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With new laws across the country targeting everything from voting rights to teachers and librarians, it’s easy to feel like democracy is on the defensive. But this week, Erica Smiley and Sarita Gupta look at a much more encouraging development: the remarkable wave of labor victories from Amazon to Starbucks to gig workers.
Having a say in our political lives is an essential part of democracy. But so is having a say in our economic lives, they argue. “The Americans organizing their workplaces aren’t simply fighting for themselves, they write. “They’re storm troops fighting for democracy.”
Also this week, in time for Earth Day, Basav Sen holds up environmental movements from Los Angeles to West Virginia who can push the Biden administration to live up to its own promises on climate. (And if you missed Daphne Wysham’s earlier op-ed on the promise of methane removal, give that a look too.)
Meanwhile, as the war in Ukraine drags on and evidence of terrible war crimes emerges, Farrah Hassen outlines one way the U.S. can start holding Russia accountable: by joining the International Criminal Court. But this also means accepting scrutiny of possible war crimes by Americans as well — which, as cartoonist Khalil Bendib illustrates, the administration seems reluctant to do.
Finally, Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Gerardo Sanchez Herrera Moro argue that for low-income groups like African Americans, public policy offers a better way out of poverty than risky bets like cryptocurrency. And as controversy swirls around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Mitchell Zimmerman says it’s Justice Neil Gorsuch who needs to resign.
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New This Week…
Democracy Needs You — Not Just at the Polls, But at Work Too | Erica Smiley and Sarita Gupta
The Americans organizing their workplaces aren’t simply fighting for themselves. They’re storm troops fighting for democracy.
How the U.S. Can Help Get Justice for Ukrainians | Farrah Hassen
If we want the International Criminal Court to investigate Russia, we need to stop undermining it ourselves.
Pushing Back on ‘Soft Climate Denial’ | Basav Sen
The Biden administration claims to “believe the science” on climate, but its actions need to catch up with its words.
Crypto Is a Risky Bet for Black Americans | Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Gerardo Sanchez Herrera Moro
There are better ways to close the racial wealth gap while giving a leg up to Americans of every color.
Justice Gorsuch Must Resign | Mitchell Zimmerman
A “justice” who sits in defiance of the Constitution has cast the deciding vote in too many cases.
Getting It Twisted On War Crimes | Khalil Bendib
For years, the U.S. has sent conflicting signals about whose war crimes deserve to be prosecuted. The answer should be all of them.
In Case You Missed It…
A Pandemic of the Poor | Karen Dolan
As we approach 1 million COVID-19 deaths, new research finds that Americans in poorer counties have died at double the rate of wealthier counties.
An Earth Day Technology Worth Investing In | Daphne Wysham
Global emissions of methane are skyrocketing. But if we act now, we can start getting it out of the atmosphere.
About That $900 You Gave Pentagon Contractors | Lindsay Koshgarian
This tax season, I’d rather fund green jobs and disease control than jets that spontaneously combust. Wouldn’t you?
Lessons About Poverty in America’s Heartland | Britnie Remer
Being poor affects everything from your health to the water you drink. It can also be transformed into a powerful force for change.
