New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio has signed legislation giving unpaid interns the right to sue if they’re harassed or discriminated against by their employer.  As the New York Times explains, the bill is the latest chapter in the ongoing debate over the implications, both legal and moral, of unpaid and low-paid internships.

Sally Jenkins at the Washington Post argues that unionization of college athletes is the wrong tool to fix inequities in college sports.  Her core concern is that the gains that collective bargaining might yield for athletes participating in revenue-generating sports would merely be redistribution from other quarters of the college community. 

Detroit has reached a tentative deal with its two pension systems that could be an important breakthrough in bringing its historic bankruptcy to a close.  As both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal report, workers are facing far less severe cuts than had been tabled in the past.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board explores the contrasting economic policies that have been pursued by states in the Great Lakes region. The piece focuses on how tax policy and the role of public sector unions in governance have yielded differing economic outcomes. 

In international news, the New York Times is reporting on China’s recent economic woes.  The article attributes the slowdown partly to rising Chinese wages and increased labor competition from countries such as Vietnam.