The concept of the middle class has a unique hold on the American imagination—for years, it’s been the central talking point of both dominant political parties. But what is this middle class and what does it really mean to “save” it? Save it from what? From whom? Today on the show, Allen explores these questions […]
Americans Reaching for Hope
After last night’s presidential debate, many Americans are feeling that hope is in short supply. So today on the show, Wednesday host Ali Muldrow asks award-winning author Sheryl WuDunn: What gives you hope right now? Over the course of the hour, WuDunn shares stories and insights from her latest co-authored book, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for […]
The Real Cost of College
As we recently discussed on the show, student loan debt in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade, jumping from $600 billion in 2008 to over $1.5 trillion USD today. Several Democratic presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have proposed student loan debt cancellation or free college as a major […]
The Teachers’ Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics with Eric Blanc...
Last year, there was a wave of public education strikes throughout the U.S. in places like Los Angeles, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Denver, and Oakland. Today on the show, guest Eric Blanc provides context for these strikes and discusses effective labor organizing through the lens of his book Red State Revolt: The Teachers’ Strike Wave […]
Falling off the Economic Cliff
With nearly 40 percent of all working-age Americans struggling to make ends meet, one might imagine that workers would be more than happy to receive a pay raise or promotion, but that’s not always the case. Because the struggle for basic family needs often requires the use of public assistance programs, some workers are concerned […]
Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America with Alissa Quar...
Alissa Quart’s new book Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America has been compared to Barbara Ehrenreich’s seminal work Nickled and Dimed. It offers an important account of the economic hardship of everyday Americans trying to afford housing, healthcare, and the soaring costs of raising children. Today on the podcast, we feature Tuesday host Carousel Bayrd’s interview […]
