Alan
“To use a telling phrase of the Rev. Martin Luther King, we can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note and now is the time to honor it.” -Pope Francis
The first Pope from the global South, who named himself for St. Francis of Assisi, quotes Dr. King —who said the words in the time of the first Catholic president—to the first black president, in a ringing endorsement of climate action. Didn’t think I’d live to see the day.
Here’s a chart of the most popular type of home in every major American city. Seattle: can you say “missing middle“?
Alicia
Autumn has fallen upon us, and you know what that means…pumpkin everything! For those of us with more tenuous relationships with this festive flavor, I give you “An open letter to pumpkin flavored seasonal treats.” Enjoy.
Tarika
In the last couple years, argan oil has become a popular component of women’s beauty products, including African-American hair care brands that I favor. I recently learned about the tree goats of Morocco, and discovered that the trees they perch in are Argan trees. This sent me down a research trail. My weekend reading looks at the benefits and detriments of the argan oil export boom. On the one hand, it has enabled more rural families to educate their girls. On the other, forest degradation and larger goat populations could shorten the expectancy of increased income.
Keiko
How bad can rental affordability in the US get? Even worse. A new Harvard study warns that millions of households could join the ranks of those spending more than half their income on rent.
Kristin
Nick Hanauer and David Rolf are exactly right on about how 30 years of trickle-down economics are choking the middle class and how, in the 21st century, we need to switch to middle-out policies and a new social contract. Their proposals for Shared Security Accounts and Shared Security Standards are intriguing.
Welfare saps the will to work and creates a permanent class of takers! Let’s cut off entitlements for Oligarch Welfare Kings!
What happens when a few people have a lot to gain from a worse policy and a lot of people have a little to gain from a better policy? Worse policy.
“Equality of opportunity is not the goal. The goal is a good life for all. We should settle for nothing less.”
PSJ
Hi! Thanks (as always) for the good work you do. Just wanted to let you know that the link in “What happens when a few people have a lot to gain from a worse policy and a lot of people have a little to gain from a better policy? Worse policy” appears to be behind a paywall.