This week, President Biden will give his final State of the Union address before the 2024 election, while former President Trump looks to have the GOP nomination sewn up following the Super Tuesday primaries.
Campaign season, in short, is about to descend on us for real. And it’s going to be loud.
Amid heightening partisanship and dire threats to our democracy, where can Americans turn for informed reporting that can build their communities rather than divide them? Their local newspapers — if they’re lucky to still have one.
This week In OtherWords, Chris Mills Rodrigo lays out the crisis facing local journalism, with the country on track to lose a third of its newspapers since 2005 by the end of the year. But there’s a solution, Chris writes, that we’ve already been building for years: public media. We just need to scale it up.
Speaking of scaling up popular public goods, Liam Crisan highlights the popularity of public transit funding and calls on more politicians to listen. And Xzandria Armstrong shares her remarkable story of going from working on movie sets to suffering homelessness in a piece about the importance of a strong safety net.
New This Week…
We Need a ‘Marshall Plan’ for Public Media | Chris Mills Rodrigo
Local news is too important for our democracy to live and die by ad dollars or fundraising. Public funding could help.
Voters Want More Transit Options. Politicians Should Listen. | Liam Crisan
With over 70 percent of voters saying the government should fund more public transit, it’s no surprise imaginary transit maps keep going viral.
Life Happens. That’s Why We Need a Safety Net. | Xzandria Armstrong
I went from casting movie stars to experiencing homelessness. Now I’m organizing my neighbors for a living wage and a better safety net.
CARTOON: Tipping the Scales | Khalil Bendib
Donald Trump’s reelection bid gets an assist from his Supreme Court appointees.
In Case You Missed It…
Backlash: Women’s History Month in a Post-Roe World | Martha Burk
Hell hath no fury like a woman deprived of her basic rights.
We Can Break The Cycle of Poverty, Mental Illness, and Prison | Matthew Rosing
I spent 9 years in prison when what I really needed was mental health care. Now I organize poor and low-income people like me across to demand more from our system.
Gazans Are Starving — Don’t Cut Aid Now | Phyllis Bennis
To feed children, treat the wounded, and save innocent lives, the U.S. must restore UNRWA’s funding.
The Rent Is Still Too High | Farrah Hassen
Housing prices are spiraling alongside homelessness. To solve this crisis, we need to recognize housing as a human right.
