervention of Zeus Himself.

Romney can’t pay for his tax cuts by repealing Obamacare (WaPo)
Ezra Klein points out that Republicans’ plan to repeal health care reform to reduce the deficit doesn’t quite work since half of it was devoted to deficit reduction. Before reshaping fiscal policy, let’s see if we can master addition and subtraction.

Blunt, Rubio, And The Madness of Employer-Based Health Care (TNR)
The Senate celebrated Women’s History Month by tabling an amendment that would have let employers deny coverage for contraception (or anything else), but Tim Noah argues they shouldn’t be the gatekeepers of health care to begin with.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Where the Jobs Are, the Training May Not Be (NYT)
Catherine Rampell notes that while nurses, engineers, and technicians have remained in high demand, cuts to public universities mean many Americans are hard-pressed to actually learn any of those trades. And you really, really don’t want them winging it.

A Brief History of the Education Culture Wars: On Santorum’s Legacy, the GOP and School Reform (The Nation)
Dana Goldstein charts the course of the Republican Party’s rapid swing from pushing hard for comprehensive federal education standards to arguing that the very existence of the public school system is a blight on the very soul of our fair nation.

A Civil Right to Unionize (NYT)
Richard Kahlenberg and Moshe Marvit argue the Civil Rights Act should include the right to form unions without being fired — a law that’s technically already on the books but carries as much weight as the warning to not remove your mattress tag.

Why the Rent Is Too Damn High (Slate)
Matthew Yglesias explains that now might be a good time to buy a home, but the fear that a house could turn into a lead anchor if the economy sinks again is driving more and more people toward a dwindling supply of rental properties.

Pirates of the Corporation (TAP)
Garrett Epps looks at a Supreme Court case in which a subsidiary of Shell Oil is arguing that while corporations enjoy many of the privileges of being a person, they’re exempt from petty human laws against things like torture and murder.

President Offers Theme of Nation Seeing a Comeback (NYT)
Bolstered by positive economic trends, President Obama is campaigning on an optimistic message of recovery and rebirth. To be fair, he can’t really go with “Wow, the last four years sucked. Can I get a do-over?”

The Two Cadillacs Fallacy (WaPo)
E.J. Dionne argues Romney and Santorum are both right-wing extremists who constantly say things that betray their regressive views. The difference is Santorum gets called on it while Romney gets a pat on the head for being a silly rich man.

After Many Tough Choices, the Choice to Quit (NYT)
Olympia Snowe is leaving the Senate after deciding there’s no room for a moderate in a broken Congress that wants to relitigate contraception debates that were settled 50 years ago, back when some of her colleagues were having midlife crises.

Explainer: Why Do We Need a Volcker Rule? (The Nation)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at how the Volcker Rule serves as a modern-day Glass-Steagall, separating banks that are meant to be safe places to keep your money from freewheeling casinos that occasionally blow up the economy.

Occupy Vigilantes Write New Volcker Rule Script (Bloomberg)
Susan Antilla writes that the Occupiers’ Volcker Rule strategy is proving not only that reports of the movement’s death have been greatly exaggerated, but that they have a lot more savvy and policy expertise than many gave them credit for.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Can Occupy pull off a general strike? (Salon)
After a quiet winter, the Occupy movement is hoping to make a splashy return by organizing a nationwide general strike on May Day. Sometimes the only way to prove you’re not a mob of unemployed hippies is to walk off your job and go protest.

Stop Starving Public Universities and Shrinking the Middle Class (Robert Reich)
Rick Santorum need not worry that sending everyone to college will breed a generation of monocle-wearing elitists. As Robert Reich notes, cuts to student aid and rising tuition costs are making it harder for anyone to afford an education.

Federal Reserve Chairman Sees Modest Growth (NYT)
Ben Bernanke spoke to the House yesterday and said the Fed plans to continue its stimulus efforts, and maybe Congress should too, wink wink, nudge nudge. Meanwhile, like a bored cat, Ron Paul was easily distracted by small, shiny objects.

A German History Lesson (TAP)
Robert Kuttner writes that German policymakers who expect Greece to accept endless economic punishment should remember that the Allies wrote off its debts after World War II and that post-World War I reparations led to, well, you know.

Wall Street Bonus Withdrawal Means Trading Aspen for Coupons(Bloomberg)
A single mom struggling to make ends meet while working two jobs might think she has it tough, but what about the 1% who have been forced to buy cheaper cereal and cut back on their summer vacations? If you prick them, do they not bleed?

One Mancession Later, Are Women Really Victors in the New Economy? (The Nation)
Many commentators were quick to declare women the winners of the “mancession.” So what did they win? As ND2.0 Editor Bryce Covert explains, a lot of crummy, dead-end jobs and a stagnant pay gap. Congrats?

Our Anti-Government Hypocrisy (TAP)
Harold Meyerson notes a survey that shows Americans oppose business regulations, except those that protect their health and safety and rein in powerful industries. But aside from all the existing ones and all the ones they want to add, total opposition.

What a difference a decade makes on income inequality (Maddow Blog)
Steve Benen points out that long ago, in the bygone age of 2002, Republicans like Rick Santorum were discussing the problem of growing income inequality without putting money in the swear jar for offending the delicate ears of the rich.

Mortgage Fraud Task Force Skeptics Wait For Strong Leader, Swift Action(HuffPo)
Having Eric Schneiderman head the new mortgage fraud task force won over many progressives, but critics like Roosevelt Institute Fellow Matt Stoller prefer to withhold their endorsement until it actually does something. Call it the Pet Rock Standard.

Pressure Grows on Fannie and Freddie to Cut Principal on Loans (NYT)
California AG Kamala Harris has asked Fannie and Freddie to halt foreclosures in her state until they can offer homeowners a genuine alternative. FHFA Director Edward “Hey, I Don’t Even Listen to the President” DeMarco will probably not be persuaded.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

For the Costliest Homes, Foreclosure Comes Slowly (WSJ)
If underwater borrowers don’t want to be kicked out of their homes, there’s a trick to getting banks off their backs: They just need to be wealthy and have phenomenally expensive mortgages the banks would prefer to keep on their books.

Gas in the US Elections (Truthout)
Dean Baker writes that the GOP hopes to pull the classic political trick of pinning blame for high gas prices on the president, despite the mildly inconvenient facts that (a) he can’t really be held responsible for them and (b) Republican policies wouldn’t help.

Growing Number Of Americans Can’t Afford Food, Study Finds (HuffPo)
There are going to be a lot of growling stomachs in those quiet rooms where we’re supposed to discuss inequality, as a new report shows the number of Americans who struggled to feed their families rose to 18.6 percent even as unemployment fell.

Magic Mountain (New Yorker)
Nick Paumgarten reports from inside the weird world of Davos, filled with important people conducting high-minded debates about the nature of the economy, discussion panels no one attends, pockets of protest, and a lot of espresso bars.

The Economic Impact of Leap Day (Slate)
Matthew Yglesias writes that having one extra day in the year doesn’t really make the economy 1/366th awesomer, so its main significance will continue to be for 16-year-olds who are dying to celebrate their fourth birthday.

Housing is the rotting core of the US recovery (FT)
Robert Reich argues that economists shouldn’t get their hopes up for a strong recovery because the middle class has come to view buying a home as a potential financial death trap rather than a safe investment.

Banks Colluding with Insurers to Rip Off Homeowners, Lawsuit Alleges (ProPublica)
Banks are facing legal scrutiny for force-placed insurance, or insurance homeowners are forced to buy. But from the homeowner’s perspective, it’s more like the type of “insurance” where someone comes and breaks your knees if you’re not paid up.

The Volcker Rule: Return to Sender (HuffPo)
Robert Kuttner writes that the Volcker Rule has become a game of chess between regulators and lobbyists who have carved out so many loopholes and exceptions that it should be called the Geithner Rule in honor of someone equally ineffective.

A U.S. Boon in Low-Cost Borrowing (NYT)
Binyamin Appelbaum notes that there is so much demand for Treasuries at such low rates that investors are essentially paying for the privilege of lending money to the government, which they see as much safer than (shudder) doing something with it.

Towards a Creditor State – One in Seven Americans Pursued by Debt Collectors (Naked Capitalism)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Matt Stoller highlights a report that shows the number of Americans hounded by debt collectors has doubled since 2000 as creditors style themselves judge, jury, and… well, not executioner. Then you couldn’t pay up.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

How Much Do Taxes Matter? (Baseline Scenario)
James Kwak reviews a new paper on marginal tax rates that shows that raising taxes on the rich doesn’t really cause them to stop wanting to make more money. It just causes them to get more creative in finding ways to keep it from the government.

The payroll tax law’s best measure (Guardian)
Dean Baker praises a work-sharing provision in the deal to extend payroll tax cuts that will discourage layoffs and compensate employees for working reduced hours. It makes so much sense that someone should check to make sure it’s not a misprint.

I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave (MoJo)
Mac McClelland reports on her experience as a temp worker in an online shipping warehouse under conditions in which human employees are treated as slightly less intelligent and much more expendable than the forklifts.

Rick Santorum’s rhetoric goes to the extreme (WaPo)
Eugene Robinson argues that Mitt Romney’s rival for the Republican nomination is, shall we say, a bit of an extremist. But he doesn’t live by his own rhetoric, unless he somehow accidentally acquired three diplomas from those liberal colleges he hates.

Wealthy More Likely to Lie, Cheat (Bloomberg)
A new series of studies finds that the rich are more self-interested and unethical than other people. For instance, you might see a cute little baby, but all they see is the delicious candy in that baby’s tiny clutches, theirs for the taking.

How to make Occupy catch on (Salon)
In the latest installment of the Roosevelt Institute’s “99% Plan” series, Alice O’Connor writes that progressives can look to history to shape their economic narrative and create a strong unifying vision. And unlike conservatives, they don’t even have to rewrite it.

Occupy’s Return From Hibernation (TAP)
Sally Kohn writes that after laying low for the winter, Occupy organizers plan to make Occupy Our Homes the new centerpiece of the movement. It’s not just that it provides tangible results; they’ve also learned how much nicer it is to be indoors.

Warren Buffett Says “Hormones” Will Fix the Housing Crisis (Naked Capitalism)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Matt Stoller argues that the Oracle of Omaha needs to polish his crystal ball if he thinks the housing market will be saved by the irresistible lure of romance. As any teenager could tell you, hormones are rarely that helpful.

What Ails Europe? (NYT)
Paul Krugman writes that between the GOP’s claims that Europe spent too much to help the poor and Germany’s claims that the struggling nations spent too much, period, all we’re getting are excuses for a cure that’s worse than the disease.

A World Bank for a New World (Project Syndicate)
Jeffrey Sachs makes the case that if the World Bank is to play a role in addressing the challenges that face the global community, it needs a leader who has a passion for helping the needy and doesn’t include “American financial interests” in that category.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Why New Obama, Romney Tax Plans Are Going Nowhere (Daily Beast)
Eric Alterman argues that on a practical level, proposals for tax reform are as meaningless as the current rates that corporations go to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying, but if campaigns were an essay, they’d be the thesis statement.

Deal on Unemployment Benefits Leaves Out Poorest (The Nation)
Greg Kaufmann notes that the deal to renew extended UI benefits also lowered their duration, cutting off the long-term unemployed who need them most, and that safety net that’s supposed to catch them has a working class-shaped hole in it.

How the Catholic Church almost came to accept birth control (WaPo)
Elaine Tyler May explains how the Church leadership nearly joined the mainstream consensus on birth control that spread in the 1960s, even among its own faithful, but chose to stay out on the fringe, where it now has the GOP to keep it company.

The Metaphysics of Citizens United and Campaign Finance Law (MoJo)
Kevin Drum reviews the arguments for and against the claim that Citizens United was responsible for the rise of super PACs, but notes that the previous era of 527 groups claiming John Kerry faked his war injuries wasn’t a golden age of discourse either.

Santorum: Obama ‘A Snob’ For Wanting Everyone To Go To College (TPM)
Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum has a message for parents who want their children to pursue a good education and enjoy opportunities they never had: shut it, liberal elitists. Not knowing stuff has worked out just fine for him.

Romney’s Economic Closet (NYT)
Any politician can get caught in a lie, but Paul Krugman notes that Mitt Romney managed to get caught in a truth when he casually admitted that austerity would hurt the economy. Someone should let him know his Keynes is showing.

D’oh! Debt Hawks Fear Most GOP Tax Plans Will Increase Deficit (TPM)
Even though the deficit is the Republicans’ biggest worry aside from women’s reproductive organs, none of their presidential candidates can figure out how to do anything but make it worse. So it’s pretty much like any other policy area.

The enduring fallacy of the CEO president (Politico)
John Paul Rollert writes that while Mitt Romney has made his managerial experience the foundation of his campaign, voters tend to prefer someone with an inspiring vision over someone who will make sure they get their quarterly reports in on time.

Threats to the Current Recovery (On the Economy)
In case you were starting to feel a little too confident about the economy, Jared Bernstein has a list of risk factors from Europe to the housing market that could still send things to hell in a handbasket (if Congress will even spring for the basket).

Opening Up the Fed (NYT)
Simon Johnson notes that as the Federal Reserve’s regulatory role grows, the number of public meetings it holds has sharply decreased. But it’s more than willing to meet with the people it really answers to, like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Bankers escape big penalties in FDIC failed bank cases (Reuters)
The FDIC is trying to prosecute bank execs who pushed subprime loans, but it winds up settling for chump change because it would rather take what it can get than risk losing in court — a strategy that’s even less effective once you say it out loud.

Homeowners Who Negotiate Debt Relief Could Soon Face Massive Tax Bill(ProPublica)
A tax break on debt relieved when homeowners short-sell or restructure their mortgages is set to expire at the end of 2012, but it’s one of those tax cuts that the Norquist Crew doesn’t like because it’s not aimed specifically at millionaires.

Will the Roberts Court Kill Affirmative Action Once and for All? (MoJo)
Adam Serwer examines the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case brought by a college student who believes the University of Texas discriminated against her because she’s white, which suggests they had solid academic grounds for rejection.

Birth control: The right’s still winning (Salon)
Sarah Posner argues that while the pro-choice movement has won some battles, conservatives have a long-term strategy to mold public opinion until they can get the courts to establish their right to personally inspect every uterus for signs of foul play.

Pawnshops Accepting Wine As Collateral (Reuters)
Some rich people who are (relatively) down on their luck have started pawning off their collections of fine wines and other spirits. If the term “first world problems” didn’t already exist, we would need to invent it just for these purposes.

The Volcker Rule, Made Bloated and Weak (NYT)
Jesse Eisinger writes that lobbyists are trying to make the Volcker Rule implode under the weight of its own complexity, but as Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellows Joseph Stiglitz and Rob Johnson point out, if banks demand simplicity, regulators could remind them to be careful what they wish for.

If Liberals Want to Help the Poor, They Should Focus on the Middle Class (TNR)
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Mark Schmitt argues that devoting attention to the struggles of the middle class isn’t a distraction from the plight of those who are worse off; it’s the only way to build a safety net big enough to catch all of them.

Winners and Losers From a Tax Proposal (NYT)
Binyamin Appelbaum notes that the president’s plan offsets manufacturing subsidies by raising taxes on other types of businesses ranging from oil companies to whiskey distillers — or at least making them put a little more effort into their tax evasion.

Corporations Don’t Need a Tax Cut, So Why Is Obama Proposing One?(Robert Reich)
Robert Reich suggests that closing the loopholes and keeping the corporate tax rate intact makes more sense than Obama’s plan, and having an actual strategy to stop the GOP from cutting taxes and keeping the loopholes would be even better.

‘A narrative of … life under a Romney presidency’ (WaPo)
Ezra Klein writes that if Mitt Romney’s new proposal for deep cuts to taxes and domestic spending is supposed to tell a story about what life would be like during his administration, it’s less of an inspiring narrative and more of a spooky campfire tale.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Too Big to Jail (Project Syndicate)
Simon Johnson argues that the robo-signing settlement is totally inadequate and totally in keeping with the Obama administration’s approach to the banking industry, which they treat like a bomb that could go off if they breathe too hard around it.

Responding to Critics, S.E.C. Defends ‘No Wrongdoing’ Settlements (NYT)
SEC chairwoman Mary Schapiro claims her agency’s approach to punishing financial crimes by making firms promise to go forth and sin no more is an effective deterrent, even if they have to be reminded of their promise another six or seven times.

The Buying of the President 2012: Meet the Super PAC Mega-Donors (The Nation)
Ari Berman profiles the small group of donors who are spending millions to help their prized pony win the Republican nomination. But that doesn’t mean they all support the system — just think of this as a long, expensive ad for campaign finance reform.

Why Should Anti-Choice and Anti-Gay Groups Have More Right to Boycott and Picket Than Unions? (In These Times)
Josh Eidelson notes that while secondary boycotts are illegal for unions, they’ve become one of the right’s favorite protest tactics because they’re so effective. If only that kind of power could be harnessed for good instead of nonsense.

Some Greeks Might Have to Pay for Their Jobs (Atlantic Wire)
Under Greek austerity measures, 64,000 government employees will be asked to go without pay or accept a “negative salary,” meaning they get to pay for the privilege of not being laid off. And who’d want to give up a plum position like that?

The Memo that Larry Summers Didn’t Want Obama to See (TNR)
Noam Scheiber reveals evidence that Christina Romer initially wanted to push for a $1.8 trillion stimulus package, but Larry Summers decided early on that he’d rather have their bad advice taken seriously than have their good advice ignored.

Obama Offers to Cut Corporate Tax Rate to 28% (NYT)
The president is proposing to lower the corporate tax rate and close existing loopholes, but critics say it’s no fun without the loopholes, which allow Fortune 500 companies to pay negative rates as if they were taxing us.

The failure of austerity politics (WaPo)
Katrina vanden Heuvel notes that GOP warnings that America could head down the same road as Greece have some merit, but they’re probably not referring to how their attempts to impose painful, unnecessary cuts could spark riots in the streets.

Tax-Cut Bill Includes Updates to Jobless Benefits System (NYT)
Annie Lowrey reports that the recent tax compromise supports programs like work-sharing and Georgia Works-style job training, as policymakers finally start to stretch out and explore the possibilities only four years into a major jobs crisis.

Consumer Inquiry Focuses on Bank Overdraft Fees (NYT)
The CFPB is launching an investigation into how banks impose overdraft fees on customers, questioning whether the best way to deal with people who don’t have enough money in their accounts is to shout “surprise!” and charge them even more.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

How Obama’s financial watchdog can prove himself (Salon)
Gary Weiss writes that while the CFPB has been slow to get up and running, Richard Cordray has a choice between coming out swinging against abusive debt collectors or accepting his agency’s GOP-imposed status as the ugly stepchild of regulators.

Legal Fees Mount at Fannie and Freddie (NYT)
Several former Fannie and Freddie executives have been accused of securities fraud since the government was forced to take them over three years ago, but not to worry; they’re getting $50 million worth of the best defense our money can buy.

In Republican Race, a New Breed of Superdonor (NYT)
About two dozen individuals and corporations have contributed at least $1 million each to Republican super PACs this year, which gets them the premium membership that comes with a t-shirt, a decoder ring, and the ability to write your own laws.

Not in Montana (TAP)
Garrett Epps writes that if the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case in which the Montana Supreme Court defied Citizens United, it’s unlikely they’ll reverse their previous ruling, but they might try to go for a subtler “What we really meant is…”

The Crazy Cost of Becoming President, From Lincoln to Obama (MoJo)
This chart illustrates that while the 2008 election broke the billion-dollar mark on campaign spending, things have come a long way from the $2.8 million dropped in 1860, most of which went toward Abe Lincoln’s stovepipe hat budget.

America’s last hope: A strong labor movement(Salon)
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Dorian Warren argues that Americans must challenge autocracy in the workplace as strongly as they oppose autocracy in government — even in regions where that last part isn’t a sure thing.

Pain Without Gain (NYT)
Paul Krugman writes that Europe’s shrinking economies prove austerity in the midst of an economic downturn is as bad an idea as anyone who’s ever heard of Herbert Hoover could have predicted, but proponents still won’t own up to their mistakes.

Manufacturing: Why We Should Help the Sector (But Not Too Much) (On the Economy)
Jared Bernstein makes the case that instead of inventing an industrial policy from scratch or abandoning the manufacturing sector and relying on iPad app debuggers to fuel the economy, we need to get smarter and more focused in our support.

Some Doubt a Settlement Will End Mortgage Ills (NYT)
Critics are skeptical that the settlement’s promise of a single point of contact for loan modifications will put a stop to the Kafkaesque nightmare of confusing paperwork, impenetrable bureaucracy, and in rare cases, homeowners turning into giant bugs.

In Alabama, a County That Fell Off the Financial Cliff (NYT)
When Jefferson County officials hit a dead end with run-of-the-mill graft, they turned to Wall Street for a master class and left their constituents with $4 billion in debt, a broken sewer system, and a bankrupt government that can’t afford basic services.

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Obama’s Budget, Your Server’s Budget (The Nation)
Greg Kaufmann looks at the president’s latest budget proposal as a mixed bag for antipoverty advocates and notes that while you should always remember to tip your waiters and waitresses, providing them with a living wage would be even better.

The Two Americas (TNR)
Timothy Noah reviews Charles Murray’s controversial Coming Apart, in which, by ignoring racial disparities, Murray tries to avoid being labeled a racist, and by denying the importance of economic disparities, he avoids making a coherent argument.

Who Actually Benefits From Federal Benefits? (MoJo)
Kevin Drum highlights a CBPP study that ought to elate critics of the “entitlement state” who argue that government aid should only go to the elderly, disabled, and working poor who really need it. Looks like they’ve pretty much gotten their wish.

Ideological hypocrites (WaPo)
E.J. Dionne argues that the anti-government rhetoric doesn’t match up to the reality in a Republican primary between two career politicians who have proved willing and eager to secure earmarks and bailouts to reward their supporters.

Shifting the Center of the Political Debate (Economist’s View)
Mark Thoma writes that it’s all well and good that Barack Obama has finally decided to resist Republicans’ efforts to drag the debate to the right, but now he needs to start pushing back to the left, not pretend that the far right is the new center.

Obama Campaign To Wall Street: We’ll Go Easy On You Guys (HuffPo)
President Obama has adopted a more populist tone recently, but his advisers have told bankers that if they’re willing to pony up $38,500 each for a chicken dinner to support his reelection, he just can’t stay mad at them.

New Bill Clouds Legality Of Tips (WSJ)
While calling something a “political intelligence” industry may sound like an oxymoron, lobbyists and other insiders who make their living off the steady stream of inside information that Congress feeds them worry that gravy train could soon be derailed.

Audit Uncovers Extensive Flaws in Foreclosures (NYT)
San Francisco county officials have reviewed 400 recent foreclosures and found that banks evidently aren’t even trying to comply with the law or keep their documentation in order. There’s only one choice: get them an immunity deal, ASAP.

U.S. to Nominate World Bank President Candidate in Coming Weeks (Bloomberg)
With the top job opening at the World Bank, President Obama is reportedly leaning toward nominating Larry Summers due to his long track record of success at… uh, getting nominated for things like this. Or maybe Hillary Clinton, if she’s not too tired.

Greece’s depression could prove worst in modern history (WaPo)
Just as austerity hawks hoped, Greece’s effort to sharply reduce spending and debt in the middle of a crisis has become a model for other countries to follow. Unfortunately, the lesson it’s teaching them is “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Check out “The 99 Percent Plan,” a new Roosevelt Institute/Salon essay series on the progressive vision for the economy.

Obama to unions: See you later (Salon)
Josh Eidelson notes that the president’s decision to sign an FAA bill with a provision designed to make it harder for airline workers’ unions to call a vote shows how labor is forced to choose between being patted on the head or punched in the face.

Zombie Politics (TAP)
John Sides notes that the conventional wisdom that Democrats struggle because the white working class has become increasingly Republican over the last few decades has one little flaw: It’s not actually happening anywhere outside the South.

Pity the Billionaire (Truthout)
In an excerpt from his new book, Thomas Frank attempts to explain why having their policies and ideology utterly and repeatedly discredited has done so little to stop American conservatives from staging one uprising after another.

Schools We Can Envy (NYRB)
Diane Ravitch writes that corporate school reformers are so impressed by the Finnish education model that they don’t notice it disproves their theory that the answer is to privatize, increase standardized testing, and throw teachers to the wolves.

Radical Solutions to Economic Inequality (Slate)
Beverly Gage argues that if you want ideas about leveling the playing field that are honest, urgent, and creative, you might as well forget about today’s policymakers and look to the Commission on Industrial Relations that was created a century ago.