It “is an antidepressant. It is a sleep aid. A diet. A stress reliever. It is a contraceptive, preventing teenage pregnancy. It prevents premature death. It shields children from neglect.” It’s also one of many ways to address the growing economic divide that is driving global politics and quickly becoming a core issue in the 2020 US presidential election. The NYT Mag’s Matthew Desmond the broad reaching impact of turning the minimum wage into a living wage. Dollars on the Margin.