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This senator wants to protect gig economy workers with these four bills
The rise of alternative work arrangements has created a rift in the labor system. Because our system ties many rights and programs to full-time employment, the gig economy–ushered in by Uber, Lyft, Handy, TaskRabbit, Postmates, and a growing list of companies–is creating a second class of Read More...
Ireland has a brilliant approach for creating a more participatory democracy
By now we’re all aware that democracy has some pretty big flaws. But that doesn’t mean it’s absolutely hopeless. Just look at Ireland’s bottom-up approach to policymaking, which is helping to spur real change on the country’s most contentious issues. Ireland has what’s called The Read More...
Why giving ex-convicts a second chance can benefit everyone
We all make mistakes, but no one pays for their mistakes more in America than former convicts. A criminal conviction can make it almost impossible to get a job or housing, making it more and more likely for ex-convicts to resort to criminal activities to get an income. It used to be impossible for Read More...
The Green New Deal is pushing to secure greater rights for indigenous people
We’ve been talking a whole bunch about the Green New Deal on the Optimist Daily, and for good reason: it finally brings forth a feasible plan that addresses a multitude of key issues from clean energy to wealth inequality. For example, the Green New Deal includes a powerful provision to protect Read More...
California could soon provide the blueprint for how to decarbonize buildings
When it comes to reducing carbon emissions, electric cars and solar panels always steal the spotlight. But there is another major thing that flies under the radar that must be addressed if we want to tackle climate change: buildings. As the Green New Deal acknowledges, buildings are responsible for Read More...
Why taxing empty apartments can help solve housing shortages in major cities
Many expensive cities around the world are suffering from a housing crisis as more and more people move towards these sprawling metropolises. Strangely enough, these cities tend to have lots of unoccupied homes that are either used as investment properties or second homes. This is the case in Read More...
These gloves convert sign language movements into audio speech
Most people in the world aren't familiar with sign language, making it awfully difficult for deaf people to get their message across. This is something that a young Kenyan inventor by the name of Roy Allela knows all too well. His 6-year-old niece was born deaf and struggles to communicate with her Read More...
The Green New Deal wants to bring high-speed trains to America
In many countries around the world, high-speed trains compete with planes in terms of time and costs, providing passengers with a quick, comfortable journey from point A to point B. That’s not the case in America. The United States has only one train that can technically be called a high-speed Read More...
Finally, politicians are taking climate science seriously on Capitol Hill
Climate science was on the agenda on Capitol Hill this week…for the first time in 10 years. OK, we acknowledge that climate science’s 10-year hiatus from the political agenda is simply ridiculous considering the very real presence of climate change these days, but at the very least we can be Read More...
The Green New Deal sounds great, but what is it actually?
While the Green New Deal resolution has been floating around in the media for the past week or two, the actual details of the deal have been obscure at best. Now a leaked copy has emerged online, and the contents reveal a plan that could thread the needle between a number of serious problems, from Read More...