Economics

How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery

How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery How Freddie Mac Helps Private Equity Profit From Tenant Misery

Overloaded with debt, with maintenance and repairs cut back to the bone, tenants are being bled dry to make millions for speculators—with a crucial assist from the Federal Home Loa...

Jun 13, 2023 / Feature / Eileen Markey

Cornel West speaks at the 2019 Hutchins Center Honors W.E.B. Du Bois Medal Ceremony at Harvard University on October 22, 2019.

Cornel West Is the Right Man in the Wrong Party Cornel West Is the Right Man in the Wrong Party

An otherwise credible left-wing challenge to Biden is hampered by the dysfunctional People’s Party.

Jun 12, 2023 / Jeet Heer

In recent months, there has been a spike in demand for Ozempic, or semaglutide, due to its weight loss benefits, which has led to shortages.

Can the Rich and Powerful Live Forever? Can the Rich and Powerful Live Forever?

The madness of new longevity treatments.

Jun 12, 2023 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard

There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard There’s No Reason Filing Taxes Should Be So Hard

In early 2024, a few taxpayers will participate in a pilot project to file their taxes for free directly to the government. It’s a great start.

Jun 9, 2023 / Bryce Covert

Biden and McCarthy sitting in chairs in the Oval Office

Next Time, Dammit, Just Default Next Time, Dammit, Just Default

Democrats feared a monster called “default”—but it’s just another Washington scare story.

Jun 9, 2023 / James K. Galbraith for The Nation

Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorcese on the set of

Raging Bullshit: Credits and the Hollywood Economy Raging Bullshit: Credits and the Hollywood Economy

The Max streaming platform debuted a credit system that obscures the actual work done by film writers and other creative workers. 

Jun 8, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

A sign on a bodega in Brooklyn reads,

The Racist, Insulting Resurgence of Work Requirements The Racist, Insulting Resurgence of Work Requirements

Work requirements expose the nasty underbelly of the vaunted American work ethic. We would rather the poor starve than risk that they might spend less time on the job.

Jun 8, 2023 / Bryce Covert

A comparison of an original and deepfake video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

AI Doesn’t Pose an Existential Risk—but Silicon Valley Does AI Doesn’t Pose an Existential Risk—but Silicon Valley Does

The warning cries about the alleged dangers of AI is drowning out stories about the harms already occurring.

Jun 7, 2023 / Edward Ongweso Jr.

Student loan borrowers and advocates gather for the People's Rally to Cancel Student Debt during the Supreme Court hearings on Student Debt Relief on February 28, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Congress Is Sticking Students With the Check Congress Is Sticking Students With the Check

The recent debt agreement will abolish the pandemic-era pause on student debt repayments—hitting the youngest generation of voters the hardest.

Jun 6, 2023 / Chris Lehmann

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, June 2, 2023. The Senate passed legislation to suspend the US debt ceiling and impose restraints on government spending through the 2024 election, ending a drama that threatened a global financial crisis. Photographer: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Once More, the Washington Debt Ceiling Ritual Ends in a Lousy Deal Once More, the Washington Debt Ceiling Ritual Ends in a Lousy Deal

What cuts there are come in all the wrong places.

Jun 5, 2023 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

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