“No one wants to work anymore.” This is a common refrain from business owners around the country as the economy opens back up. Conservative commentators claim that unemployment insurance is keeping people from going back to work and fueling widescale laziness—but is that really what’s going on? Today on the show, labor economist Laura Dresser […]
What Labor History Teaches Us
“Part of what keeps the one-percent in power is controlling the historical narrative and convincing people that only by their own individual effort can they succeed,” says labor historian Toni Gilpin. “What labor history teaches us is that progress for working people comes through collective effort, through mutuality and cooperation, and that’s how progress is […]
The Sinking Middle Class
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 […]
