6 Ways to Put Public Interest Ahead of Big Pharma Profits
Increase access to generics, end “evergreening” drug patents, and other ways to put people before profits.
Economy
How Public Money Supports Big Pharma
Public money and public universities boost Big Pharma’s profits, so shouldn’t the public be able to afford the drugs?
Let’s Help Trump Keep His Promises
Has Trump served us all in breaking things open? Only if we use the moment for serious rethinking of policy.
Robert Reich: Do Not Pretend Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Inconsistent, Arbitrary, or Without Principle
The first principle of the Trump Doctrine: People from Muslim countries may enter the U.S. if their country contains a building with Trump’s name on it.
Winners (and Losers) in New York’s Plan to Make College Free
The first-in-the-nation scholarship program would serve about 1.5 million full-time students. But there are downsides.
In Berlin, a Model for Creative and Affordable Housing
Cities with vibrant arts, music, and social scenes are being hit hard by gentrification. But Berlin’s “co-housing culture” shows that a city’s future doesn’t have to go that way.
Extractive Economy Jobs Are Not the Good Jobs Tribes Were Promised
After the construction phase of the Keystone XL, only 35 employees would be needed to operate the pipeline.
Stereotyping Appalachians Feeds Only the Coal Industry
As a fifth-generation coal miner, I see the region’s Trump signs and pro-coal stickers as symbols of defense against a world that views us as lesser.
How to Reinflate the Dream of College-for-All
Financial aid doesn’t work unless we’re honest about costs.
CEOs Now Make 300 Times More Than Their Workers. This City Is Putting a Stop to That
Runaway CEO pay contributes to income inequality and ultimately harms companies, so local governments aren’t waiting for a federal fix.
No Rural-Urban Divide Here: We All Want Good Jobs and Strong Local Economies
Local control is a foundational conservative principle—but progressives also embrace it.
Promises to Coal Country Aside, Trump’s Budget Cuts Will End an Economic Lifeline
The Appalachian Regional Commission helps to create jobs and improve economic fortunes of “distressed counties” in West Virginia and Kentucky.
How to Keep Businesses (and Small Towns) Alive When Owners Retire
In Kansas, a new matchmaking service is helping transition small businesses to new hands. Could it be a model for the rest of rural America?
The Way Toward Single-Payer Health Care—Even With This Congress
It’s likely that the Trump-Ryan failure will push state legislatures to consider expanding Medicaid—putting even more people under the public insurance system.
ING Bank Just Divested Their DAPL Financing—We All Helped to Change Their Mind
Last month, bank officials met face to face with leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux, and this week they announced the bank had sold the loan at the request of tribal leaders.
The Superrich Have Profited From a Broken System—And Their Money Alone Won’t Fix It
Giving back requires humility. It will be a true test of learning new skills.
The Cuts in Trump’s Budget You Haven’t Heard About
While national outrage is focused on Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts, tiny agencies helping communities that teeter on the edge of poverty would also disappear.
Small-Scale Farming Could Restore America’s Rural Towns
Although many people in these struggling regions voted for the new president, his cynical answers will not bring them prosperity. But I saw what could.
How the Neighborhood That Inspired “The Wire” Is Pulling Its Residents Out of Poverty
When large institutions like universities and hospitals agree to hire and spend locally, they can transform neighborhoods hardest hit by poverty and unemployment.
This Is the Real Success Story of the Affordable Care Act
Government-sponsored Medicaid and Medicare are efficient and reliable—and already cover 36 percent of Americans.
The Many Benefits of Making (and Eating) Chocolate Right Where It Grows
Dried cocoa beans historically have been shipped to Europe and the U.S. for chocolate making. But keeping the process close to home empowers farmers and supports local economies.
Robert Reich: Why Trump’s “America First” Plan Is Pure Fantasy
Trumponomics fails because it ignores the American worker. Here’s what we should do instead.
In a Rust Belt Town Where Tuition Is Covered, Economy Begins to Revive
After Kalamazoo, Michigan, offered college tuition for nearly all high school graduates, dropout rates declined and the city’s population began to rebound.
Governor’s Order to Protect State’s Immigrants Is More Than a Moral Choice
Immigrants make up 17 percent of the state’s workforce. If Washington’s undocumented workers were deported, nearly $14.5 billion in economic activity could be lost.
For Automation to Benefit Society, It Must Serve Humans, Not Replace Them
We face the prospect of an economy with little need for humans. Advances in artificial intelligence call us to revisit basic questions about work, love, and human purpose.
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