Michelle Chen

Contributing Writer

@meeshellchen

Michelle Chen is a contributing writer for The Nation.

Demonstrators at a solidarity rally for Starbucks workers in downtown Ithaca, N.Y., on May 12.

Starbucks Closes Its Ithaca Locations One Year After Workers Unionized Starbucks Closes Its Ithaca Locations One Year After Workers Unionized

Former Starbucks employees say the fight is far from over as they pressure Cornell University to "divest" from the company.

May 25, 2023 / Michelle Chen

incarcerated firefighters walk through snow

Exploiting Prison Workers for Cheap Sheets Exploiting Prison Workers for Cheap Sheets

Research by advocates documents harsh conditions and unfair practices for incarcerated workers throughout the US prison system.

Mar 10, 2023 / Michelle Chen

A police looks at a series of row of monitors.

Defund the Police Algorithms Defund the Police Algorithms

Law enforcement is increasingly turning to software to surveil and anticipate crime. But a grassroots movement is emerging to resist algorithmic policing.

Aug 25, 2022 / Highlights / Michelle Chen

Letters Icon

Letters From the April 18/25, 2022, Issue Letters From the April 18/25, 2022, Issue

Sequim for the win… Miscarriages of justice (web only)… The right to communicate (web only)…

Apr 5, 2022 / Letters / Our Readers, Tom Gogola, and Michelle Chen

A man's hands hold a prison tablet while another man walks in the background

Why Prisons Are Banning Letters Why Prisons Are Banning Letters

The loss of paper mail and the shift to private electronic communications platforms can isolate incarcerated individuals.

Feb 9, 2022 / Michelle Chen

Climate Finance Day rally

Why Shouldn’t the People Own the Banks? Why Shouldn’t the People Own the Banks?

A municipally chartered public bank would not be beholden to the often predatory commercial banking sector.

Jul 9, 2021 / Michelle Chen

Covid opioid addiction

The Other Epidemic Killing Americans The Other Epidemic Killing Americans

People are dying at record rates from opioid overdoses, and harm reduction advocates are asking the Biden administration to overhaul how it deals with the crisis.

May 28, 2021 / Michelle Chen

fifteen year old foster girl who just arrived sits on the swing at the Paul Miller Home

How Covid-19 Supercharged a Foster System Crisis How Covid-19 Supercharged a Foster System Crisis

Parents are losing their kids as they struggle to navigate bureaucracies upended by the pandemic.

Mar 15, 2021 / Michelle Chen

Man mopping a school hallway

For Some Workers, Schools Never Closed For Some Workers, Schools Never Closed

Amid the pandemic, frontline education workers are shouldering crucial responsibilities.

Nov 23, 2020 / StudentNation / Michelle Chen

Trump’s National Labor Relations Board Is Sabotaging Its Own Mission

Trump’s National Labor Relations Board Is Sabotaging Its Own Mission Trump’s National Labor Relations Board Is Sabotaging Its Own Mission

The federal agency that’s supposed to protect union rights is instead championing the interests of bosses.

Sep 7, 2020 / Feature / Michelle Chen

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