Politics
What Detroit can learn from participatory budgeting processes in NYC, Boston and Brazil
Participatory budgeting makes the people involved more likely to vote – an important consideration in a city like Detroit where many don’t.
How Pennsylvania’s new paid leave bill leaves the sandwich generation behind
Pennsylvania’s proposed paid leave may not be enough for sandwich generation caregivers, who are raising children and supporting aging parents.
What to do if someone you know in Philadelphia or elsewhere is detained by ICE
Pennsylvania’s patchwork of ICE detention centers makes it difficult to track loved ones.
‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why
For a quarter of its residents, Pittsburgh isn’t an affordable place to live. A contested housing policy is at the center of efforts to change that.
US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century‑long effort to keep some English‑speaking nations white
Australia, Canada and the US identified themselves as ‘white men’s countries’ in the early 20th century and coordinated immigration restrictions to keep them that way.
ICE’s heavy‑handed immigration enforcement was tried once before – by Arizona’s notorious sheriff Joe Arpaio in the early 2000s
The Trump administration’s immigration detention policies appear to be, in part, inspired by the heavy-handed tactics of the former Arizona sheriff.
Philadelphia continues long history of Black‑led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice
A packed public meeting at a senior center in January 2025 continues a Philly tradition that dates back to a meeting at Mother Bethel AME Church in January 1817.
75 years after she led a student strike that helped end school segregation, Barbara Rose Johns now stands in the US Capitol where Robert E. Lee once did
In December 2025, the statue of Barbara Rose Johns replaced that of Robert E. Lee as one of the two Virginians displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Here’s why.
Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery
Researchers measured lawmakers’ wealth and found that those whose Southern ancestors owned slaves before abolition have a higher net worth today.
How Jesse Jackson set the stage for Bernie Sanders and today’s progressives
The coalitions that Jackson built during his presidential campaigns created enduring infrastructure for later progressives, particularly in Vermont.