The Movement for Black Lives Issue Takeover

ViewpointRural America

When Wildfire Prevention Destroys Wildlife Habitat

As Western towns cut back nearby forest fuels to deter wildfires, new houses continue to sprawl relentlessly into the surrounding wildlands.

Pepper Trail

Feature

Suppressed Wages and Rural Decline Meet in Mellen, Wisconsin

In the small town, lumber workers say that low wages are pushing young people out of the profession.

Joanna Thompson

Viewpoint

The Real "Big Lie" Is That Billionaires Are Tolerable

Great wealth should be seen as deranged hoarding.

Hamilton Nolan

ViewpointRural America

For the Nez Perce, a Proposed Gold Mine Is a Symbol of Broken Promises

The U.S. government stole Nez Perce treaty land to make way for gold miners in the 1860s. A century and a half later, gold mining again threatens the tribe’s homeland.

Marcie Carter

Labor

“The Amazon Workers in Bessemer Would Already Have Their Union If We Had the PRO Act”

What the union loss at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama means for the future of organizing in the Biden era.

Kim Kelly and Shaun Richman

Feature

Joe Biden Shouldn't Shy Away From the Radicalism of the New Deal

'Why the New Deal Matters' author Eric Rauchway explains why embracing FDR's signature programs is not just a moral imperative—it's good politics.

Natasha Hakimi Zapata

Labor

How the U.S. Military Reinforces Our Brutal Class System—And Vice Versa

Why does our economy ensure a constant stream of recruits? And why are the armed services so attractive to the marginalized? Vets answer these questions and more.

Maximillian Alvarez

Labor

Early Draft of AFL-CIO's Report on Police Reform Shows a Commitment to Defending Police Unions

The long-awaited draft report is an explicit rejection of calls for the labor movement to separate itself from police.

Hamilton Nolan

DispatchRural America

"It's a Nightmare": Inside America's Rural Housing Crisis

Across Wisconsin, low-income people are struggling to find quality, affordable housing.

Jack Kelly

Labor

U.S. Labor Shortage? No, We Have a Crisis of Low Wages.

Don't easily believe claims that there's a lack of people to fill jobs. What's really going on is that employers aren't offering workers a living wage.

Heidi Shierholz

FeatureRural America

In Dairy Country, a Network of Hmong and Latino Workers Fight Covid-19

Dairy production in Wisconsin relies on immigrant labor, a contradiction in a state that has seen the rise of nativist, anti-immigrant politics.

Esther Honig

Labor

Get Rid of No-Strike Clauses and Stop Begging

The right to strike is the only thing that gives working people power. Let's stop bargaining it away.

Hamilton Nolan

Feature

The Congresspeople Standing Up for Their Trans Children

Trans people, who face relentless attacks on their right to exist, are nearly absent in federal representation. Reps. Marie Newman and Pramila Jayapal, both parents to trans kids, have their backs.

Heron Greenesmith

Culture

On the Air with All (or Most) Things Considered

To mark the 50th anniversary of National Public Radio, we revisit this 1979 story on the station and its flagship program "All Things Considered," which at the time was known as "Sesame Street for adults."

Beth Bogart

LaborFeatureClimate

This Old Steel Mill Town is Now a Hub for Green Energy

Sick of poison runoff and toxic beaches, a former steel town near Baltimore fights for clean jobs.

Dharna Noor

Rural America

As Meatpackers Stoked Fears of a Shortage, U.S. Meat Exports Increased

Citing imminent shortages, the meat industry lobbied to keep packing plants open as Covid-19 tore through workers’ ranks. At the same time, U.S. meat exports increased.

Madison McVan

Viewpoint

Biden’s Infrastructure Plans Are a Good Start—But We Must Ensure Democratic Control

President Biden has laid out an ambitious agenda for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. To succeed, the projects should be put under public ownership.

Thomas M. Hanna

Viewpoint

Biden's First 100 Days Have Been a Tale of Two Presidencies

When it comes to economic issues, the Biden administration has shown some surprising progressivism. On foreign policy, not so much.

Max B. Sawicky