No More Soto Supremacy.

Major League Baseball eliminated more than 40 minor league affiliates in 2020, raising more concerns about MLB’s unique antitrust exemption. The exemption further enables MLB to pay minor leaguers poverty wages — although some argue that without such an exemption, MLB would not subsidize minor league salaries at all. Senator Bernie Sanders and other federal lawmakers have criticized this antitrust exemption as a means for MLB to restrain talent and maintain its dominant presence in professional baseball. The Save American Baseball Act, reintroduced by Sanders in March of this year, would end the antitrust exemption for MLB.

A new poll finds that 47 percent of all voters had not heard or read about the negotiations between MLB players and league officials during baseball's offseason and think that other baseball leagues should be allowed to compete with MLB in the U.S., including 41 percent of Republicans, 49 percent of Independents, 51 percent of Democrats, and 100 percent of Data for Progress interns that have absolutely no clue how baseball works.

We also find that 48 percent of voters support Sanders’ Save American Baseball Act, including Democrats by a +24-point margin, Independents by a +29-point margin, and Republicans by a +11-point margin. 

Many U.S. professional sports leagues have players' associations — these unions are crucial for professional athletes to be represented on issues like length of seasons, salaries, and athlete safety. Seventy-six percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents, and 47 percent of Republicans support unions for professional athletes. 



Read the full polling analysis here.

$15 is Not Even Enough for a Slice.

In New York, minimum wage workers are struggling to afford basic necessities. For decades, wages have not increased to keep up with rapidly rising costs of living, let alone keep up with workforce productivity. Increasing the minimum wage would likely boost all wages, as well as increase workforce participation.

New polling from Data for Progress shows bipartisan support among New York voters for increasing the minimum wage to keep up with living costs. Furthermore, New York voters of all backgrounds say they would be more likely to vote for a political candidate who supports raising the minimum wage.

Among all likely voters in New York, 95 percent say the minimum wage should be at least $15 in order to have a living wage, while 62 percent say the minimum wage should be at least $20 to be a living wage. Sixty-two percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Independents, and 56 percent of Republicans believe a living wage in New York is at least $20.

The poll also tested how this legislation may impact voters’ political choices. Among all New York voters, 67 percent say they would be more likely to support a candidate this year who supports increasing the minimum wage. This finding holds across parties; 85 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of Independents, and 45 percent (a plurality) of Republicans report they are more likely to vote for a candidate that supports increasing the minimum wage.



Read the full polling analysis here.
 

DFP In The News 

The Washington Post: Who’s afraid of elemental power?

Forbes: Questions About DAC? We’ve Got Answers

NBC: 5 big questions as Democrats seek to revive Biden's stalled agenda

NBC: Democrats ring alarm bells over young voters and the 2022 election as Biden's ratings slip

NBC: France's Marine Le Pen has American liberals worried

Elle: Meet Rana Abdelhamid, The Progressive Who Wants To Pull Off The Next AOC-Style Victory In NYC

Salon: Progressives to “block business as usual” to protest Manchin and Sinema’s “corrupt obstruction”

Common Dreams: Seeing Inflation as 'Opportunity,' Corporations Are Profiting From Price Hikes: Analysis

Pink News: Majority of Americans oppose using vile ‘groomer’ slur for LGBT-inclusive teachers and parents

Common Dreams: Primetime Inflation Coverage Blames Workers, Hides Profits

City and State New York: Poll: New Yorkers support safe injection sites

Patch: SummerStage Concert Lineup + Adams' Budget Prioritizes Public Safety

Green Entrepreneur: More Americans Support Cannabis Legalization, Prefer Weed Over Alcohol

The Fresh Toast: Support For Drug Decriminalization Among GOP Voters On The Rise, New Poll Reveals How Much

Financial Assets: The majority of Americans support decriminalization of drugs

On Social

Dems Deliver

Look, we know that going to the airport can be a soul-sucking, life-draining experience. John Mulaney even performed an eight-minute musical number on the purgatory that is LaGuardia Airport. But if you wanna canvas in Texas and turn professional road-tripper Beto O’Rourke into Governor Beto O’Rourke, some of us are going to have to fly to get there.

That (and other reasons) is why the FAA will be awarding $2.89 billion dollars to 3,075 airports around the nation: funds made available through Democrats’ Infrastructure and Investment Act. Airports can choose to use the money to invest in runways, taxiways, safety, and sustainability, among other projects. We personally love the sound of airport sustainability!! A full list of airport funding allocations can be found here.

So the next time you go to an airport and think to yourself, “wow, this runway is absolutely passing the vibe check” remember to thank the Democrats. 


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