annieharper.bsky.social
@annieharper.bsky.social
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They say that if you can’t pay – and so often people can’t – you 'simply' have the item removed, and at least your credit (and in turn your ability to rent an apartment, get a job, or take on other types of debt) isn’t affected. It's tragic that losing an essential item seems like the best choice.
In this article Hyman is surprised that installment credit has taken off, given its historical association with repossession. It does seem strange that people are willing to pay well over the odds to use rent-to-own or BNPL. Our research with users of these products helps to make sense of it.
We’re not living beyond our means. We’re surviving beyond our wages.

My article for the November issue of @newrepublic.com looks at the consumer debt crisis—a story that the news media has struggled to adequately cover.
newrepublic.com/article/2011...
The Invisible Economic Crisis
With consumer debt at record levels, the United States is sleepwalking toward disaster.
newrepublic.com
Our ongoing research digs into ways that debt damages the lives and health of people already struggling with mental health issues. We are seeing increasing use of Earned Wage Access among people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and who are homeless – often with disastrous outcomes.
So grateful for this and @dalie.bsky.social important work on debt. Our research has similar findings – that people are increasingly overwhelmed with ever more debt types, just to get by. In our paper www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti..., we show how the constant juggling directly impacts health.
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Join us Saturday at 3 pm on the NHV Green!
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AAUP @aaup.org · 16d
When students, faculty, and our communities are united to fight for our universities, for the common good, and for our democracy, nothing can stop us!

WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN!

@aft @higheredlabor.bsky.social

#DefendHigherEd
Over 100 Brown U students & 20 faculty members gathered outside
the campus today to demand that the university reject Trump’s loyalty oath compact. Professors & students taped their mouths shut to symbolize the compact’s threat to free speech, #academicfreedom & diversity of thought.
#DefendHigherEd
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Airports standing against fascism better than many of our universities.
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We are all so accustomed to palestinians dying violently that reporting it is mainly a way of reporting a geopolitical development (i'm not criticizing anyone-we all do it!). For any other group 9 people being violently killed is a notable tragedy; for palestinians it's a tuesday (under ceasefire)
israel has already broken the ceasefire
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This is a novel organizing win — and it didn't come through a lawsuit. It came from collective tenant organizing directly against their creditor/landlord. Workers can withhold their labor to win. Tenants can hold their payments to win too.
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Just read highlights from the famine report in Gaza. The short of it is that it's worse than you think. I'm reminded of the crackdown on our students, who were telling American society what's what from the start. It's never too late to add your voice if you haven't so far.
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Today, Social Security is one of the most successful anti-poverty programs in America.

✅ Keeps >22M people above the poverty line.
✅Reduces the elderly poverty rate by 75%

For its 90th anniversary, let's recommit ourselves to strengthening it 3/3 🧵
rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/what-do...
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This data didn't really exist until super recently — but now you can actually see where and how many household are "behind" on rent by county.

You can see your county data here: nationalequityatlas.org/rent-debt
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This is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed, the craft here is impeccable.
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We put people in jail because they lack cash.

The United States is one of two countries in the world that has a for-profit commercial money bail industry that decides whether or not you go home to your family if you're charged with a crime.

It's a debt-machine.

Abolish bail.
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Connecticut lawmakers passed reforms on a century-old towing law. But they don’t solve all the problems that vehicle owners have raised.

ctmirror.org/2025/06/30/c...
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a former governor scion of a political dynasty losing to a 33 year old is a world historic crashout
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we should be rallying around free public transit available at a vast scale

this is low hanging fruit populism climate action in a way congestion pricing and carbon taxes and even energy efficiency regulation will never be
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I wrote a piece in The NY Times about global economic stagnation and the way it is shaping politics today, less visibly perhaps than other factors, but more deeply.
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Ok white citizens, fascism is scary and it’s a new experience for you to feel threatened by the state. I get it. But please let’s not do All Lives Matter 2.0. We have to focus on the most vulnerable & use every shred of privilege if we’re going to survive this.
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AAUP @aaup.org · Apr 17
TODAY!

170+ campus communities across the nation are building a powerful movement in defense of higher education and our democracy.

See you out there!
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Today! Join us at 12:30pm on Cross Campus and then throughout the afternoon for teach-ins in Loria 250!!!