Economy

February 22, 2007 - Imagine living near an open-air pool containing thousands of gallons of hog excrement, the acrid stench from which is so overwhelming that it leads to chronic burning eyes, coughs, sore throats and diarrhea. Then imagine that the noxious stuff is sprayed on fields near your home, where it soaks into the water table and contaminates your drinking well.

February 9, 2007 - In many ways, the public face of poverty hasn't changed much over the last 20-30 years. Say the words "poor people," and our minds easily flash to scenes of urban 'hoods and rural shacks.

December 30, 2006 - The New Year is almost here, but you still have two days to make a tax-deductible gift to the Institute for Southern Studies and support a voice for the progressive South!

December 22, 2006 - In the growing body of research showing that high-interest "sub-prime" home loans are bad for consumers and the economy, the Center for Responsible Lending has released a damning study that finds one out of five subprime loans end up as foreclosures:

December 20, 2006 - Marijuana is now the most valuable cash crop for the United States overall and for many states across the South, according to a new study published in the latest issue of the Bulletin of Cannabis Reform. The study estimates the total value of this year's U.S.

December 15, 2006 - This past weekend, Congress passed a bill requiring the federal government to share offshore oil and gas royalties with Louisiana for coastal restoration efforts, something state leaders have long pressed for.

December 14, 2006 - The number of U.S. homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments is climbing, and the delinquency problem is especially severe in storm-ravaged Mississippi and Louisiana, where many people face the threat of losing the roof over their head from a disaster of a different kind.

December 12, 2006 - Here's an interesting article about the contrasts between two auto manufacturing towns:

December 5, 2006 - Pelosi wants to send minimum wage directly to the floor for a vote:

November 16, 2006 - Organized labor played a huge role in the 2006 mid-term elections, and is now expecting a return on its investment.