Teachers routinely spend their own money on school supplies. With public school district budgets being slashed nationwide, over 90 percent of public K-12 teachers now pay for classroom supplies out of ...

We recognize the biggest challenges in the U.S. today are corporate control and diminishing community power which undermines the strength of our democracy and local economies. For us, local ...

Local Energy Rules is a biweekly podcast about monopoly power, energy democracy, and how communities can take charge to transform the energy system. Our audience is researchers, grassroots organizers, ...

If utility companies were paid for performance, could it encourage the development of more community solar? For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Angela ...

Millions of Americans live in communities that are both low-income and lacking a grocery store, also known as food deserts. Not having a place to buy fresh food nearby imposes a daily hardship and ...

A Companion Policy Brief to ILSR’s Interactive Map of Grocery Stores and Food Deserts Access to affordable, healthy food is a leading concern for American families. Grocery prices remain high, while ...

The food waste crisis continues to spoil progress for communities across the United States. The current burn-and-bury paradigm emits harmful pollutants, perpetuates environmental injustice, and ...

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) hosted a virtual briefing on Amazon’s growing capture of your local public dollars — and what you can do about it. ILSR’s investigation exposed how Amazon ...

New York is facing an affordability crisis rooted in a deeper problem: too many essential systems are controlled by distant corporations. This has left residents with high grocery and energy costs, ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 12, 2025) — Judge Furman granted the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s motion to unseal previously redacted details in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) complaint ...

ILSR has conducted a sweeping investigation that reveals Amazon has quietly become a major force in how cities, counties, and school districts purchase basic supplies — and that its tightening grip is ...

Learn about pending Minnesota legislation to enable distributed power plants and their potential impact on energy affordability. For this bonus episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John ...