Who could’ve seen the Ohio rail disaster coming? Railroad workers, it turns out.
This week in OtherWords, my colleague Rebekah Entralgo shows how the corporate profiteering of rail carriers led to unsafe staffing and maintenance practices — and ultimately disaster in Ohio and many other communities. Rail unions saw it coming, she writes — and have a bold plan to prevent it next time.
Meanwhile, nearly 20 million Americans on Medicaid are looking down the tracks to another disaster: mass, abrupt unenrollment as pandemic protections end.
LT Talarico, a dental hygienist and Medicaid recipient from Pennsylvania, explains how the program helped get her life back — and how people and policy makers can prevent low-income Americans from falling off the Medicaid cliff. And Jim Hightower reports on the physicians speaking out against corporate health care.
Finally, Sonali Kolhatkar offers a lovely personal take on the politics of cleanliness. She calls on women to reject the sexist expectation that they clean house all day and spend their scarce free time on things they love instead.
New This Week….
Rail Workers Warned Us: Greed Is Dangerous | Rebekah Entralgo
Following derailments across the country, rail workers have a solution to the nation’s rail crisis: public ownership.
A Health Care Cliff is Coming | LT Talarico
I’m one of 18 million Americans who could soon lose Medicaid access. Here’s how to keep people from falling over the edge — and how to fight back.
Embrace the Mess | Sonali Kolhatkar
Women can reject the pressure to maintain spotless homes year-round and focus on what really matters to us.
Health Care is Sick — and Profit is the Disease | Jim Hightower
Corporate consolidation is burning out health care professionals and killing patients. But there’s another way.
Cartoon: Mass Shooting Du Jour | Khalil Bendib
New course, same bitter serving.
In Case You Missed It….
How the World Can Help After the Middle East Earthquake | Farrah Hassen
For Syrians, the quake is the latest crisis after years of suffering. It’s time to end sanctions and send aid.
Credit Card Holders Get Protection from Fraud. Shouldn’t EBT Users, Too? | Evette Clemons
My kids and I deserve the same consumer financial protections that higher-income Americans get.
Biden Is Right: You Shouldn’t Pay a Higher Tax Rate Than Billionaires | Rebekah Entralgo
The president has renewed his call for a “billionaire minimum tax.” If Congress won’t listen, states should.
Teach Black History — Don’t Ban It | Tracey L. Rogers
Politicians fire teachers and ban books, but more and more Americans are standing up against this effort to erase our history.
