How Raising the Minimum Wage Helps Businesses, Cannabis Policy Under Merrick Garland, and More

Our new Metro Monitor, Judge Garland's views on enforcement of cannabis laws, and boosting worker wages and the economy at the same time.

View in browser February 26, 2021   Start your day with a new episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, in which Landry Signé and Josh Meltzer discuss global challenges to artificial intelligence and technology regulation. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get the latest episodes in your feed. How a $15 minimum wage could help restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses   "Voters across the spectrum have come to agree that it is simply not possible for workers—essential or otherwise—to survive on the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour or the state wage floors close to that." Xavier de Souza Briggs and chef and restaurant owner Russell Jackson explain how America can offer dignity to millions of low-income workers and boost the economy at the same time.   Read more What cannabis policy may look like under Merrick Garland   Enforcement of cannabis laws have disproportionately impacted people of color—a fact that Judge Merrick Garland discussed during his confirmation hearing this week. John Hudak writes that if confirmed as the next attorney general of the United States, Garland could transform America's relationship with cannabis.   Read more With racial equity on America's agenda, how inclusive were metro areas in the past decade?   Though action by the executive branch and federal legislation are helpful on the path toward a more inclusive economy, many factors that shape access to economic opportunity emerge at the local level. Alan Berube and Sarah Crump discuss the latest Metro Monitor and examine how major metropolitan areas fared on racial inclusion.     Read more Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often