This week in OtherWords, we’ve got three excellent new pieces on the affordability crisis facing Americans.
First, Lindsay Owens — author of the new book Gouged — shares about the new technologies corporations use to drive up prices on unsuspecting customers. Lindsay calls on lawmakers to pass a “Shoppers’ Bill of Rights” to address algorithmic price fixing, surveillance pricing, and other dubious new innovations.
Second, Amy Hanauer runs the numbers on what President Trump’s war in Iran is costing your household thanks to elevated prices for gas, food, and other goods. And she points readers to a tool where you can get a number based on where you live, the size of your household, and how many drivers you have under your roof.
And finally, Kirsten Crowell shares her report of touring the country among communities grappling with the impact of cuts under the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” There’s a lot of suffering, she wriites, but also a potential reordering of our politics. Beyond Democrat or Republican, urban or rural, she concludes, “the divide shaping our politics isn’t simply left versus right. It’s the very rich versus everyone else.”
New This Week…
Corporations Keep Finding New Ways to Gouge Us. Our Laws Must Catch Up. | Lindsay Owens
As companies trap us in subscriptions, bury us in fees, and use algorithms to fix prices, we need a new Shoppers’ Bill of Rights.
Trump’s Invasion of Iran Could Cost You Thousands | Amy Hanauer
Higher fuel and food prices are on track to cost the average household over $1,300 by the end of the year.
How the “Big Beautiful Bill” Is Harming People — And How They’re Responding | Kristen Crowell
Over 15 months and 22 states, I met families struggling with cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — and the people refusing to let their neighbors face those struggles alone.
In Case You Missed It…
Trump Judges Are Making the Affordability Crisis Worse | Paul Gordon
Amid rising prices, Trump-appointed judges have quietly made it harder for Americans to get paid fairly — and easier for corporations to mistreat us.
Vance Wants to Reward Stay-at-Home Moms — By Punishing Single Parents | Sonali Kolhatkar
The vice president wants to pay parents who stay home by taking funds from a program that helps single parents afford child care.
Who Grows Our Houseplants? | Elizabeth Rodriguez and Kathleen Wood
For the largely immigrant workers whose labor brings beauty to our homes, public spaces, and places of worship, speaking out about working conditions can come with the risk of retaliation.
It’s Time to Boycott Starbucks | Lisa Watson
Baristas like me are struggling to afford health care while our CEO commutes by private jet and refuses to agree to a fair union contract.
The post In OtherWords: September 30, 2026 appeared first on OtherWords.
