Degrowth, an intellectual movement championed by academics like Jason Hickel and Kohei Saito, argues that economic growth damages the environment and that poverty should be solved through redistribution rather than growth. The movement has gained mainstream attention through bestselling books and university programs, appealing to environmentally concerned younger generations, though critics argue it rests on misconceptions about economic growth and history.
Safiruddin, a Bangladeshi man, sold his kidney in India for $2,850 in summer 2024 through organ traffickers, hoping to improve his family's life. However, brokers used forged documents to falsify a family relationship with the recipient, confiscated his passport and medical records, and left him with chronic pain and health deterioration. Baiguni village in Bangladesh's Kalai Upazila region has become known as the "village of one kidney" due to widespread organ trafficking, with one in 35 adults having sold a kidney, driven primarily by poverty.
The Census Bureau reported that Americans' real median household income rose 2.6% to $87,460 in 2025 and the poverty rate fell to 10.2%, data celebrated by Treasury Secretary Bessent as the Federal Reserve considers whether to raise interest rates. Democrats criticized the economic data during a hearing, citing high gas prices and mortgage rates above 7%, while the administration's tax law is expected to reduce food stamp eligibility by $211 billion through 2035.