Trump has voiced his support for the GM strikers, but his policies are partially to blame for their dire straits in the first place — As the standoff between General Motors and its employees enters day five, the political class has waded into the morass — none more notable than President Donald Trump. Trump’s support for the employees and their union, United Auto Workers, should come as no surprise. The strike, which has grown to…

The percentage of uninsured Americans has gone up for the first time since Obama’s health law passed — As the Democratic presidential candidates debate how to best best provide every single American with health insurance, a new report confirms health experts’ worst fears: Right now, Americans are losing their health insurance. A U.S. Census Bureau report released last week found that the percentage of Americans without health insurance…

The Trump administration is pinning its hopes for reelection on voters’ perceptions of the economy — Fears about a recession can become a self-fulfilling prophecy — in consumer behavior, and in their voting habits. The Labor Department had some disappointing news last week, announcing that the U.S. economy added just 130,000 jobs in August, falling short of economists’ expectations. The announcement came on the heels of…

Should they be training their own? And why did they stop in the first place? — For several years now, the U.S. job market has been booming. And for even longer, companies have had the same complaint: They can’t find enough skilled workers. …

Economists can’t say for certain whether a recession will, in fact, happen. But we know who will be hardest hit. — Over the last several weeks, anxiety has spiked over the possibility that the United States might soon enter another recession. GDP and employment growth have slowed recently, and a new revision of Bureau of Labor Statistics data suggests that job growth in recent months has been weaker than previously thought…

Preventing poorer immigrants from getting green cards could lead to a big drop in fertility rates and population growth — The Trump administration’s crusade against immigrant rights continues. On Monday, Kenneth Cuccinelli, the acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced that under a revised “public charge” rule, green card and visa applicants residing both inside and outside the country will be subject to a strict evaluation of their wealth…

The Federal Reserve is poised to better consider how its policies affect low-income Americans — Speaking before the House Financial Services Committee earlier this month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged something radical about the state of the American economy: It’s only now, 10 years into the recovery from the Great Recession, that we’re entering a period that benefits the most vulnerable Americans, and that…

It doesn’t actually constrain the deficit — and the drama surrounding it carries negative consequences for American taxpayers — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been in tense negotiations over the last few days to discuss raising the debt ceiling and reaching a budget deal — the latter of which Speaker Pelosi insists is necessary if Democrats are to vote for a debt ceiling hike…

Advocates are turning zoning reform into an important progressive cause — not just a housing issue — In communities across the country, the “Not In My Backyard” approach to housing is finally getting a much-needed remodel. In Oregon, the state legislature passed a bill earlier this month legalizing duplexes in cities with a population of more than 10,000 people; and duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, and “cottage clusters”…