Zeeshan Aleem

Bio

Zeeshan is a senior staff writer at Mic, covering public policy and national politics. He is based in New York and can be reached at zeeshan@mic.com.
The Government Is Trying to Crack Down On One of the Most Predatory Industries in America
By Zeeshan Aleem
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed new rules Thursday that represent the federal government's first attempt to regulate payday lending, an industry that provides quick and small loans to financially strapped individuals with interest…
One Statistic Sums Up Why For-Profit Colleges Are a Complete Disaster
By Zeeshan Aleem
In recent years, a number of major for-profit higher education chains have attracted a great deal of notoriety for scamming students and stranding them with mountains of debt. But for-profit higher education has been around for quite some time —…
Barack Obama Just Evolved on a Hugely Important Issue
By Zeeshan Aleem
During a speech in Indiana on Wednesday, President Barack Obama said he supported expanding Social Security benefits, a major change in position that speaks to the leftward drift of the Democratic Party. "It's time we finally made Social Security…
This 2016 US Supreme Court Decision Could Change Immigration Policy Forever
By Zeeshan Aleem
Will President Barack Obama be remembered as a "deporter in chief," or as a president who took a bold stand on behalf of undocumented immigrants? Much of the answer to that question hinges on a single Supreme Court ruling expected to arrive this…
A New Study Shows Renewable Energy Just Had Its Best Year Yet
By Zeeshan Aleem
A new report has found that renewable energy power capacity around the world grew more in 2015 than in any other year in global history. The Renewables 2016 Global Status Report, published Wednesday, determined that by the end of 2015, "renewable…
In One Quote, a Former CIA Director Sums Up the Perils of a Trump Presidency
By Zeeshan Aleem
A former director of the CIA said Sunday that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's rhetoric on Islam is providing a boost to the enlistment efforts of radical jihadist groups like the Islamic State group. Michael Hayden, who…
Criminal Justice Reform Is Spreading Like Wildfire Across the States
By Zeeshan Aleem
For progressive advocates, efforts to reform the criminal justice system in Washington these days leave much to be desired. Despite the fact that a bill that attempts to stem mass incarceration is probably the only major piece of legislation that…
Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Just Endorsed (You Guessed It) Donald Trump
By Zeeshan Aleem
Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli has decided whom he wants to see win the White House in November: Donald Trump. Shkreli, you may remember, is a man who once hiked the price of a life-saving drug by 5000%, was arrested by the FBI for…
A 24-Year-Old Bernie Fan Debated Bill Clinton for 30 Minutes — And Made a Good Point
By Zeeshan Aleem
Bill Clinton is a double-edged sword as a campaign surrogate. On the one hand, he and his presidency are viewed so positively that his efforts on behalf of candidates often provide them with a positive boost. On the other hand, he has a way of…
A New Report Shows How CEOs Are Getting Away With Something You Never Could
By Zeeshan Aleem
Imagine one of your colleagues failed to deliver on one of the key responsibilities of his job, but at the end of the year received a far bigger raise than everyone else at the company. At major corporations around the United States, CEOs appear to…