In 1999, twin brothers in South Africa cheated in the Comrades, an ultra-marathon. They did it by swapping clothes in a portable toilet halfway through the race. Their actions stunned the country, and their names became synonymous with deceit. But why did they do it? It’s hard, sometimes, not to read everything that happens in […]
inequality
The Haves and the Have-Yachts
There are plenty of things you might not want to read 10,000 words about. But the seafaring proclivities of the ultrarich — the 400-foot superyachts, the obsession with L.O.A. (“length overall”), the 3D-printed restaurants airlifted to a sand bar that will be submerged in eight hours — are something that, I promise you, you very […]
The Radical Plan for Vaccine Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the reliance on Big Pharma in the global North to supply life-saving vaccines to the rest of the world is ineffective and dangerous. In this in-depth feature, Amy Maxmen takes a look at global vaccine inequality, and the effort of a network of countries — led by Afrigen, a […]
The World Has Changed, But The Hospitality Industry Hasn’t. That’s Bad For Workers.
“After 15 months of tumult, not everyone is ready or willing to return to a job that underpays, offers no paid sick leave, and treats them as expendable.”
Inequality’s Deadly Toll
“A century of research has demonstrated how poverty and discrimination drive disease. Can COVID push science to finally address the issue?”
Why Decades of Trying to End Racial Segregation in Gifted Education Haven’t Worked
“Is it even possible to make a concept that has racist origins more equitable?”
An Interview with Sarah Smarsh, Author of ‘Heartland’
The author of “Heartland,” a National Book Award longlisted memoir about growing up poor in rural America, gives her views on politics, identity, and cultural appropriation.
The Far Right’s Fight Against Race-Conscious School Admissions
Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department rescinded Obama-era policy documents that provided guidelines on affirmative action.
Pay the Homeless
It’s time to end the pernicious myth that giving money directly to panhandlers won’t help them.
The Difference Between Being Broke and Being Poor
It’s a recognition that comes in the aisle of a grocery store.