In a dramatic unveiling of the little-known world of contracted military logistics, Adam Moore examines the lives of the global army of laborers who support US overseas wars. Empire's Labor brings us the experience of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who perform jobs such as truck drivers and administrative assistants at bases located in warzones in the Middle East and Africa. He highlights the changes the US military has undergone since the Vietnam War, when the ratio of contractors to uniformed personnel was roughly 1:6. In Afghanistan it has been as high as 4:1. This growth in logistics contracting represents a fundamental change in how the US fights wars, with the military now dependent on a huge pool of contractors recruited from around the world. It also, Moore demonstrates, has social, economic, and political implications that extend well beyond the battlefields.

Focusing on workers from the Philippines and Bosnia, two major sources of "third country national" (TCN) military labor, Moore explains the rise of large-scale logistics outsourcing since the end of the Cold War; describes the networks, infrastructures, and practices that span the spaces through which people, information, and goods circulate; and reveals the experiences of foreign workers, from the hidden dynamics of labor activism on bases, to the economic and social impacts these jobs have on their families and the communities they hail from. Through his extensive fieldwork and interviews, Moore gives voice to the agency and aspirations of the many thousands of foreigners who labor for the US military.

The State of Hawai‘i’s $37.2 billion biennium operating budget for FY 2024 and FY 2025 provided substantial tax relief for vulnerable residents, and authorized new spending to improve access to affordable housing and health care. This article explores the policy decisions and conflicts among legislators and the newly elected Governor during the budget approval process. Although Governor Josh Green and the Democratic leadership agreed on the state’s most pressing policy priorities, the Legislature rejected Green’s proposal for broad middle-class tax relief in favor of more targeted benefits for low-income families. There were also several major disputes among legislators during the budget approval process, including a fight over the level of education spending, and the controversial creation of a $200 million discretionary fund for the Governor’s use. Beyond the budget, the paper explores several ongoing challenges, including Hawai‘i’s economic dependence on tourism, population decline, skyrocketing housing costs, government corruption, and the tragic fires in West Maui.