Zoned Out: America’s Housing Affordability Problem
Cities across the U.S. are facing housing shortages and affordability problems due to, among other things, archaic zoning regulations.
The Growing Momentum for Basic Income
Amid the rise of AI services like ChatGPT, approximately 25 percent of U.S. jobs are at high risk of automation. With the majority of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, calls for a universal basic income are growing louder than ever. UBI proponents argue that it could be the difference between poverty and making ends meet …
The Long Path to America
Until 2017, migrants fleeing Cuba received special treatment from the U.S. immigration system under a policy known as “wet-foot, dry-foot,” which permitted Cubans to legally remain in the country and pursue an expedited track to official residency if they could reach American soil on their own. Those intercepted at sea, however, were turned back. Nearing …
Teaching the Superheroes of Tomorrow
Nestled behind the storefront of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company in Park Slope lies 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and literacy among New York City’s youth. Since its founding in 2004, 826NYC has provided free, high-quality after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, and in-school programs for students ages 6 to 18. By blending …
Celebrating Ball Culture and Community
Though its origins date back to the late 1800s, ball culture as recognized today truly began to take shape amidst the social and artistic movements of the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance. At first, performances mainly featured white men, but by the 1960s, Black and brown queer and trans communities were carving out their own …
Stop Swapping Forests for Solar Farms
More and more solar arrays are cropping up around the world, as countries move to replace oil and gas with sustainable energy sources. While the shift toward carbon-neutral power production has never been more crucial, few seem to recognize the counterproductive impact of building solar farms on previously forested land. Take Rhode Island, for example, …
The Hypocrisy of Cannabis Capitalism
A growing portion of the country is embracing marijuana legalization, thus fueling the legal industry’s growth. As of April 2022, nearly three-quarters of all U.S. states have legalized medical cannabis, and over one-third have sanctioned its recreational use by adults. However, due to marijuana’s historic criminalization, millions of people of color remain incarcerated for low-level …
Taking on Tech’s Gender Gap
A lack of gender diversity has plagued tech since its earliest days, and though the industry has progressed over the last 50 years, today’s numbers remain bleak. Women currently make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force, but hold less than 20 percent of tech jobs. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that …
How Fast Fashion Fuels the Climate Crisis
Fast fashion has quickly become an environmental villain we can’t seem to shake. The global industry offers an endless stream of affordable, trendy clothes, but the bargains come at a high cost. Recent statistics are alarming. The United Nations reports that fast fashion generates 10 percent of global carbon emissions, making it a bigger polluter …
Making Ends Meat
Since the start of the pandemic, over 10% of all U.S. restaurants have closed permanently – eliminating millions of jobs and amounting to more than $280 billion in losses, according to the National Restaurant Association. Despite nearly two years of limited in-person dining and food delivery apps that cut deep into already thin profit margins, …
