Commentary
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Incompetence, Fraud and Conflict of Interest: The Problems of SNAP Benefits
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Suppose it is payday and you are patiently waiting for your paycheck to hit your bank account. You do not have a particularly large cushion of savings, so the upcoming deposit will be covering groceries and other necessities, little else. Now imagine your shock: the bank has mistakenly allocated that…
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Between Law and Legitimacy: The Capture of Nicolás Maduro
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At 4:21 a.m. EST on January 3, a message appeared on the White House’s official X account that shook the international community. The message stated: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela,” adding that President Nicolás Maduro, “along with his wife,” had been…
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Chicago’s food insecurity needs action, not more impact analysis
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As with most edible foods in our homes, there is an expiration date for action on hunger. This past year, with approval ratings at an all-time low and food insecurity on the city’s South and West sides at an all-time high, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson failed to act on a…
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Who Will Explain Capitalism Now That Buffett Won’t?
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For one weekend every spring, cameras, analysts, and small investors from around the world flew to Omaha. Business channels in Europe and Asia set up temporary bureaus in a Midwestern city many of their viewers could not locate on a map, simply because one man would sit on a stage…
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Trump’s Intel Stake Isn’t Socialism; It’s Common Sense
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President Trump’s decision to seek government equity and revenue sharing in major chip companies, including a 9.9 percent non-voting stake in Intel and proposed deals with Nvidia and AMD, has sparked rare, intense bipartisan backlash; a sign of deep controversy surrounding direct government involvement in the tech sector. Sen. Rand…
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How the Supreme Court’s decision on Skrmetti may impact Bostock and the overall future of trans rights in America.
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In June 2025, the Supreme Court quietly let a dangerous precedent take hold. By allowing Tennessee to enforce Senate Bill 1 (SB1), later referred to as Skrmetti, a law banning doctors from providing puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy to transgender minors, the court did more than greenlight discrimination. It…
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The Democratic Party Has a Working Class Problem
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The Democratic Party brand is in crisis. A recent NBC poll reports the party’s favorability rating at a record low of 27 percent, marking a nadir that dates back to 1990. This polling follows the Democratic coalition fraying in November’s election as many working-class nonwhite voters defected from their ranks…
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Court-ing Growth in India: Cut Red Tape, Create Jobs
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India’s economy must create 1.1 billion well-paying jobs by 2050 before its “demographic dividend” window closes. However, neither the government’s current job-creation strategy nor a service-led approach addresses the magnitude of this problem. The fundamental solution lies in removing regulatory bottlenecks in Indian states and decongesting courts, thus creating conditions…
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Rwanda’s Clean Cooking Challenge: Can Community Action Make the Difference?
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Asteria’s hands tremble as she strikes a match, the small flame flickering before catching onto the lump of charcoal. Her youngest daughter, Keza, stands nearby, rubbing her eyes and coughing as the smoke curls toward the low roof of their kitchen. Asteria has been cooking this way for as long…
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State Suicide: A Weapon for Progressive Politics
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It’s 2025, and healthcare for women and transgender Americans is under threat, thanks to our far-right government. Democrats are far from helpless, though: given how narrow the Republican victory was, broad support for legal abortion, and President Trump’s middling approval ratings, it is likely that the Democrats will regain Congressional…
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Yes, it’s political: Dance & Disparities during a Trump term
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The first sentence of the 2024 Republican Party Platform is its dedication: “To the forgotten men and women of America.” This powerful message can and should be expanded upon as the toll of inequality continues to rip through America. From attacks on LGBTQ+ rights to stark racial disparities in mortality…