On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month.
Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they’ve had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin.
Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national implications.
Also this week, Sonal Kolhatkar explains how the inefficient, polluting, and far-flung globalized economy is uniquely vulnerably to supply chain shocks like COVID-19. That system, she argues, was hurting American workers, and the planet, long before the pandemic and inflation of today. Maybe it’s time to rethink it.
Finally, Jim Hightower condemns fossil fuel companies for dumping plastic pollution on poorer countries. And Khalil Bendib worries about the GOP’s increasingly overt Islamophobia.
New This Week…
Which Side Is Manchin On? | Kristen Olsen
One multimillionaire senator has the power to decide whether millions of kids — including mine — stay out of poverty.
Don’t Blame Benefits for Inflation — Blame the Global Economy | Sonali Kolhatkar
Ending child care subsidies won’t restock store shelves. A fairer, more sustainable global economy might.
The Planet Is Not a Dumping Ground | Jim Hightower
Petrochemical companies are racing to make more plastic — and force poor countries to become landfills for it.
The GOP’s Deadly Islamophobia | Khalil Bendib
The party’s increasingly over incitement against Muslims is a deadly trap for Americans.
In Case You Missed It…
Mental Health Care Is Hard to Come By — Especially If You’re Low-Income | Katie Prout
Record numbers of Americans are seeking mental health care and struggling to get it. Here’s what it’s like.
Stop Normalizing Islamophobia | Farrah Hassen
Hateful attacks on Ilhan Omar and other Muslims should be forcefully condemned, regardless of partisanship.
Amazon Can’t Bust Unions Forever | Sonali Kolhatkar
Even when it’s raking in record profits, the company is trying to keep workers from earning their fair share. This time, it may not work.
Prison Gerrymandering: The Modern ‘Three-Fifths Compromise’ | Robert P. Alvarez
Prisons inflate the political representation of the communities that host them — without any say from prisoners themselves.
