An L.A. Story: Unions Show Signs of Life

https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/in-los-angeles-unions-show-signs-of-life

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

6 November 2014

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The minimum wage issue has been debated endlessly, with arguments both for and against its effectiveness. An increase, tested in some states and enacted in others, immeasurably betters the quality of life for low-income families.

For Ambitious Nonprofits, Capital to Grow

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/fixes

David Bornstein

The New York Times

27 June 2012

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Funding with too many strings attached makes it hard for non-profits to grow and be impactful. An American organization, Nonprofit Finance Fund (N.F.F.) Capital Partners division, is finding ways to finance non-profits likes companies and has already shown great success in pilot situations.

From Our Prison to Your Dinner Table

http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/from-our-prison-to-your-dinner-table

Graeme Wood

Pacific Standard

3 March 2015

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In prison, most inmates are alienated from social practices and can be a tax burden for the states. The Colorado Correctional Industries is a program that positions inmates in different forms of labor such as making stuffed toys, farming fish, picking fruit, tending livestock, and creating crafts to be sold at grocery stores. The program makes inmates into taxpayers instead of tax burdens and offers skills that are useful for future employment once they leave prison.

Health Care for a Changing Work Force

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/health-care-for-a-changing-work-force

David Bornstein

The New York Times

1 December 2011

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America’s system of health care is based on an old industrial-era model, without taking into account a decentralized, mobile, independent workforce that remains largely unprotected without health and unemployment insurance. The Freelancers Insurance Company, based in New York State, offers competitive premiums by having their executives receive salaries at low wages. The model keeps costs under control, which in turn makes health care more accessible to independent workers.

Green Strategies for the Poorest

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/green-strategies-for-the-poorest

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

19 November 2010

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The company that manufactures Lifestraw, a water purification device, has found a way to distribute their product to impoverished Kenyan families for free, while still making a profit. In the global carbon credit market, businesses receive carbon credits for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These credits can then be sold to companies who need to offset their carbon emissions, allowing green companies to make a profit off of their small ecological footprint.

Clean Water at No Cost? Just Add Carbon Credits

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/clean-water-at-no-cost-just-add-carbon-credits

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

15 November 2010

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The company that manufactures Lifestraw, a water purification device, has found a way to distribute their product to impoverished Kenyan families for free, while still making a profit. In the global carbon credit market, businesses receive carbon credits for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These credits can then be sold to companies who need to offset their carbon emissions, allowing green companies to make a profit off of their small ecological footprint.

‘A National Admissions Office' for Low-Income Strivers

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/upshot/a-national-admissions-office-for-low-income-strivers.html

David Leonhardt

The New York Times

16 September 2014

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Attending college is not always a given option for gifted teenagers from less-than-wealthy backgrounds. National organization QuestBridge creates a way for low-income and minority high-achieving students to go to their dream colleges free of cost.

A Book in Every Home, and Then Some

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/a-book-in-every-home-and-then-some

David Bornstein

The New York Times

16 May 2011

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Lack of reading material is not only a third-world problem – many poor families in the United States lack access to and funds for books. A program that helps get books to into the homes of low-income families can boost literacy, and help publishers, too.

An Inclusive Emerging Economy, With Africa in the Lead

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/an-inclusive-emerging-economy-with-africa-in-the-lead

David Bornstein

The New York Times

27 November 2014

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In combatting poverty, a giant informal economic system has quietly emerged in Africa. Women participate in micro-finance organizations that loan money in order to allow them to create businesses and become self-managing.

Farmers markets reaching more consumers who get nutritional benefits

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-farmers-markets-food-stamps-20140609-story.html

Lee Romney

Los Angeles Times

8 June 2014

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Through creative financing and new technology, a non-profit in San Francisco is making farmers markets more accessible to residents who rely on federal nutrition benefits.