| Dec 6, 2023 | Economy / Business|HP Subfeatured|Rights / Democracy’Tis the season for holiday sales. But on the other side of the planet, there’s a high cost for those low prices. This is especially true for “fast fashion,” the clothing equivalent of a Big Mac: attractive, affordable, and throwaway. The Bangladeshi women who toil as...
| | Economy / Business|HP Featured|Rights / DemocracyToo many of us have to depend on sheer good luck to make it — especially when it comes to putting a roof over our heads. We grow up hearing that hard work alone will lift us above the hardships we’re born into. But many of us also watched as our parents worked two and...
| Nov 29, 2023 | Economy / Business|HP Subfeatured|Rights / DemocracyAs a 32 year-old mother, I understand the extreme challenges my single mom faced better than ever. But I’ve also seen the life-changing difference a strong social safety net can make. Above all, I’ve learned that poverty is a policy choice, not a personal one. We can...
| | Economy / Business|HP Featured|Peace / Security|Rights / DemocracyThe Pentagon just failed its audit — again. For the sixth time in a row, the agency that accounts for half the money Congress approves each year can’t figure out what it did with all that money. For a brief recap, the Pentagon has never passed an audit. Until 2018, it...
| | HP Subfeatured|Rights / DemocracyIn one of their satirical songs, the Austin Lounge Lizards lampooned the ridiculous bigotry of some Christian fundamentalists. “Jesus loves me,” they sang, “but he can’t stand you.” That could be the bellicose anthem of a quasi-religious far-right front group with a...
| Nov 15, 2023 | Economy / Business|HP Featured|Rights / DemocracyAs a federal customer service representative, I help seniors access the health care they need through Medicare. I often handle hundreds of calls per day to sign people up, answer their questions, help them navigate billing, and more. The hard truth is that despite...