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The Women's Economic Agenda Project (WEAP) is committed to attaining economic human rights for all people. In a land of abundance, there is no reason anyone's basic human needs should not be met. WEAP is diligently working to organize the poor, low-income workers, and unemployed into a movement to achieve a vision of a world without poverty and despair, a world that Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of in his Poor People's Campaign of 1968.

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ARTICLES

The Crisis of Middle-Class America

Technically speaking, Mark Freeman should count himself among the ­luckiest ­people on the planet. The 52-year-old lives with his family on a tree-lined street in his own home in the heart of the wealthiest country in the world. When he is hungry, he eats. When it gets hot, he turns on the air-conditioning. When he wants to look something up, he surfs the internet. One of the songs he likes to sing when he hosts a weekly karaoke evening is Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black”. Yet somehow things don’t feel so good any more.
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How Wisconsin made big Medicaid cuts with little controversy

As Wisconsin lawmakers looked ahead to their two-year state budget early last year, the outlook was grim. As the economy continued its freefall, a projected $5.7 billion deficit ballooned to $6.6 billion, the largest in state history. Every state program was on the chopping block, but Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people, was an especially big target because it makes up one-fifth of the state’s budget.
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In Violent Oakland, a Rap Producer Is Changing His Tune

John Davis is one of the most popular rap producers in Oakland, even though he is no longer allowed to live there under the conditions of his parole. Kevin Grant discussed “Gunz Down,” a project to create an EP of rap songs to promote peace in Oakland. Known as JusDigga, Mr. Davis, 36, has continued to produce music while bouncing in and out of prison for drugs, gun possession and burglary. But Mr. Davis says he now wants to change his message after coming to believe that the violence coursing through Oakland’s vibrant rap scene is contributing directly to the city’s lawlessness.
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Dr. Hsiao Lays the Groundwork for his Designs

It was an impressive performance on August 5th by Professor William Hsiao, the Harvard health policy economist who has been hired to design three universal health care systems for Vermont. Dr. Hsiao was in Montpelier to give a progress report to the Vermont Health Care Reform Commission. Using his courteous, often humorous demeanor, and his total command of the subject, Dr. Hsiao deftly fielded skeptical questions and gave every indication that the health care designs he and his team are working on will be comprehensive, evidence-based, and tailored to fit Vermont.
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