Why We Did an Issue on Debt
Good debts? We know it sounds crazy. But there’s a quiet revolution brewing in how we move money around, and we want our readers to know about it.
Economy
I Learned More by Leading a Student-Debt Strike Than I Did at College
After graduating from Everest College with a bad education and no job prospects in sight, I refused to pay my student loans. Now I’m helping lead the first student-debt strike in America.
“Don’t Owe. Won’t Pay.” Everything You’ve Been Told About Debt Is Wrong
With the nation’s household debt burden at $11.85 trillion, even the most modest challenges to its legitimacy have revolutionary implications.
These Former Debt Collectors Decided to Ditch the Industry, Buy Up Medical Debt, and Forgive It
Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico spent decades hounding debtors to pay their bills—until an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street inspired them to find a way to pay struggling people's debts.
After 20 Years Reporting on Solutions, I’m Going on a Journey to Find Where Hope Lies Now
YES! co-founder Sarah van Gelder sets out on a road trip to find the edge of change.
Infographic: The Real Reason You Have So Much Debt (It’s Not Crazy Spending)
$11.85 trillion in household debt has more to do with stagnant wages (and predatory banks) than shopping sprees.
The Crunch: Why Washington D.C. Hired a Herd of Goats (And Other News to Chew On)
This week we’re talking about the future of work, a "masculine studies" program... and goats.
This New Rule Will Bring Secretive Corporate Tax Breaks to Light
Every year, governments spend tens of billions of dollars on tax breaks for private companies. Now, state and city governments will have to start reporting it as lost income.
This NYC Real Estate Co-Op Helps Small Businesses Stay Put
A New York City co-op raises $1.2 million in pledges to fight gentrification and provide affordable rent for local business owners.
The Weekly Crunch: Tiny Houses in Vancouver and Why the South Is the New China
This week: Bee activists step up their game, Bernie Sanders lays out his views on all thing politicals, and fracking takes its toll on Oklahoma.
Seattle Led the Country’s Minimum Wage Revolution. Can It Do the Same With Rent Control?
New York and San Francisco both suffer from soaring rents and gentrification, despite decades of regulation. How Seattle socialist Kshama Sawant plans to do affordable housing right.
A North Carolina Textile Co-Op Gives Immigrant Workers a Stake in the Business
In a state that lost 88 percent of its textile industry jobs in just 10 years, small worker-owned cooperatives are islands of rights and resilience.
Debt Collective Marches on New Orleans for Free Higher Ed
“It’s not about freeloading. It’s about what we’re willing to extend to each other as a society.”
Economic Growth Doesn’t Make a Wealthy Nation, Safety and Happiness Do
Economist Kate Raworth explains why economic growth shouldn't be the only measure of a nation's wealth.
The Case for a “Jazz Revolution” Against Corporate Capitalism
Bottom up? Top down? Improvisation is the key to a middle way.
How Buying the Local Post Office Will Help My Family Farm and Small Town Survive
I never thought farming would mean owning a post office. But looking at my community and our need to define ourselves as a place, that seems to be our family farm's next job.
Obama’s Push for Corporate Rule: A Moment of Opportunity
Call it populism versus corporatism or democracy versus corporate rule. Either way, it is a far more meaningful political division than two political parties debating big government versus small.
Solar Panels Are Part of the Pope’s Revolution—But So Is Dismantling Structural Racism
The Pope is talking about a revolution that goes way beyond simply adding renewable energy to our current extractive economy.
What’s Next for the World’s Largest Federation of Worker-Owned Co-Ops?
A conversation with Mondragon President Josu Ugarte on the future of the mega-cooperative.
How This Library Paid $1 to Install Its Solar Panels
In West Virginia, Solar Holler helps nonprofits install solar panels for less than the price of a cup of coffee.
These Friends from High School Bought an Abandoned Factory. Now They’re Distilling Artisanal Whiskeys
Much as blight can be contagious, so can renewal. How grassroots community groups are saving neighborhoods and building new businesses.
Where Do “Rednecks” Really Come From? A New Museum Has the Surprising Answer
Tourists spend $400 more per trip on average when their trips focus on history and culture. That could be a big opportunity for West Virginia's changing economy.
Even in a Drought, California Farms Have a Future—But They’ll Need Local Control to Succeed
Some California farmers have discovered ways to farm that use very little water, yet thirstier methods still dominate. What gives?
One in Four Local Banks Has Vanished Since 2008. Why We Should Treat It as a National Crisis
While megabanks make megabucks, local banks are financing businesses that create jobs and improve well-being. So why are they disappearing so rapidly?
Which of These 4 Radical, Badass Women Will Be on the $20 Bill? The Results Are In
Americans voted on Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and two other contenders to replace Andrew Jackson.
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