Working Americans have been complaining about stubbornly high costs of living for years.
For a while, a strong labor market eased some of that distress. But as the job market shows signs of faltering, that insecurity is rising to the surface — and could be turbo-charged by deep cuts to safety net programs, loosened reins on scam artists, and an ongoing decision by our policy makers not to invest in services that are basic rights in other countries.
This week in OtherWords, Rokosz Most shares how rural communities are bracing for the impact of the Trump-GOP Medicaid cuts, which could lead to hundreds of rural hospital closures. Chloe Rogers exposes how private equity giants are trying to make risky bets with your retirement savings. Brea Harris shares a firsthand dispatch from America’s child care nightmare.
And finally, in something only a little different, Farrah Hassen highlights how punitive “pet rents” and related fees and restrictions make finding housing in an already tight, overpriced market more complicated for the millions of Americans with pets. (If nothing else, you should click through for the glamor shot of her cat.)
New This Week…
Rural Communities Brace for Trump’s Health Cuts | Rokosz Most
Rural hospitals — often the largest employers as well as critical care providers in their regions — will be among the worst hit by the GOP’s Medicaid cuts.
Don’t Let Wall Street Gamble with Your Golden Years | Chloe Rogers
Private equity firms want your retirement savings — and the Trump administration wants to help them.
Child Care Doesn’t Have to Be This Terrible | Brea Harris
It was only after months of expensive child care stress that I learned other countries don’t do it this way.
Make Housing Pet-Friendly | Farrah Hassen
Unnecessary pet restrictions on rental properties make a tough housing market even worse for countless Americans like me — and my cat.
In Case You Missed It…
Communities Pay the Price for ‘Free’ AI Tools | Dan Howells and Todd Larsen
AI data centers produce massive noise pollution, use huge amounts of water, and keep us hooked on fossil fuels.
Trump’s Attacks on the Fed Fit a Troubling Pattern | Dedrick Asante-Muhammad
By attacking the Federal Reserve’s independence, President Trump is putting the economy in danger — and attacking yet another qualified Black leader.
My Family Just Got Back on Our Feet. Trump’s Bill Could Knock Us Over Again. | Alexis Cortes
Those tax cuts for the wealthy are financed on the backs of families like yours and mine.
Employers Want to Trap You in Dead-End Jobs. Will Trump’s FTC Help Them? | Elizabeth Wilkins
I worked for the Federal Trade Commission when we banned employers from trapping workers with “noncompete clauses.” Now that victory is in danger.
