After 30 years, the practice of paying every resident—including children—at least $1,000 has made Alaska one of the least unequal states in America. Here's what the rest of us can learn.
In this red state, publicly owned utilities provide electricity to all 1.8 million people. Here's how Nebraska took its energy out of corporate hands and made it affordable for everyday residents.
Three years ago, Matika Wilbur set out on an ambitious undertaking: a vast road trip across America to photograph members of all 562 of America’s federally-recognized tribes.
The banking system makes it tough for local businesses to get their hands on startup money. But creative entrepreneurs are finding solutions.
There are plenty of lessons to be taken from Syriza’s victory and the rise to power of Spain's Podemos party, but striving to speak to people rather than politics might be chief among them.
Community land trusts create housing that is permanently affordable. And they also help new city farmers get land.
Alternative business models such as worker-owned cooperatives are gaining ground, proving that a more just and sustainable future is possible.
Creator of Master Cooks Corps train-the-trainer program Chef Nadine Nelson says White people in the food movement should ask themselves: What are you doing to hold yourself accountable to people of color?
We’ve redesigned our site to be mobile-friendly and more enjoyable to read with you, our loyal readers, in mind.
Neither a “great man” history of Martin Luther King Jr., nor a tale of forgotten underdogs, Selma is about skilled activists building a movement.
What do Shakespeare’s plays tell us about how to run classrooms in an unequal society?
In California and Ohio, two city governments are entrusting their citizens with budgeting and rewarding banks for valuing local communities.
An app that combines the affordability of ride sharing with the reliability of taxis. Playgrounds built as sponges for reusable greywater. From Finland to California, the cities of the future are here.
From city-issued ID cards to open-source data anyone can access, simple urban innovations are creating more transparent and equitable cities.
Harry Potter stood up for his world's most vulnerable people. Now, legions of real-world kids are too—by demanding Fair Trade certification for products sold in their hero's name.
Reading is one of Pennsylvania’s poorest cities. Can its residents turn things around by building a more democratic economy?
“Teachers are better prepared because #FergusonSyllabus created a space for exchange among educators about best practices and materials for illustrating the best and worst of our democracy.”
Last year, scientists found that gratitude makes us financially smarter, mindfulness reduces racism, a little sadness makes for healthier people, and compassion for birds could help tackle climate change.
From Native activists to urban youth, new leadership finds ways to deal with climate chaos.
Advocates didn’t get the public bank they wanted. But the compromise they reached in the end was still a rare and significant win over Wall Street banks.
By some estimates, the city of Baltimore has sunk more than $1.5 billion into its Inner Harbor. Workers and residents want their share too.
The urban drainage-ways of Los Angeles can never quite look like wild creeks, but restoring some of their capacity to store, slow, and filter water fixes many problems at once.
As we reimagine our future cities, we can make room for nature and humanity.
You don't need a garden to grow mushrooms—any cool, shady space will do, even a cupboard or dark corner.
Density has become a dirty word in some circles because people associate it with big, ugly buildings. Luckily, there are other ways to get people living close together.
Our Vision to Create the Best Stories Imaginable
In 2025, we will temporarily pause the printing of YES! Magazine.
LEARN MOREHelp Fund Powerful Stories to Light the Way Forward
Donate to YES! today.