Economy and Business

Meeting Union Demands Would Be a Win-Win for Automakers
But with corporations insistent on squeezing more profits no matter the cost, strikes are inevitable — and necessary.

Climate Is the Fight of Our Lifetime. Our Federal Budget Should Reflect That.
More than half of discretionary spending goes to the military. Only a tiny fraction addresses the most urgent threat to our security.

Poverty Just Jumped — And It Was No Accident
I’ve lived and studied poverty most of my life. But you don’t have to be an expert to see why it’s spiking after lawmakers let antipoverty programs expire.

End Wealth Supremacy
15 years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Wall Street is as predatory as ever. But a more democratic economy could be rising all around us.

We Can Stop Drug Price Gouging — Here’s How
Under President Joe Biden’s anti-inflation policy passed last year, Medicare can now negotiate drug prices on our behalf.

Mandatory Overtime Is Inhumane and Dangerous
Mill workers are battling harder than ever against overtime requirements that strain families and put lives at risk.

The Federal Government Is Evolving on Marijuana — But Not Fast Enough
We shouldn’t treat cannabis like heroin. But we shouldn’t treat it like ketamine either, as a federal agency now recommends.

Don’t Blame Workers for Poor Service — Blame Our CEOs
New data shows big retailers have the cash to hire more workers and pay them well. They just spend it on stocks and CEOs instead.

A Crossroads for Workers with Disabilities
Pandemic-era gains have transformed the job market for disabled workers — and everyone else. Let’s protect that progress.

We Still Have a Dream
Sixty years after Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, our racial economic divide is vast as ever. But it can still be closed — and quickly.