Wpa

When A Composer Loves Another Composer

Daron Hagen | Posted 06.01.2012

Daron Hagen

Marc Blitzstein's musical DNA -- strict adherence to economy of means, a passion for combining words and music, the belief that music can promote social justice, an abhorrence of pretension -- are woven inextricably into the music I compose.

Ancestors of Michelle Obama in the 1940 Census

Megan Smolenyak | Posted 04.15.2012

Megan Smolenyak

The cost for nine relatives of the First Lady -- including her mother, grandparents and great-grandparents -- to rent these cozy quarters in 1940? $45 a month or roughly the equivalent of $737 today.

New Deal Photos Show Americana In Color

Posted 03.30.2012

For those struggling throughout the Great Depression, the New Deal promised not just employment, food and shelter, but hope for the American dream. ...

Jason Cherkis

Santorum Praised Iconic Big-Government Program As Welfare Answer

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Cherkis | Posted 03.16.2012

WASHINGTON -- Defending his push for welfare reform during a campaign stop in 1994, then-Rep. Rick Santorum, now running for president as a conservati...

A Conversation With Lisa Gold of Washington Project for the Arts

Julie Chae | Posted 04.17.2012

Julie Chae

One of her first WPA projects upon arriving in 2009 was to produce an art event at the Capitol Skyline Hotel which became, under her direction, a day of performance art utilizing the pool for a synchronized swimming competition.

Michelle Obama's Ancestors: Fraser Robinson

Megan Smolenyak | Posted 04.15.2012

Megan Smolenyak

It's providential for Michelle's sake that LaVaughn ever met Fraser C. Robinson, Jr. because he would have much preferred to never leave the South.

Putting Americans to Work

Michael Kaiser | Posted 03.31.2012

Michael Kaiser

At a time when unemployment is the key political issue and when virtually everyone in politics is struggling to find ways to reduce the ranks of the unemployed, why doesn't some smart politician realize that the arts are one way to help solve this problem?

Flipping Through The WPA Art Archives

Posted 01.18.2012

If you're still searching for that perfect New Year's resolution, the Library of Congress archives have a few suggestions for you. They recently made ...

7 Simple Ways To Detox Your Diet And Your Home

EatingWell | Posted 10.25.2011

EatingWell

Nobody knows just how much of a risk toxins in our food really pose. But we're exposed to dozens, if not hundreds, of chemicals, and the effects of some multiple exposures may be more than the sum of their parts.

A Domestic Marshall Plan: Forget Going "Big vs. Small," Instead, Go "Simple and Effective"

Paul Abrams | Posted 10.31.2011

Paul Abrams

Obama should focus on two and only two proposals, and they each must take account of perceived prior failures. They must be guarantees, not incentives that rely on what side of the bed someone gets up on in the morning.

Beware of the French Cuff Cowboy

Cliff Schecter | Posted 10.29.2011

Cliff Schecter

Rick Perry, who has seemingly been governor of Texas since The Alamo began to look like a questionable career move, is now ready to throw his 10-gallon hat, frothy intellect and custom-made cowboy boots into the national political ring.

America Is Crumbling: Hire Us to Fix It

Carl Gibson | Posted 10.24.2011

Carl Gibson

We need jobs to fully recover, but jobs won't come about until demand picks up. Demand won't pick up until people have money to spend. So why are our leaders hell-bent on cutting public sector jobs when we need them most?

Why Not Hire the Young to Build Their Own Future?

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 10.24.2011

Richard (RJ) Eskow

Jobs are scarce for everyone. College students are graduating with record levels of student debt before entering the worst job market for graduates in recent memory.

FDR Tackled a Jobs Crisis by Putting Americans to Work -- Not Handing Out Pink Slips

David Woolner | Posted 10.15.2011

David Woolner

One would think that in the face of such a calamity our government would do everything within its power to expand the workforce. But government layoffs, especially at the state and local level, are actually pushing up the rate of unemployment.

3 Key Strategic Ingredients for the President's Get America Working Plan

Paul Abrams | Posted 10.14.2011

Paul Abrams

The argument is not that government should do everything, any more than the private sector can do everything, but that there are critical functions that government can uniquely perform.

Mr. President: If You Will Not Take These Actions, At Least Explain Why Not

Paul Abrams | Posted 10.09.2011

Paul Abrams

If one cannot "win" the rhetorical battle, one cannot enact good policy. And, one cannot win any battle if one decides not to fight it. President Obama has not been fighting, but why not?

Directly Hiring 4M Workers: "A Line in the Sand" for 2012

Paul Abrams | Posted 08.20.2011

Paul Abrams

It is simple line between those who want to re-start the economy and those who do not, those who believe in an economic future and those who do not, those who recognize reality and those who are paid to lie.

A Job for Everyone: Democracy in America

Pam Spritzer | Posted 08.06.2011

Pam Spritzer

Fourteen million Americans were unemployed in May. All the while, corporations rake in record profits. This disconnect between public need and public policy is causing widespread suffering. Why isn't our government serving us, and what can we do?

How Our Leadership Can Solve the Budget Crisis -- And, Why They Won't

Bayard H. Waterbury, III | Posted 05.25.2011

Bayard H. Waterbury, III

I am an American, an aging American Baby Boomer. I was born in 1946, following the end of WWII. That was a tenuous time in American history, not unlike the present in the degree of challenges facing this country.

Closing Argument (II): "Jobs for Americans vs. Tax Cuts for Billionaires"

Paul Abrams | Posted 05.25.2011

Paul Abrams

The $700B the Republicans propose as tax cuts for billionaires should be used instead to hire four million Americans at an average salary of $45,000 per person for four years

October Surprise: Two Ads That Could Turn the Mid-Terms on its Head

Paul Abrams | Posted 05.25.2011

Paul Abrams

The Democrats need two -- not three, four or five -- clean, clear, messages that raise voters' anxiety about Republicans and reduce it for Democrats.

Dan Froomkin

AMERICA NEEDS JOBS Time For A New WPA

HuffingtonPost.com | Dan Froomkin | Posted 05.25.2011

(No. 8 in Huffington Post's America Needs Jobs series.) There is, of course, a precedent for the country facing a massive, sustained unemployment cri...

Dems Come Alive!

Michael Moore | Posted 05.25.2011

Michael Moore

Just four weeks until the midterm elections and I'm starting to feel that maybe, just maybe, Democrats will prevent an All Souls Day Massacre. And if the Dems escape death's door, they had better not let this nonsense happen again.

Bill Clinton: Time To Get Local

Michelle Kraus | Posted 05.25.2011

Michelle Kraus

The United States and the economy were for the first time a big focus at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting last week in New York City. Hallelujah!

Clinton's Global Initiative Gets Local

Michelle Kraus | Posted 05.25.2011

Michelle Kraus

Why not have Bill Clinton turn his full attention to rebuilding America? He gets it, because if the US is broken, it will derail all of his global initiative.