Digital Gems

Listen to this episode from Consider This from NPR on Spotify. The story made waves in Washington, D.C., this week: The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax. ProPublica obtained private tax data from America's 25 wealthiest individuals, which revealed exactly how those people manage, through legal means, to pay far less income tax than most Americans — and sometimes, none at all. ProPublica senior editor and reporter Jesse Eisinger explains how it works to NPR's Rachel Martin. After the story's publication, some lawmakers reacted with concern about the fairness of the tax code. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, explains a proposal to make it more equitable. He spoke to NPR's Ailsa Chang. Additional reporting on the history of the income tax from NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator and Steven Weisman's 2010 appearance on All Things Considered. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Oregon's bold move to decriminalize small amounts of all hard drugs and expand treatment is now meeting the reality of implementation as the treatment community is divided over the way forward.

The unanimous Senate passage of the bill was an anticlimactic culmination to a long effort to commemorate the emancipation of American enslaved people during the Civil War. The bill heads to the Democratic-led House.

The legislation, which now heads to the House, aims to ensure the country can compete with China technologically by supporting research and development over the next five years.

The federal government often gives less help to Black disaster survivors than their white neighbors. That’s a challenge for President Biden, who has vowed to fight both inequality and climate change.

U.S. officials are concerned that foreign adversaries may exploit energy-emitting devices to harm Americans now that they’re suspected of causing debilitating symptoms.

As Colorado Democrats defend the Bureau of Land Management's Grand Junction headquarters move, critics say it's been an "epic failure."

The United States will target China with a new "strike force" to combat unfair trade practices, the Biden administration said on Tuesday, as it rolled out findings of a review of access to critical products, from semiconductors to electric-vehicle batteries.

Last month, Sociologists for Trans Justice released a statement condemning the wave of anti-trans legislation that has been proposed in state legislatures across the United States. The statement in…

A Space Force lieutenant colonel has been removed from his command after appearing on a conservative podcast criticizing the United States military.

Fifteen percent of Americans agree with the key allegation of QAnon.

Ohio is losing a seat in Congress, but will it keep Jim Jordan?

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Chinese businessman with links to Steve Bannon is the "linchpin" of a sprawling disinformation network that pushes election and covid-19 falsehoods, researchers say

An unsealed court filing shows that the social media company fought the subpoena, which the Biden administration is said to have withdrawn.

Several large corporations that have recently issued public statements supporting voting rights — including Google, Deloitte, and Citigroup — are also funding and collaborating with a top Republican group advocating for new voter suppression laws. Internal documents obtained by Popular Information and Documented reveal the corporations participated in a "policy working group" on "election integrity" with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), a party organization that is actively supporting new voter suppression bills. Participation in the roundtable required a minimum annual contribution of $15,000 to the RSLC.

From Conservative Grounds in Florida to Covfefe Coffee in Maine, MAGA wants to come for Starbucks.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has become the latest Republican-dominated state to advance sweeping new limits on voting, despite no evidence of any problems with last year’s vote and a coalition of state and federal officials calling the 2020 presidential election the

The U.S. Census Bureau is undertaking a privacy overhaul. It’s not going well

The gender gap in corporate America is increasingly well documented, but the literature has not yet examined how a CEO’s political preferences might be associated with gender equality in the

Under a highway, beautiful structures offer food, healthcare, showers and a free ‘store’ – as well as a strong sense of community

States can lose a House seat over a small number of people. In the case of New York, the number would fit in a single subway car. Take a look at other record margins that altered congressional representation.