Archive
A Higher Education Revolution
You might not have noticed it yet, but student protests are undergoing something of a renaissance. They're rising to levels unseen in decades. In California, students are stripping half naked to oppose tuition hikes and shutting down highways to draw attention to...
The Right to Eat
There’s one group of people in this country who probably get less sympathy than anyone else: felons. If you’re a convicted felon, very few Americans care about your plight. Can’t find a job or an apartment because of your record? Too bad, we tell them, you shouldn’t...
A Bacon-Wrapped Cholesterol Bomb
Let me say one word to you: Bacon. Not only is it delicious, it's practically irresistible — I even know vegans who sneak bites of the stuff. And these days, it's hard to avoid the pork strip. It's in snack foods, on school lunch trays, and in bars, breakfast joints,...
Bumps in the Road
Debt Collectors or Pick Pockets?
Whenever a corporation issues a statement declaring that it's committed to "treating consumers fairly and with respect," chances are it's not. Otherwise, there would be no need for a statement. This particular claim came from Encore Capital, one of our country's...
In OtherWords: April 1, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Karen Dolan exposes the criminalization of poverty and Sarah Anderson compares giant corporations to used car salesmen. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from OtherWords? Please subscribe to our free weekly newsletter or...
Guilty of Being Poor
Here’s something you might not know about Ferguson, Missouri: In this city of 21,000 people, 16,000 have outstanding arrest warrants. In fact, in 2013 alone, authorities issued 9,000 warrants for over 32,000 offenses. That’s one-and-a-half offenses for every resident...
What Are Women Workers Worth in Your State?
For years, Time magazine has a run a feature on the best places to live in the United States. But nobody ever ranked the best places for women — until now. A major factor for anyone's quality of life, of course, is the ability to earn a living. And nationally,...
Thawing Cuban Relations Could Prove Good for Your Health
As soon as President Barack Obama announced his plan to thaw long-frozen diplomatic relations with Cuba, the speculation began about what it would mean for the island. Would it help the Castro brothers? Empower activists? Create jobs? There’s no question that the...
Will Congress Be Duped Again on Offshore Taxes?
Like a savvy bargainer on a used car lot, big multinational corporations have mastered the art of feigning indifference and walking away. What they walk away with is their profits, stockpiling them abroad where they legally remain untaxed until returned to the United...