Although African American workers are significantly better educated than they were three decades ago, they're actually less likely to be in good jobs, according to a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

In the latest polls for May and June, Congress’ approval rating is a mere 14% . This reflects a clear dissatisfaction with Congress not doing something meaningful to help American households. Highjacked by the Tea Party, the Republican-led House of Representatives does not want to use government to help people at a time America’s people need help digging out from policies that let Wall Street bankrupt the country.

Now Congress has been thrown the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court , and it struggles with fixing a broken immigration system . But, as we celebrate the federal minimum wage law turning 75 this week, we should add to the list Congress’ duty to raise the minimum wage.

Two new studies succinctly lay out the need for and the broad economic benefits of raising the federal minimum wage .

The Kids Count Data Book finds that the number of children living in poverty jumped by 3 million from 2005 to 2011—years marked by stagnant wages—and now 23% of the nation’s children live in poverty.

Meanwhile, a new report from the Restaurant Opportunities Centers ( ROC ) United shows that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, as legislation in Congress would do, would boost more than half of the working poor in the United States out of poverty.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the nation’s cornerstone wage law, Vice President Joe Biden told a White House audience that included a number of minimum wage workers:

It’s time to raise the minimum wage and keep faith with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that set into law a guaranteed minimum wage, established the 40-hour workweek and overtime pay for more than 40 hours, outlawed child labor and set other important employment standards.

Later this morning, the Obama White House will host a celebration of the FLSA with Vice President Joe Biden and a roundtable with workers. The event will be live-streamed beginning at 11 a.m. EDT at www.whitehouse.gov/live .

Guess who’s calling for a $15-an-hour minimum wage ? A self-proclaimed capitalist.

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Nick Hanauer made our case for a minimum wage increase yesterday in Bloomberg .

“The fundamental law of capitalism,” he says, “is that if workers have no money, businesses have no customers.”

Join Saru Jayaraman on Wednesday, June 12, from 2–3 p.m. EDT for  the sixth in the AFL-CIO series of live online discussions on how we build a movement for the future of working people . Jayaraman, co-founder and co-director of the  Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) —and the AFL-CIO—want to hear your ideas. She poses this question:

Minnesota is part of a growing group of states and localities that aren't sitting around and waiting for the federal government to take the lead on pushing to increase the minimum wage and move it closer to a living wage. Recently, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) introduced the  Fair Minimum Wage Act , which hasn't gone anywhere in Congress. But that isn't stopping states like Minnesota, which are stepping up and getting the job done when it comes to raising the minimum wage.

With the  federal minimum wage  stuck at $7.25 an hour and an increase facing stiff opposition from congressional Republicans, coalitions  of union, community, faith and other groups are mobilizing to win increases in state and local minimum wage levels. Here’s a look at some recent wins and campaigns where AFL-CIO state federations and central labor councils are playing big roles.

Saru Jayaraman, co-director and co-founder of  ROC-United , will appear on HBO's " Real Time with Bill Maher " tonight at 10 p.m. EDT   to discuss the importance of raising the tipped minimum wage for our country's 10 million restaurant workers. 

If you have HBO, be sure to tune in.