OtherWords

OtherWords is a complimentary editorial service managed by the Institute for Policy Studies, a respected think tank. Every week, we share a selection of ready-to-publish op-eds and columns, along with an original cartoon, which we distribute to readers, editors, and publishers through our website and newsletter. Our work reaches hundreds of publications and millions of readers annually. At no charge, we provide polished, fact-checked, and easily understandable op-eds on various timely topics contributed by a diverse group of writers. Notably, over half of our bylines are from women, about a third are from writers under 35, and around 25% come from writers of color. Our aim is to support publications in educating their audiences with viewpoints that may not be available elsewhere, allowing them to dedicate more resources to local reporting. While we focus on politics, policy, and social issues from a progressive viewpoint, we maintain a strictly non-partisan stance.

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Starving the Poor to Feed the Rich

1 day ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

As a child, I felt so fancy when we used the purple food stamps — those were the pretty ones. We were a hardworking, loving family. My parents ensured we weren’t around anyone who tried to make us feel “less than” for needing help to make ends meet. That’s just reality in America.
Immigrants Are Our Neighbors. Isn’t That Enough?

1 day ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

I recall seeing a sign in a yard in my small hometown of around 12,000 residents. “No matter where you are from,” it said, “we’re glad you are our neighbor.”It was positioned defiantly, facing a Trump sign that had been plunged into the neighbor’s yard across the street. It poignantly illustrated the tensions in my rural Ohio town, which — like many similar communities — has experienced a rapid influx of immigrants over the last 20 years. The sign’s sentiment was simple yet profound.
Each Cup of Coffee You Drink Celebrates Arab American History

1 day ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

Many of us start our morning with a cup of coffee (or several). It’s easy to take for granted. But where does it come from? Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, but it was first cultivated commercially in 15th century Yemen. In fact, the word “coffee” is derived from the Arabic qahwa, as Yemenis called it. And “mocha” originates from Yemen’s al-Mokha port, where coffee was first shipped. Coffee is just one of the countless contributions that Arab culture has brought to our everyday lives.
In OtherWords: April 16, 2025

1 week ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

This week, Donald Trump hosted El Salvador’s authoritarian president Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office, where the two gleefully refused to release an innocent Maryland man the U.S. mistakenly — and illegally — kidnapped and deported to a brutal Salvadoran mega-prison. Trump even defied his own Supreme Court justices, who unanimously ordered the U.S. to “facilitate” the man’s release. We’ll have more to say about all that soon.
Trump and Musk Are Trying to Kill Social Security

1 week ago | otherwords.org | Jim Hightower |Peter Certo

How ironic: The most inefficient bureaucracy in government turns out to be Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency.”That could be humorous, except that DOGE — a creature of the right-wing Project 2025 — has been devastating to millions of people. And it’s about to get worse. Elon Musk — the flighty überrich autocrat put in charge of “efficiency” by his buddy Trump — is now going after the Social Security deposits of 73 million senior citizens.
With Congress Preparing a “Fiscal Tsunami,” States Can Choose Differently

1 week ago | otherwords.org | Amber Wallin |Peter Certo

Tax policy experts and lawmakers have long circled 2025 as a year to prepare for. What makes it so significant? For one thing, Federal COVID money to states is expiring, straining state budgets at the same time the economy is starting to weaken. For another, Republicans in Congress are working to increase and extend President Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations — while cutting trillions from health care, housing, and education programs for everyone else.
In OtherWords: April, 2024

2 weeks ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

Have you filed your tax returns yet? If you haven’t , Public Citizen’s Susan Harley recommends using the IRS’s free new “Direct File” tool. “Direct File is a much better option than paying for expensive corporate-owned software or hiring a private tax-prep company,” Susan writes. And it might even help you claim credits you’re eligible for but didn’t realize.
If You Think Eggs Are Expensive, Wait Till You See Trump’s Pentagon Budget

2 weeks ago | otherwords.org | Lindsay Koshgarian |Peter Certo

Each year for Tax Day, my colleagues and I at the Institute for Policy Studies release a tax receipt so you can learn where your taxes are actually going. This year, you may be more worried about the price of eggs than your tax dollars. But with President Trump now urging a $1 trillion military budget, it’s worth thinking about what we’re already spending. Last year, the average taxpayer paid $3,707 for weapons and wars. That’s the equivalent of 628 dozen eggs.
Still Need to File Taxes? Try IRS Direct File!

2 weeks ago | otherwords.org | Peter Certo

With Tax Day rapidly approaching, taxpayers who haven’t yet filed could have a great option available to them this year. Half the states in the nation now have access to a zero-cost tool created by the IRS called Direct File that allows people to file taxes online directly to the government using a question-based software. Direct File is a much better option than paying for expensive corporate-owned software or hiring a private tax-prep company.
Libraries Are Priceless — And They Need Our Support - OtherWords

2 weeks ago | otherwords.org | Aspen Coriz-Romero |Peter Certo

Growing up as an avid reader, I loved trips with my mom to our local library. It also served as a community space where I attended many birthday parties and baby showers to celebrate our neighbors. If you love your local library too, you’ll want to listen up.