Perspectives

If you can believe it, we’re less than three months away from the 2026 midterm elections. With the electoral clock ticking, we thought now would be as good a time as any to talk about the importance of protecting voting rights.

My name is Ilana Cohen. I spent this summer with the Patriotic Millionaires as the Communications Intern, meaning you may have (unknowingly) seen some of my work on our social media platforms. As my final assignment, the team here asked me to write “A Closer Look” on what I learned this summer, and I was more than happy to oblige.

From June to July, the unemployment rate declined from 4.2% to 4.1%. You might think that means more people have jobs. You might be wrong.

Last week, we talked all about the 17-years-long, abysmally low $7.25 federal minimum wage. This week, we are putting the spotlight on the millions of “gig” workers across the country who aren’t even entitled to the minimum wage thanks to the machinations of corporations.