When Paul Ryan first introduced his first “Path to Prosperity” budget proposal, he framed it as an attempt to build upon “successful” welfare reform of the late 1990s. At the time, I wrote that “welfare reform” was a “catastrophic success,” because of its devastating impact on the people reform advocates claimed reform would help. I [...]
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While meandering the streets of Paris, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman apparently awakened to the fact that the assignment of claims to wealth through patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property is a really big deal. This is good news for those who have been jumping up and down yelling about this fact [...]
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The clock is ticking on student loan interest rates. The rates for federally-backed student Stafford loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1. And what has Congress done to help these already struggling students? Absolutely nothing. Student debt now totals $1 trillion, and Congress is still deadlocked when it comes to preventing an increase in the interest rate on student loans.
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You may have heard that Republicans are forcing (even more) cuts in programs like Meals On Wheels. Big deal, another “budget cut” to reduce the dreaded “government spending.” But what does all of this this mean to actual, real people? Read this because what really happens to real people isn’t pretty. Let’s see if you [...]
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For an estimated 4 million people, including about 210,000 schoolchildren, the farm bill the House is scheduled to start debating today could mean they will be going hungry a lot more often. That has promoted organizations such as Half in 10 and the Food Research and Action Center to organize a National Call-In Day to [...]
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The Farm Bill that is expected to pass the U.S. House this week explains income inequality in America. The Republican-sponsored proposal slashes food stamps for poor children and pads farm subsidies for wealthy agri-businessmen. This comes just a week after Senate Republicans refused to protect the poorest students from doubled college loan interest rates because [...]
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What kind of society abandons its own young? What kind of society allows the generations in power to favor themselves over those who follow them, and then lets them claim they’re doing it out of selflessness? Look around you. This weekend we reviewed nine ways an extreme-right right social agenda has harmed the millennial generation. [...]
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A new CNN/ORC International poll released today reveals that Democrats may be in trouble during the 2014 midterm elections. Amid political controversies, an anemic economy and high unemployment, President Obama’s approval rating dropped eight percentage points in a single month. Standing now at only 45 percent, this is the president’s lowest approval rating in more [...]
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