Hashtag politics: 4 key ways digital activism is inegalitarian

Many believe that the internet has made it easier for us to participate in political activism. But is that really true?

  • Protesting in person is costly in terms of money and resources; some people have children to take care of, jobs that can't be away from, or may not have time to attend a planning event.
  • The internet was supposed to be a way to sidestep this barrier to political activism. But this doesn't consider the other barriers preventing poor and working-class folks from participating in digital activism.
  • In particular, these people lack ASETs: access to computers, the skills to use them, the empowerment necessary to feel that using Twitter or other social media is for them, and the time to make use of digital platforms in an effective way.
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Why your birthplace is linked to your adult income

A new study finds that factors influencing where you're born continue to affect your earnings throughout life.

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  • Children born, raised, and working in big cities tend to be more successful.
  • A mountain of British demographic data reveals the correlation.
  • Are more successful families created by cities, or are they more likely to move there?
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Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Toni Morrison, dies at 88

"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." — Toni Morrison


Todd Plitt / Contributor
  • Morrison was the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
  • Over her nearly five-decade career, Morrison wrote 11 novels, a libretto and collections of nonfiction, and also worked as an editor who wanted to participate in developing a "canon of black work."
  • Morrison's family wrote that they were grateful she had a "long, well lived life."
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Are immigrants being scapegoated? Andrew Yang (and new research) suggests yes.

Immigrants add way more to the American economy than they take.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
  • Andrew Yang said immigrants are being scapegoated for racist reasons during the last presidential debate.
  • 45 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children, making a $6.1 trillion economic impact.
  • Even undocumented immigrants pay an estimated $11.6 billion a year in taxes, overturning the myth that they're "takers."
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IBM fired up to 100,000 older employees to attract millennial workers, says lawsuit

A former employee says the company was trying to rebrand itself as "cool" and "trendy" in order to attract younger workers.


Xinhua News Agency / Contributor
  • IBM faces a handful of lawsuits related to claims that the company engaged in ageist practices.
  • On Tuesday, court documents revealed a past deposition of a former employee who said that IBM has fired as many as 100,000 employees in recent years.
  • Some laid-off employees believe they were fired due to their age.
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