Welfare Reform Was a Disaster for the Poor. Trump Wants to Make It Even Worse.
President Bill Clinton signs welfare reform legislation on August 22, 1996.J. Scott Applewhite/AP This week marked the 23rd anniversary of welfare reform, a law that ripped a hole in the nation’s safety net under the guise of encouraging personal responsibility among poor families. The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has marked the anniversary…
Report: Trump’s Businesses Could Save Millions If Fed Cuts Interest Rates
Donald Trump and his son, Eric, at the 2016 grand opening of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DCEvan Vucci/AP In recent months, Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the Federal Reserve and its chairperson, Jerome Powell, for setting interest rates higher than Trump would like. “The only problem we have is Jay Powell and the…
Greta Thunberg Is Happy to Her Work Is Described as “Greatest Threat” by Oil Chief
Greta Thunberg attends the “Fridays For Future” rally on April 19, 2019 in Rome, Italy.Ernesto Ruscio/Getty This story was originally published by the Guardian and is shared here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Greta Thunberg and other climate activists have said it is a badge of honor that the head of the world’s most powerful oil…
We Are Flushing Away Our Forests
Mint/ZUMA This story was originally published by the Guardian and is shared here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Toilet paper—the one product that the majority of us use just once and flush away—is becoming less sustainable, according to research. Analysis from Ethical Consumer magazine found that major brands were using less recycled paper than in…
Activists Outside the 2020 Debate Are Demanding That Climate Change Take Center Stage
Just a few hours before the second round of 2020 Democratic presidential contenders are set to face off, dozens of local activists in Miami, Florida held an “Underwater Climate Rally,” calling for more discussion about climate change at the second Democratic debate. A coalition of local environmental groups organized the march to the Arsht Center…
California Is Considering Ending Criminal Court Fees and Wiping Out Billions in Debt
Susann Prautsch/Getty Three years ago, during Brandon Greene’s first week working as a lawyer in a new clinic affiliated with the East Bay Community Law Center, he was handed a stack of cases to review. Each involved a client who was struggling to pay down the fines and fees that easily accumulate in California’s criminal justice system. It was his job…