A city near you, maybe even yours, may be bidding to host Amazon’s famed “HQ2,” the second headquarters for which it wants big local tax breaks from the lowest bidder. Or maybe Amazon workers at a distribution center around you are on strike, or complaining about poor working conditions.
Either way, the retail giant is poised to get a lot closer to home, as Katie Parker explains this week. That could mean bad news for local businesses, but many cities are exploring bright ideas to invest in their own communities.
Of course, even behemoths can be beaten. As Negin Owliaei reports this week, residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania recently tuned back an effort by private prison giant Geo Group to set up shop in their community. In addition to protecting local tax dollars, it’s a part of a larger trend of rural communities standing up for their immigrant neighbors, which Justin Vest says more about this week.
Also this week, Chuck Collins and Helen Flannery explain how wealthy individuals and corporations are creating ways to claim huge charitable tax donations, potentially without supporting any actual charities. Jill Richardson argues that organic food thrives on regulation. And Khalil Bendib imagines a fitting new monument for the current era: the Statue of Infamy.
New This Week…
- Amazon’s Worst Bargain Yet | Katie Parker
The retail behemoth wants your local government’s business, but there’s a hidden cost to low prices: Local businesses get shut out. - How to Turn Back a Giant | Negin Owliaei
Lancaster, Pennsylvania residents kept a private prison giant out of their community. It’s an inspiring example for others. - Rural America Stands Up for Immigrants | Justin Vest
I’m sick of politicians who exploit the suffering of rural white communities like mine to justify atrocities against immigrants. - If You Take a Charitable Tax Deduction, You Should Actually Give to Charity | Chuck Collins and Helen Flannery
Wealthy donors are hoarding money in shady “charity” accounts in the face of urgent community needs. - The Organic Food Industry Thrives on Regulation | Jill Richardson
Without strict standards, the organic label would become worthless. So why is the White House rolling them back? - Statue of Infamy | Khalil Bendib
Give me your tired and your poor, so I can put them in a concentration camp.
In Case You Missed It…
- Let Me Tell You What Forced Separation Feels Like | Nicole Braun
Our country puts thousands upon thousands of U.S.-born kids behind bars, too. Mine was one of them. - Remembering Donald Kaul | Emily Schwartz Greco
I used to edit the legendary writer’s columns. Telling his fans about it sounded as far-fetched to them as if I’d claimed to be Warren Buffett’s broker. - I’m a Small Farmer from Iowa. Why Does Trump Want to Take My Health Care? | Chris Petersen
Republicans want to bring back “pre-existing conditions” as a reason to deny you care. - The Mosquito Gap | Sarah Anderson
How poverty, climate change, and bad policy put poor people at greater risk from pest-borne diseases.
