Economy and Business
Corporate Interests Are Warping the Internet
My identity was stolen this year. The perpetrator didn't open credit cards in my name or gain access to my finances. Instead, they used my name to submit a comment to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of repealing net neutrality rules. Those...
Is This the End of Free and Open Internet Access?
Free and open access to the internet is a virtuous democratic principle known as “net neutrality.” It means that it doesn't matter if you're a brand-name corporation or an unknown start-up, a billionaire or a poverty-wage laborer — you're entitled to equal treatment...
The GOP Tax Plan Is Igniting a Movement for a Moral Economy
If you’re expecting a gift card from your boss as an end-of-year bonus, enjoy it this year because you probably won’t get one in 2018. The Senate tax bill would ban such rewards. Why? Because Republican lawmakers are determined to prevent ordinary workers from...
Everyone Hates This Tax Bill
As the Trump tax cuts fly through Congress at breakneck speed, one has to wonder: What’s the big rush? Surely a body known for gridlock and deliberation would want to hold hearings, interview stakeholders, and gather public input before restructuring the world's...
If You Make Under $75,000, You Lose
Sam Rayburn, a legendary speaker of the U.S. House in the 1940s and '50s, offered this piece of ethical advice for lawmakers who were conflicted over whether to vote for the people or the lobbyists: “Every now and then,” he said, “a politician ought to do something...
This Tax Plan Is Going to Cost a Lot More Than Advertised
House Republicans and Donald Trump are ballyhooing the wonders of their new tax plan. It’s called the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," which we’re told will mean "More Jobs, Fairer Taxes, and Bigger Paychecks." Hallelujah! We can see the Promised Land! But before we pop the...
Your Taxpayer Dollars Are Funding Corporate Propaganda
While Congress hasn’t accomplished much in 2017, it did manage to pass a budget resolution — and within that budget, a sum of $3 million stands out. Congress appropriated that $3 million to fund the Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative. That's...
Cubans Are Starting Small Businesses, but the U.S. Is Hurting Them
On November 8, just as President Trump was clinching new business deals with the repressive Communist government of China, the Trump administration announced new rules rolling back President Obama’s opening with Cuba. The new regulations are supposed to punish hotels,...
Stop Talking About ‘Winners and Losers’ from Corporate Tax Cuts
Republicans are pushing a huge corporate tax cut bill through Congress. You might've seen a lot of coverage trying to sort out “who wins” and “who loses.” All that misses the point. The driving motivation behind this bill, rhetoric and packaging aside, is to deliver a...
Forget the Nordic Diet. Try their Tax Plan.
You’ve heard, no doubt, of the miraculous Mediterranean diet, which is said to keep Italians and Greeks living healthy lives into their 80s and beyond. The Japanese diet is popular, too, as the Japanese live the longest lives in the world. Then there’s the Nordic...
