Roosevelt Forward
LightNews LightNews
banner
rooseveltforward.org
Roosevelt Forward
@rooseveltforward.org
470 followers 230 following 200 posts
Advocacy affiliate of @rooseveltinstitute.org. We believe that new politics and policymaking—that can equalize power in our society—are possible. www.rooseveltforward.org || Subscribe to our Substack #FiresideStacks 🔥 firesidestacks.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
rooseveltforward.org
Roosevelt Forward @rooseveltforward.org · Feb 20
👀 The latest with an eye toward the long game.

#FiresideStacks🔥 is a weekly newsletter about progressive politics, policy, and economics.

Don't miss an issue—subscribe today! rooseveltforward.substack.com/about
rooseveltforward.org
You know how annoying tax season is? There’s a reason for that.

A new breakdown shows how tax filing was made harder on purpose—and who benefited when the free IRS Direct File was eliminated. #TaxSeason #FreeFile https://bit.ly/3MioHsJ
How the Trump Administration Made Tax Filing Harder—and More Profitable
With the opening of tax season this week, it’s a good time to remind Americans that the misery of filing taxes isn’t an accident.
rooseveltforward.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:15 AM
rooseveltforward.org
Filing your taxes shouldn't be this hard.

The IRS built a free filing tool that worked.
This administration killed it.
Tax prep companies are cashing in.

This is how complexity become a profit strategy, Noa Rosinplotz in this week's #FiresideStacks🔥 : https://bit.ly/3NNVCFZ
January 29, 2026 at 8:00 PM
rooseveltforward.org
New from our President and CEO @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social: @mayor.nyc.gov is reshaping the city's affordability approach, from multibillion-dollar childcare to rent freezes, wage floors, and people-led policy engagement.

Read more in our latest #FiresideStacks🔥

https://bit.ly/4rfYtWD
An image featuring a quote from Elizabeth Wilkins about Zohran Mamdani's approach to people-centered policymaking, presented by Roosevelt Forward: "What truly distinguishes this approach is that Mamdani treats people-centered policymaking as a source of governing power, not just popular appeal. He has invested in building a sense of belonging that is now translating into sustained civic engagement."
January 27, 2026 at 9:00 PM
rooseveltforward.org
Affordability is at the center of people’s needs and today's politics.

Our President & CEO @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social highlights @mayor.nyc.gov as an exemplar for tackling care, housing, and wages by listening and using a people-first approach to policymaking.

https://bit.ly/4t2IZXO
January 24, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
evanstruth.bsky.social
You deserve food, shelter and medical care. You don't deserve an economic/political system that shames you for not being able to afford any of those www.firesidestacks.com/p/billionair...
Billionaires Want You to Blame Yourself. We Win When We Stop.
For most of my life, I thought my hardest moments—the bills I couldn’t pay, the groceries I had to put back at the checkout line, the dental emergency that spiraled into medical debt and eventually co...
www.firesidestacks.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:46 PM
rooseveltforward.org
States know the federal minimum wage is too low—that’s why 19 raised theirs.

So why do most still rely on outdated federal overtime rules?

If wages must keep up with inflation, overtime should too. Patrick Oakford in this week’s #FiresideStacks🔥

https://bit.ly/49NboIG
January 15, 2026 at 10:08 PM
rooseveltforward.org
“For a lot of powerful people [...] ‘too progressive’ is code used to undermine any economic agenda that favors working people.”

🎯 from @elizabeth-warren.bsky.social at @pressclubdc.bsky.social.

The debate we should have is not left vs. right, but how we ensure working families can afford to live.
Senator Elizabeth Warren speaking at The National Press Club on January 12th, 2026.
January 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
sgp.bsky.social
Shame tells people their suffering reflects bad personal choices. Shame isolates and silences us. Our billionaire class thrives off of — depends on — our fear, our shame, and our isolation. @fairshareamerica.bsky.social @rooseveltforward.org
www.firesidestacks.com/p/billionair...
Billionaires Want You to Blame Yourself. We Win When We Stop.
For most of my life, I thought my hardest moments—the bills I couldn’t pay, the groceries I had to put back at the checkout line, the dental emergency that spiraled into medical debt and eventually co...
www.firesidestacks.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:05 PM
rooseveltforward.org
The Trump Admin keeps putting forward flashy housing ideas that are unlikely to lower costs.

Investor bans that barely move the needle on supply, 50-year mortgages that saddle families with debt, and gutting agencies that stop abuse—do little to address the affordability crisis.

Must-read thread ⬇️
bradlipton.bsky.social Brad Lipton @bradlipton.bsky.social · Jan 9
1/ Just to zoom out to the bigger picture here – President Trump’s floated ban on investors purchasing single-family homes is part of a broader pattern of faux-affordability rhetoric 🧵 www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/b...
Trump Wants to Bar Wall St. Investors From Buying Single-Family Homes
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:57 PM
rooseveltforward.org
So much of what we’re told is “personal failure” is actually public policy failure. Shame keeps people silent and that silence protects the billionaire class.

@kristencrowell.bsky.social of @fairshareamerica.bsky.social in this week's #FiresideStacks🔥

https://bit.ly/4jwQW2T
January 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM
rooseveltforward.org
We’re back! While our socials were quiet, the work of governing continued.

Over the holidays, one thing stayed clear: affordability reflects choices—about wages, enforcement, and corporate power.

Here’s what we took note of—and why it matters—as 2026 gets underway 👇🧵
January 6, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
jrfeves.bsky.social
Important points often overlooked in the discussions
rooseveltforward.org Roosevelt Forward @rooseveltforward.org · Dec 18
79 million Americans already struggle with medical bills or medical debt. Telling them to “pay up front and deduct it later” isn’t reform—it’s denial. @mirandayaver.bsky.social takes on Sen. Hawley's new proposal in the latest #FiresideStacks🔥 : https://bit.ly/4p6sren
December 18, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
mirandayaver.bsky.social
My latest for @rooseveltforward.org on Hawley's misguided proposal to allow folks to deduct up to $25,000 in health care costs, in lieu of comprehensive health insurance protections. The catch: Many don't file, most don't itemize, & most can't wait for reimbursement open.substack.com/pub/roosevel...
Tax-Code Theater Isn’t Health Reform
America is still waiting on President Trump’s “concept of a plan” to reform the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) recently pitched his own preferred health reform that would al...
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM
rooseveltforward.org
@elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social on Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's appointment of Julie Su as NYC’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice—and what it means for delivering the #GoodLife for working New Yorkers ⬇️
“Julie Su is the rare public servant who not only cares deeply about working people, but will fight for them with the creativity and relentlessness required to make government deliver at the scale of the need. Mayor-elect Mamdani’s decision to put her in this role shows he’s serious about making sure New York City works for all New Yorkers.” — Elizabeth Wilkins, President and CEO, Roosevelt Forward
December 19, 2025 at 9:45 PM
rooseveltforward.org
Important discussion featuring @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social in conversation with antitrust experts @linamkhan.bsky.social, @bedoyausa.bsky.social, and @dohamekki.bsky.social on how good governance can rein in corporate power to protect workers and consumers.

This is how to do regulation right ⬇️
December 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
rooseveltforward.org
79 million Americans already struggle with medical bills or medical debt. Telling them to “pay up front and deduct it later” isn’t reform—it’s denial. @mirandayaver.bsky.social takes on Sen. Hawley's new proposal in the latest #FiresideStacks🔥 : https://bit.ly/4p6sren
December 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
rooseveltforward.org
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social spoke with @nicholsuprising.bsky.social about the hope of living up to Roosevelt’s New Deal agenda.

This legacy drives the work to better serve everyday Americans.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
"So it was that, while they were in the Oval Office, Mamdani steered the discussion to Roosevelt’s New Deal presidency—the legacy of which Trump has been attacking on so many fronts. 'I actually asked the president that we take a photo in front of the portrait [of FDR] and I spoke about how transformative the New Deal had been for our country and how that is the legacy of politics that I seek to draw upon in the work that I’m doing in New York City.'"
December 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
rooseveltforward.org
A 50-year mortgage won’t fix the housing crisis.

It turns today’s financial pressure into generational debt—especially for Black families already navigating unequal markets.

Read last week’s analysis in #FiresideStacks🔥: https://bit.ly/4qavdQJ
Trump’s “Death Pledge” Mortgage Proposal Looks Like a Scam—and Black Families Are the Target
Families across the country face rising rents and homes priced far beyond reach. And then the president floats a new idea: a 50-year home mortgage. It’s something millions of Americans want to believe...
www.firesidestacks.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:18 PM
rooseveltforward.org
Stretching a mortgage to half a century doesn’t expand opportunity—it extends vulnerability.

In this week’s #FiresideStacks🔥, Portia Allen-Kyle breaks down how a “death pledge” is not housing policy for a fair economy.

https://bit.ly/4oTzLtJ
Roosevelt Forward quote graphic reads: A 50-year mortgage is a death pledge that follows a family to the grave instead of building something they can pass on. With a 50-year mortgage, someone buying a first home at 40 would most likely die still owing at least a decade of payments without passing down the generational wealth the American Dream promises to homeowners.
December 13, 2025 at 9:07 PM
rooseveltforward.org
Roosevelt fellow Portia Allen-Kyle makes it clear: a fair housing system should expand stability and power.

A 50-year mortgage does the opposite, cementing inequality for another generation. Read more in this week’s #FiresideStacks🔥.

https://bit.ly/3Yo1S9m
Roosevelt Forward quote graphic reads: A 50-year mortgage is a death pledge that follows a family to the grave instead of building something they can pass on. With a 50-year mortgage, someone buying a first home at 40 would most likely die still owing at least a decade of payments without passing down the generational wealth the American Dream promises to homeowners.
December 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
rooseveltforward.org
When consumer sentiment nears historic lows while markets soar, it tells us something deeper: economic power is drifting upward, away from most families.

Last week’s #FiresideStacks🔥 analysis by @mikemadowitz.bsky.social breaks it down.

https://bit.ly/4rINxSv
Roosevelt Forward quote graphic reads "Consumer sentiment in October was only exceeded by lows from the worst of the early 1980s recession, the peak of the 2022 inflation, and the months following the “Liberation Day” tariff announcement this year. Since January, consumer sentiment has plunged, giving up essentially all gains from a steady rise after the inflation peak of 2022.”
December 10, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
rooseveltforward.org
The US economy is “OK” on paper, painful in reality, and exuberant for a tiny elite.

This week, @mikemadowitz.bsky.social shows that understanding the divide is essential to building an economy that works for everyone. #FiresideStacks🔥

https://bit.ly/4iO6RcT
Roosevelt Forward quote graphic reads "Overall, the data are on a more even keel than either the awful vibes most Americans are feeling from an affordability crisis or the anxiously warm vibes of investors. We’re not living through the economic boom tech investors see everywhere, nor the near-term dystopia consumers are feeling. The economy is weaker than last year and likely to continue to soften a bit more over the first part of next year, but the good news is at least for now things are not as bad in the data as in the headlines. The bad news is…that’s the good news."
December 4, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
mikemadowitz.bsky.social
Happy #JobsDay (JK--delayed til 12/16)

I wrote about the lowkey stagflation and awful economic vibes for @rooseveltforward.org's substack this week--I think this holds up well as a description of the statistically OK but unusually narrow/fragile economy of 2025

substack.com/@wonkprogres...
America’s Three Economies: Vibes Sinking, Data Treading Water, Elites Sailing Away
As we approach the end of 2025, it’s a good time to take stock of the US economy. Depending on where you stand, you’re hearing very different things about the economy, but a pretty consistent theme is...
substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Roosevelt Forward
lbilik.bsky.social
We all know that the affordability crisis is not a "con". The real "cons" as we see them come from the way US policies privilege corporations and the ultra-rich over regular people. Check out our thoughts 🧵:
rooseveltforward.org Roosevelt Forward @rooseveltforward.org · Dec 4
Calling the affordability crisis a “con” lets the real cons off the hook.

Americans are being squeezed by policy choices that suppress wages & tilt power toward corporations & the ultra-rich.

Our experts have tracked the data, & the story is clear.

🧵 on what’s driving today’s economic pressure 👇
December 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
rooseveltforward.org
The US economy should be one, but reads like three. Household costs rising, economic data trending downward, but record gains for elites.

@mikemadowitz.bsky.social explains this divide and why the “vibes” are good for some & bad for many. FiresideStacks🔥

https://bit.ly/4a55eW6
Roosevelt Forward quote graphic reads "First, the vibes are bad (just ask anyone coming out of a grocery store). Second, the real economy—prices, jobs, and consumer and business spending, among other factors—is worse than it was a year ago, but holding up OK (4.4 percent unemployment, GDP growth over 2 percent, and inflation around 3 percent is hardly the stuff of recession). Third, a small number of people and companies are doing extremely well.”
December 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM