Author

Casey Quinlan is a reporter in Washington, D.C. In the past 10 years or so, they have reported on national politics and state politics, LGBTQ rights, abortion access, labor issues, education, Supreme Court news and more for publications including The American Independent, ThinkProgress, New Republic, Rewire News, SCOTUSblog, In These Times, and Vox. Some of their stories have included coverage of 2018-2019 teachers strikes, a medication abortion ban in Arkansas, the effects of the pandemic on LGBTQ workers, and the fallout of efforts to remove books with LGBTQ characters from school libraries and community libraries across the country.
Study: States that limit business with banks that ‘boycott’ fossil fuels could pay high cost
By: Casey Quinlan - January 12, 2023
Republican state policymakers’ efforts to boost fossil fuels by prohibiting their governments from doing business with companies that take sustainability into consideration has the potential to cost states millions, according to a study released Thursday. Researchers looked specifically at the possible effects on Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and West Virginia if they passed Texas-like […]
Here’s what you need to know about new workplace protections for pregnant, nursing workers
By: Casey Quinlan - January 5, 2023
The $1.7 trillion federal spending bill President Joe Biden signed last week ushers in expanded protections for workers who are pregnant or nursing. Proponents of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act — both included as amendments to the spending bill — say the measures clarify rights for these workers, […]
Child poverty rates highest in states that haven’t raised minimum wage
By: Casey Quinlan - December 23, 2022
Of the 20 states that have failed to raise the minimum wage above the federal $7.25 an hour standard, 16 have more than 12% of their children living in poverty, according to a States Newsroom analysis of wage and poverty data. Anti-poverty advocates say that’s a sign that there’s an urgent need for lawmakers to […]
Voters embraced affordable housing initiatives. Advocates say Congress should do the same.
By: Casey Quinlan - December 15, 2022
Voters in Colorado approved a statewide affordable housing initiative in November; while voters in nine cities across the country OK’d measures to finance the construction of affordable housing, preserve existing rental properties and support renters. But as housing costs soar, analysts and advocates say more needs to be done and argue that federal action is […]
Here’s why food prices remain stubbornly high even as inflation cools
By: Casey Quinlan - December 13, 2022
Shoppers hoping for a little relief at the grocery store for their holiday meals will be disappointed by the Consumer Price Index released Tuesday. The CPI shows inflation cooling but food prices — particularly for some holiday staples — remain high. The CPI increased 0.1% in November, which was lower than some economists expected. Over […]
Here’s when drug prices will start to decrease for Medicare recipients
By: Casey Quinlan - December 4, 2022
Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. The bill also requires pharmaceutical companies […]
Two communities find a cure for medical debt: pandemic stimulus funds
By: Casey Quinlan - November 20, 2022
Local governments in Ohio and Illinois are using American Rescue Plan Act money to relieve residents struggling with medical debt by partnering with an organization that buys debt and wipes the slate clean for debtors. It’s a strategy advocates say could be duplicated across the country to help erase a multibillion-dollar problem. On Nov. 9, […]
Millions of workers are dealing with long COVID. Advocates call for expanding social safety net.
By: Casey Quinlan - October 22, 2022
Emily Withnall caught COVID-19 from her teenager in July 2020. In the more than two years since, the 40-year-old has suffered from debilitating fatigue, spinal pain and heart palpitations. In addition to her primary care doctor, she regularly sees a cardiologist and says her acupuncturist and craniosacral therapy help relieve her pain and the trouble […]
Costs of incarceration rise as inflation squeezes inmates, families
By: Casey Quinlan - October 11, 2022
Across the nation, prison commissaries are raising prices on items that many consider basic necessities — from deodorant to fresh fruit — not provided by the state department of corrections. The markups come as decades-high inflation is also squeezing inmates’ families, making it harder for them to help. It’s a burden that families shouldn’t have […]
GOP leaders target ‘woke’ investments through state pension funds
By: Casey Quinlan - September 19, 2022
Republicans in state capitals across the country are targeting an investing concept known as environmental, social and corporate governance criteria, or ESG for short. Describing these investment criteria as “woke” and “misguided activism,“ GOP officials argue that by taking these factors into account when making investment choices, financial institutions are putting ideology ahead of making […]
As rural homelessness increases, HUD aims money at helping people without access to shelters
By: Casey Quinlan - September 9, 2022
WASHINGTON – The Department of Housing and Urban Development has opened up millions of dollars in funding for groups serving unhoused people in rural areas — an unprecedented move by the agency, say housing advocates. People living in cars, parks, and on the street at night, which the agency labels unsheltered homelessness, has increased across […]