- United Nations peacekeepers are returning to a rebel-held area in wartorn South Sudan known as Akobo, to protect civilians from attacks by government troops. This comes as the government of South Sudan is facing increased pressure to observe a Christmas ceasefire, which had been quickly broken. (“UN Troops Returning to only Base in Rebel-Held South Sudan,” AP, Jan. 23, 2018; “South Sudan Ceasefire Body Says Leaders Breaking Peace Deal Could Face Sanctions,” Reuters, Jan. 25, 2018)
- In the early days of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, or CFPB, the agency launched an investigation into the World Finance company, a subprime lender, for charging interest rates over 200 percent and trapping low income customers into cycles of debt, enticing many to renew the loans over and over. The South Carolina-based company serves over 800,000 customers in the installment loan industry. (“Newly Defanged, Top Consumer Protection Agency Drops Investigation of High-Cost Lender,” ProPublica, Jan. 23, 2018)
- In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, immigrant workers from El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico came to Houston to find work in the cleanup of thousands of flood damaged homes. Yet day laborers enjoy little job security and were vulnerable to working in unhealthy conditions such as homes inundated with mold. Meanwhile, labor organizers have offered workshops to stop wage theft and provide health and safety training. (“Houston Is Being Rebuilt on a Foundation of Wage Theft,” In These Times, Jan. 22, 2018)
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