Media clips

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• All the places in the U.S. where minimum wage went up in July

  Why it matters: In Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. alone, that means paycheck boosts for more than 880,000 people, according to The Economic Policy Institute, also impacting workers in major hubs like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and D.C.

  Axios July 7, 2025
• Lower tariffs are still tariffs

  Adam Hersh, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said a 20% tariff is significant. As is the 10% tariff Trump announced on goods from the U.K.

  “It still puts us at the highest that tariffs have been in more than a century,” Hersh said.

  And, he said, it’s still going to be hugely disruptive to the U.S. economy. 

  Marketplace July 7, 2025
• North Carolina faces rising childcare costs: Solutions from State Task Force

  The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) for North Carolina is sharing that childcare costs are on a major rise.

  The EPI reports that the average annual cost for care in the state is $11,720, which is 57% more per year than the average annual in-state tuition for a four-year public college. They also report that families with at least two children pay more than $19,000 per year, which is more than the average annual rent price in the state.

  WXII-TV July 7, 2025
• Red States Follow DOGE’s Lead, Slashing Services to Fund Giveaways to the Rich

  At least 26 states have launched “government efficiency” initiatives of their own in recent months, typically through executive order, legislation, or the creation of a legislative committee, according to an April analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

  The EPI briefing outlines how these state-level initiatives “use disingenuous calls to ‘root out inefficiency’ and ‘cut wasteful spending’ as a smokescreen,” with the ultimate goal of funding tax cuts for the wealthy.

  “State lawmakers are using the DOGE brand to restructure government in favor of partisan interests,” Nina Mast, an EPI policy and economic analyst and a coauthor of the briefing, told Truthout. “They’re weaponizing ‘efficiency,’ in order to limit agency authority and put burdensome new requirements on agencies that serve the public.”

  Truthout July 7, 2025
• Millions of workers are getting a raise as new minimum wage laws kick in

  The minimum wage rose starting July 1 for more than 880,000 workers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. In D.C., the city’s minimum wage increases from $17.50 per hour to $17.95 per hour.

  A dozen cities and counties, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, are also raising their minimum wage.

  Nearly 6 in 10 workers who will see a bump are women and nearly half work full-time, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

  Yahoo Finance July 7, 2025
• Why is the Trump administration focused on undocumented immigrants, not their employers?

  But if problems persist, or investigators find a pattern of violations, fines from ICE can range from $288 to $28,619 per worker, depending on the type and severity of the violation, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  “When employers are punished, the punishment and fines levied on employers are so minimal that they are unlikely to be effective at deterring illegal conduct, and the harshest penalties are rare because the legal standard for them is difficult to prove and they are reserved for repeat violators,” reads a report from the Economic Policy Institute.

  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel July 7, 2025
• I’m an Economist. The GOP Budget Undeniably Takes From the Working Class and Gives to the Rich

  The OBBB is stunning only in how brazenly it takes from the bottom to give to the top. It should be embarrassing for any party to champion such a reverse-Robin Hood bill. It should be really embarrassing for a party hoping to convince people that it has changed its spots and is now really a champion for the working class. Given that it has been rammed through on a party-line vote with near-unanimous support from the GOP, we all know the truth.

  Time Magazine July 7, 2025
• Medicaid cuts will impact Black children the most

  “The anticipated cuts to both Medicaid and SNAP threaten the economic security of millions of working families,” according to the Economic Policy Institute. The cuts to Medicaid will impact over six million Black children and teens, according to estimates.

  The Black Wall Street Times July 7, 2025
• White House tries to calm industry worries over migrant workers amid aggressive deportation campaign

  There are 2.4 million farmworkers in the United States, according to the Economic Policy Institute, 40% of whom the Agriculture Department estimates lack legal status.

  CNN July 7, 2025
• ‘We Will Organize Those People,’ Anti-Poverty Crusader William Barber Says of Millions Set to Lose Medicaid

  In partnership with IPS and the Economic Policy Institute, Repairers of the Breach on Monday published The High Moral Stakes of Budget Reconciliation fact sheet, which examines the version of the budget bill previously passed by the House. The document highlights cuts to health coverage, funding for rural hospitals, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

  Common Dreams July 7, 2025