Yi Wu

Bio

Yi is a recent graduate from Boston University, currently working in the market research industry. His interests include economic policy, criminal justice/drug policy, education and human rights. Ardent fan of soccer, 1960-1970s rock and folk music, and dance works of Pina Bausch.
New York Casinos Are Coming, So Here's How the State Can Make Them Work
By Yi Wu
On this year's Election Day, citizens of New York state approved Proposal 1 with 57% of the vote, allowing seven casinos to be built within the state. Prior to its passage, only Native American tribes and horse-race tracks could open gaming…
New Apple iPad Air: Think Twice Before Buying One, If You Care About an Open Internet
By Yi Wu
We all know the internet is heavily censored in China, and some American companies have been complicit in the Chinese government's crackdown on online dissent. For example, Yahoo handed over to the authorities emails sent by Chinese journalist Shi…
This Horrible Law Keeps You From Getting the Most Out Of Your iPad
By Yi Wu
Correction: a previous version of the story stated that jailbreaking smartphones is illegal. In fact, an exemption was made for jailbreaking, and it is allowed until 2015. Unlocking phones made after 2013 remains illegal. When you purchase…
War on Drugs in Rochester Ignores History and Puts Residents in Danger
By Yi Wu
On September 3, 1958, wearing a panama hat, suit, and tie, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was heading to a courthouse in Alabama to attend a court arraignment of a professor and fellow activist. But instead, he was arrested. The charge? "Loitering,"…
Why Nashville's Solution to Homelessness is a Model For Other Cities
By Yi Wu
Have a roof above our heads is among humanity's basic needs. Nevertheless, in the United States, one out of 500 people is without a home. Instead of providing solutions to the problem, policymakers often consider the homeless population a nuisance.…
Shutdown 2013 Won't Kill the Education System, It'll Make it Stronger
By Yi Wu
This week, due to Congress' inability to pass a reconciled budget, many functions of the federal government have been shut down. Some "essential" operations remain unscathed by the crisis, but PolicyMic's Robert Taylor and Alex Uriarte gave us a…
Janet Yellen Next Fed Chair: How She Could Keep America Out Of Another Recession
By Yi Wu
With Ben Bernanke's retirement coming, Washington has been discussing who President Obama might pick to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. After months of deliberation, it seems President Obama may have settled on a front-runner. In true…
3 Stealthy Ways Republicans Are Torpedoing the Obamacare Bill
By Yi Wu
As major provisions of Obamacare are rolled out, opponents of the reform measures have gone desperate and resorted to an assortment of unscrupulous tactics to block its implementation. On the federal level, some Republicans called for threatening to…
What's Really Behind the Republican Push to Drug Test Welfare Recipients
By Yi Wu
Since 2011, in the middle of the Great Recession, instead of providing more adequate public assistance to those affected, Republicans across the country brought back the idea of drug-testing welfare recipients and denying those who fail such tests…
3 Charts That Prove Prison Reform is the Most Important Economic Issue in America
By Yi Wu
Fifty years ago, more than 200,000 Americans joined together at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech. A watershed moment for the Civil Rights movement in America,…
Government Shutdown 2013: Still a Terrible Idea
By Yi Wu
Around a third of House Republicans, many Tea Party-backed, sent a letter last week calling on Speaker John Boehner to reject any spending bills that include implementation of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Some Senate…
Free Market Supporters Always Get This One Thing Wrong
By Yi Wu
When the Justice Department sued to prohibit the attempted merger of two of America's largest airlines, American Airlines and US Airways, the subject of antitrust laws again came into public view. Ever since Teddy Roosevelt's vigorous trust-busting,…
Israeli-Palestinian Talks Just Began, and the Hardliners Are Already Pulling Out
By Yi Wu
Since taking office this year, Secretary of State John Kerry has made putting a final end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has ravaged the region for decades one of his top priorities. So far, there have been some positive developments, with…
Will This Teetering Northeastern City Be the Next Detroit?
By Yi Wu
Woonsocket, a Rhode Island city without the size, fame, and drama of Detroit but possessing an equally rich history and culture, has been facing a fiscal crisis that puts it on the verge of the same kind of bankruptcy the befell the Midwestern…
A Shocking Look At Who is Really Getting Financial Aid At America’s Colleges
By Yi Wu
On Wednesday, news came that a watered-down bill to put a brake on the student loan rate increase finally broke through the congressional gridlock to be passed by both chambers, heading towards President Obama's desk. While the country's youngsters…
Immigration Reform 2013: Why It Won't Be Obama's Legacy
By Yi Wu
With less than half of President Obama's tenure left, the talk of a "legacy" has already begun. Since taking office in 2009 Obama has attempted to change a wide range of federal policy. Many of his initiatives have been stalled by congressional…
Bipartisan Prison Reform is Decades in the Making — and Its Time Has Come
By Yi Wu
It is not exactly a secret that the U.S has way too many people in prison. Despite being the self-proclaimed leader of the free world, we are known to imprison more of our fellow citizens than any other country on earth. 0.716% of Americans, every 7…
While Zimmerman Walks, CeCe McDonald Is Still In Jail For Self-Defense
By Yi Wu
Since the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial was pronounced, communities throughout America, including our own virtual community of Millennials on PolicyMic, have been pondering, debating, and protesting about a broad range of relevant issues:…
Privatize Schools: Why It's Crony Capitalism At Its Worst
By Yi Wu
No one can deny America's public education system suffers from multiple and chronic problems that result in our country lagging behind other industrial nations and being marred with rampant inequality. Parents, educators and politicians, faced with…
Egypt Protests: Anti-Morsi Protests Are Part Of the Rocky Path Toward Democracy
By Yi Wu
On Sunday, widespread rallies and gatherings took place in Tahir Square, in other parts of Cairo, and in the provinces of Egypt, as protests calling for President Muhammad Morsi's resignation culminated as planned on the anniversary of the…