Portland Is First U.S. City to Divest Funds from Walmart
The initiative also prohibits the city from purchasing Walmart bonds in the future.
Local economies
The Coal Workers You Didn’t Know Existed—And Why They May Be At Risk
Thousands of workers may be at risk of chronic disease from the chemicals used to process coal—including MCHM, which recently contaminated the drinking water of nearly 300,000 West Virginia residents.
Think You Know What a Farmer Looks Like? Think Again
Preliminary results from the 2012 Census of Agriculture show the increasing role of women in U.S. agriculture—especially on organic and small-scale farms.
After Death of Radical Mayor, Mississippi’s Capital Wrestles With His Economic Vision
Mayor Chokwe Lumumba implemented only the first steps of his plan to address Jackson's extreme income inequality, which most seriously affected black residents. Now the city faces a choice between vastly different approaches to economic development.
Want to Fight the Corporate Takeover? Start with a Pint at the Pub
The British government is reversing damage done to local economies by the Great Recession by protecting local pubs.
A Parliament of Mayors: Can We End Inequality By Giving Cities More Power?
In our increasingly interdependent world, mayors may be more motivated to collaborate and possibly more capable than our national governments of effectively working across borders.
Remembering Chokwe Lumumba
Can you be a revolutionary and a mayor? Chokwe Lumumba—who spent eight months as mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, before he died—did his best to be both.
A Passion for Peppers: The Movement to Save New Mexico’s Treasured Chiles
New Mexico's traditional landrace chile varieties have adapted to hot days, cold nights, and long dry spells. But can they survive modern agribusiness?
To Truly Address Inequality, Let’s Build a People-Centered Economy
The high-tech hubs and natural gas drilling the president called for in his state of the union speech aren't the answer to our economic woes. Instead, we need to follow the leadership already coming from communities, workers, and small-business owners.
How a Fruit and Vegetable Auction in Rural Ohio Helps Appalachian Farmers Thrive
Produce auctions are getting fresh vegetables into food deserts, building community, and helping rural farmers earn a living.
After 20-Year Fight, Bronx Community Wins Big on Development Project Committed to Living Wages and Local Economy
The people of New York’s poorest borough fought to ensure that redevelopment of its castle-like landmark will benefit those who live there. Will it be a gamechanger?
Philly’s New Land Bank: Will It Give Blighted Communities a Boost?
The city is home to more than 40,000 vacant properties. Now neighborhoods are hoping a new public entity can help them bounce back from the post-industrial blues.
Bill de Blasio: A Mayor for the New Economy
New York City's new mayor has laid out a radically inclusive economic agenda.
The Economy of Smallness: Making Economic Exchange a Loving Human Interaction
Philadelphia restauranteur and local economies movement leader Judy Wicks on making good and doing good.
Main Street Comeback: How Independent Stores are Thriving (Even in the Age of Amazon)
Despite behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, the number of independent bookstores, coffeeshops, and other businesses is growing.
Can Eminent Domain Be Used to Avert a Foreclosure Mess? This California City Thinks So
Governments usually use eminent domain powers to displace people. But one hardscrabble Bay Area city is going to the mat to do just the opposite—stabilize its economy and keep residents where they are.
Nobel Prize? Meet the Economic Movement That Really Deserves Praise
This week, the Nobel Prize for economics may have gone to three academics, but the real work of fixing our local economies was happening on the ground—as part of New Economy Week.
Welcome to Commonomics: How to Build Local Economies Strong Enough for Everyone
In our new series, YES! Magazine investigates what it will take to strengthen our local economies for the benefit of all.
Farmer Startups? How Incubators Are Helping Small, Sustainable Farms Take Off
Training farms known as incubators are helping immigrants and others get into farming. But Congressional wrangling over the Farm Bill has put their future in question.
Detroit Bankrupt? Six Ways the Motor City Is Thriving
National media accounts of Detroit's bankruptcy miss the growing industries, strong communities, and policy changes laying the foundation's for the city's recovery.
Mountain Grown: Appalachia’s New Local Food Economy
Hungry for okra, collards, and trout? In Appalachia, you can now get all your soul food cravings from local farmers.
What the US Can Learn From Africa’s Booming Economy
Seven out of the ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa. Behind that is a surge in healthy young people and an emphasis on local markets.
Like Shopping at Local Businesses? Now You Can Invest in Them, Too
A newly formed company based in Seattle makes it easy to put your money to work in the local economy.
A New Deal for Appalachia’s Forests: Growing Biofuels?
The mine-ravaged communities of Eastern Kentucky have been increasingly abandoned by the coal economy. Could growing biofuels jump-start a new local jobs market—and renew the land in the process?
The Bright Side of the Money Crisis
Is this “the most exciting time to be alive in human history”? The economists and scientists interviewed in this film think so, and the reasons are all about the chance to create a more fair and sustainable global economy.
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