1. Looking Ahead to 2017
In her year-end blog post, Roosevelt President and CEO Felicia Wong reflects on the work that the Roosevelt Institute has done this year and how it has laid the foundation for many important fights in the year ahead, from taming corporate power to rewriting the racial rules and empowering a new generation of leaders.

2. The Return of Voodoo Economics
Roosevelt Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz argues that Donald Trump’s economic promises are based on the “big lie” that big tax cuts and higher infrastructure and defense spending can coexist with lower deficits – and it’s going to cost American workers.

3. Police Violence in the Trump Era
Roosevelt Fellow Dorian Warren writes in Ebony that the Trump presidency, with its promises of a harsh “law and order” approach, brings with it an increased threat of police violence against black and Latino Americans, and the only solution may be local movement-building and activism.

4. The Student Debt Crisis Is Real
In the Boston Review, Roosevelt Fellow and Senior Economist Marshall Steinbaum makes the case that the cost of acquiring a college degree has become a toll that Americans must pay to enter the workforce, and that the best response is to expand free public college and eliminate the gatekeepers to higher ed.

5. Remembering FDR's Call for Unity
Reflecting on Barack Obama’s post-election call for shared commitment to democratic norms, Roosevelt Senior Fellow David Woolner recalls FDR’s own message about the importance of national unity and what it means in the face of electoral interference by the FBI and Russia.

I’m Arturo Aguirre and thanks to community college I am graduating from UCLA next month! This summer, Heads Up America will profile current and former community college students, like me, who have benefited from a “College Promise” program, which provides a free community college education. Here’s my story to help kick off this “Summer Stories Series.”
I was born and raised in the small town of Santa Paula in Ventura County, California. My parents are working class Mexican immigrants. Raising my two sisters and me wasn’t easy. They’ve always encouraged us to pursue an education because they want a better life and opportunities for us.
During the college application process, I realized that I couldn’t afford to attend a four-year institution. That’s when I learned about the Ventura College Promise. Community college offered a more affordable and practical route.
After two years at Ventura College, I transferred to UCLA. UCLA accepts more transfer students than any other top-tier school in the country. My time at Ventura College strengthened my study skills and educational fundamentals, helping me succeed at the next level. I was also very fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Ventura Foundation that helped fund my time at UCLA.
I wanted to give back, so at UCLA I joined The Center for American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP). Through CAPPP, I was selected for an internship at Scholarship America’s Washington, D.C. office where I supported policies to help underprivileged students access higher education.
I know I wouldn’t be graduating from UCLA next month without the Ventura College Promise. I’m grateful that so many people across the country are supporting Heads Up America to ensure students like me can achieve their potential.

Arturo Aguirre

PS: Do you have a powerful community college story? Share this image with your story and use #HeadsUpAmerica!