Martin Michaels

Martin Michaels is a Mint Press staff writer specializing in immigration, international affairs and social justice issues. A native New Yorker, Michaels graduated with a degree in international relations and democratization in the Middle East. He has traveled to Jordan, Egypt and Israel, conducting research and studying human rights issues there. Michaels has also worked in various positions with J Street and Occupy Wall Street, promoting peace and social justice. Contact Martin at [email protected] or follow Martin on Twitter at @MMichaelsMPN.

Fight Over Minimum Wage Shifts To The State Level

Workers rights advocates in Minnesota say they have high hopes for a breakthrough in the state legislature.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

Thousands gathered outside Walmart stores in 15 U.S. cities Thursday to protest low wages, poor benefits and intimidation in the largest demonstrations against the retailer since the protest on Black Friday in 2012. On a separate front, fast-food workers in Minnesota have not participated in any of the previous strikes, including the nationwide

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America’s Low Voter Turnout Made Worse By New Restrictions

Experts say new voter ID laws are contributing to America’s dysfunctional democracy.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels
In this Oct. 2, 2012 file photo, voters stand in line outside the Hamilton County Board of Elections just before it opened for early voting, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)

Throughout the history of the U.S., citizens have fought to expand suffrage to women and African Americans by eliminating discriminatory polling policies. Despite rising to become a ‘champion of democracy’ in the world, voter turnout in presidential and midterm elections remains far lower than in many fellow democratic countries. In the 2012

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Interracial Relationships Still Subject To Discrimination

Decades after anti-miscegenation laws were declared unconstitutional, mixed-race couples are still met with harassment in parts of the country.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

More than 46 years after interracial marriage bans were abolished, mixed-race relationships have reached an all time high in the U.S. The Los Angeles Times reports that last year, 9 percent of unmarried couples living together came from different races, compared with about 4 percent of married couples. That may not sound like a lot but U.S. Census

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Report: Millions In US Aid Unaccounted For In Afghanistan

The report comes on the heels of a U.N. survey that found corruption to be a serious problem in the war-ravaged nation.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) published a report this month warning that millions of U.S. taxpayers’ dollars allocated for the Afghan Ministry of Public Health could be misused or remain unaccounted for. “Despite financial management deficiencies at the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the U.S. Agency

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Why Are Uneducated White Women Dying Sooner?

A study shows that White women lacking a high school diploma have experienced a sharp decline in average life expectancy.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

Authors of a new study published in last month’s edition of the Journal of Health Affairs found that White women lacking a high school diploma experienced a five-year decline in average life expectancy from 1990-2008, the largest of any demographic in the report “Differences In Life Expectancy Due to Race and Educational Differences Are Widening,

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A Nation Of Temps

Behind the statistics of “recovery” are millions of workers on the precipice of unemployment.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

The U.S. economy has more temporary workers than ever before. According to June report by the U.S. Department of Labor, there are roughly 2.7 million people employed in temporary jobs, a trend that continues as President Obama touts an economic turnaround and healthy job growth after the 2008 recession. Large retailers like Walmart continue to

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Walmart Faces National Day Of Protest In Latest Workers’ Action

Organizers say Thursday’s planned protest of alleged corporate retaliation will be the largest action since Black Friday.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

On a national day of action this Thursday, Walmart workers and their supporters will protest outside Walmart stores in 15 U.S. cities, demanding the reversal of disciplinary actions taken against 80 employees who participated in previous protests. The Nation reports that the upcoming demonstration will likely be the largest single-day protest since

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