Institute for Policy Studies

We unapologetically support movements to resist fascism and win transformational progressive change — and we have done so for over 60 years. For the full scope of timely analysis from IPS public scholars now and in months to come, follow us at bsky.app/profile/ips-dc….

Despite new manufacturing investments over the last two administrations, prosperity hasn’t improved for many workers in the South. Fortunately, there is one proven way to fix this—through community benefits agreements. @unionwomen on @inequalityorg inequality.org/article/turn-m…

NEW: After residents furiously revolted this week, officials in Andover, New Jersey backed out of building a new data center. Now, the town may ban them altogether. commondreams.org/news/new-jeres…

This April, representatives from countries around the world met in Santa Marta, Colombia to discuss phasing out fossil fuels—a vision that reveals how behind the curve the U.S. really is when it comes to climate policy. @BasavIPS on @InTheseTimesMag inthesetimes.com/article/santa-…

NEW: a study by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that President Trump’s brutal crackdown on immigration isn’t helping native-born workers at all. In fact, it’s actually hurting them. Timothy Noah on @newrepublic newrepublic.com/article/210052…

Customs and Border Protection seized 6,000 pounds more cocaine at all U.S. borders in the seven months following the strikes than in the seven months before. @orosane in @commondreams: commondreams.org/news/deadly-bo…

NEW: Trump claimed that drugs entering the U.S. by sea have decreased by 97% due to illegal U.S. boat strikes. The administration’s own data contradicts this claim. “It wouldn’t be the first time this administration just made something up," said IPS scholar @SanhoTree.

NEW: Days ago, Colombia and the Netherlands convened the first ever(!) international diplomatic conference on phasing out fossil fuels. Trump is pushing more pollution for profit. Others are leading the way out. IPS scholar @BasavIPS in @inthesetimesmag: inthesetimes.com/article/santa-…

It takes an average of $54,000,000 to create one permanent job in a U.S. data center.

When private equity firms take over nursing homes it’s the patients that suffer, with higher costs and higher mortality rates. Our seniors deserve better. We must fight to keep private equity out and keep senior care in the hands of our communities. otherwords.org/private-equity…

By weakening the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court has undermined over five decades of essential progress towards equal racial representation in our government, damaging democracy for Americans of all races, writes IPS fellow Dedrick Asante-Muhammad. otherwords.org/the-supreme-co…

While the Trump administration’s overdue reclassification of cannabis may seem like a good solution, it falls short of resolving many of the legal issues regarding its regulation and distribution in many states, writes @norml’s Paul Armentano. otherwords.org/reclassifying-…

NEW: "We're living through what I would call a 'political capture phase,' where huge wealth is using its power, often to block popular things that most people would like." IPS @inequalityorg scholar @Chuck99to1 unpacks how we take on inequality. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the…

Almost 60% of data centers' power comes from fossil fuels — keeping us hooked on yet more wars for oil — and the AI they fuel is increasingly used to commit war crimes. "Data centers are both products and producers of wars." @MelissaAGarriga of @codepink: otherwords.org/the-dark-side-…

While the wealthy may pay more taxes on an absolute scale, a better question is: are they paying enough relative to their wealth? Analysis from @inequalityorg researcher Reyanna James reveals why our tax code isn't keeping pace with rising inequality. inequality.org/article/who-pa…

Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” provides a revealing look at Big Tech’s new vision for America—one that entitles corporations to extract resources from any community with no regard for the residents’ health and safety. Danny Caine on @inequalityorg: inequality.org/article/i-stoo…

NEW: Trump's claims that bombing civilian boats is curtailing the drug trade show a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the issue. “We don’t use missiles to address a public health problem,” IPS scholar @SanhoTree tells @nickturse in @theintercept: theintercept.com/2026/05/04/tru…

"I talked to Mejia in the run-up to the 2022 midterms. 'The policies that really motivate people, that work for working families,' she told me then, 'are also popular ideas.'" @SonaliKolhatkar: otherwords.org/progressive-ec…

Pundits say that candidates must lean centrist. But wins from Mamdani in NY to Mejia in NJ prove that voters want Medicare for All, higher wages, and to tax the rich. Lukewarm centrism doesn’t win. Bold economic populism does.

On @techpolicypress, @inequalityorg editor @millsrodrigo interviews healthcare technology researcher Katie Wells, who discusses the dangers current AI-powered platforms pose to workers’ rights and patient care. techpolicy.press/ai-gig-work-an…

See exactly where your taxes went last year: ips-dc.org/2026-tax-day-r…

NEW: If you paid taxes for 2025, you likely paid $40 for ICE — whose abuses most Americans disapprove of — vs. just $16 for energy efficiency & renewables. Real security is climate resilience. Invest in our future. Not in ICE.