The typical gig worker is changing – and struggling more than ever to make ends meet

The next time you call an Uber ride or order food delivery with an app, there’s a good chance that the gig worker you meet is getting government benefits. In 2025, companies such as DoorDash, Lyft and Uber had the most workers receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits among all major employers, according to a […]

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Trump administration’s Freedom 250 organization allegedly misdirected donors away from bipartisan America250 charity

Funding and planning for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence fell largely to two nonprofits with similar names: America250 and Freedom 250. That similarity has sowed a lot of confusion over who was in charge of which celebrations. And according to a report House Democrats released on July 2, 2026, […]

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How new SNAP restrictions could hit Greater Pittsburgh’s food access and economy

Food assistance is one of the most effective tools for fighting poverty in America. New federal rules are testing that reputation. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, helps low-income people afford groceries. The program’s benefits reach far beyond the grocery bill, with research linking the program to better outcomes for K-12 students […]

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What critics of college athletes making money get wrong about name, image and likeness policies

A lot has changed since college athletes began earning compensation in 2021. A small percentage have become rich due to their talent and marketability. The vast majority, however, have earned much more modest additional income, if any at all. But one thing hasn’t changed: Opponents of college students cashing in on marketing their name, image […]

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Boulder is opening homes to Sundance visitors through a new license – who stands to benefit?

When the Sundance Film Festival begins in Boulder, Colorado, on Jan. 21, 2027, tens of thousands of filmmakers and moviegoers will descend on the city. The influx of film aficionados will bring a problem familiar to cities that host large events: Those out-of-town visitors will all need lodging at the same time. Boulder has traditionally […]

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Before Trump, some states had already ended affirmative action for contractors – here’s what happened

President Donald Trump made headlines early in his second term when he ordered that affirmative action programs be dismantled. Less noticed was the fact that quite a few states had already eliminated such preferences for contractors, in some cases years ago. This record can now provide some answers as to how businesses owned and operated […]

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Detroit has a shortage of national retailers. What can officials do to attract more chains to the city?

Detroit’s borders encompass 139 square miles, a footprint large enough to fit Manhattan, Boston and San Francisco combined. Yet, unlike these other urban centers, Detroit has a relatively low number of national “big-box” retailers. Outside of the city’s downtown and midtown business districts, there exists one Home Depot, two full-sized Meijer locations and a Meijer […]

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Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

The Trump administration announced on July 21, 2026, that it’s withholding US$867 million in federal healthcare funding for California and $200 million for Minnesota – a total of more than $1 billion. Federal officials said the two states had failed to provide sufficient evidence that a number of disputed medical claims were legitimate. These include […]

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Americans feel the sting of high prices every day, so why does the Fed need so many ways to measure inflation?

From gas to housing to groceries, consumers can’t escape inflation in their everyday lives. So why can’t policymakers agree on what the data is telling them – and if prices are falling fast enough? With tariffs pushing up prices of goods and energy markets swinging on geopolitical news, the Federal Reserve’s policymaking committee concluded its […]

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A government fund of AI stocks to benefit all Americans is a good idea, but hard to pull off

Creating a government fund to own AI stock and benefit all Americans would require many hard choices. Should the U.S. government require artificial intelligence companies to transfer half of their stock to a sovereign wealth fund – a government-run fund that invests surplus state revenues for long-term savings and economic stability? About 7 in 10 […]

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