Though the issue has been put on the back burner in recent years, the influence of big money is still wreaking havoc on US politics. Zohran Mamdani’s grassroots-powered, publicly funded campaign for New York City mayor suggests a way out of this morass.
Flight Attendants Won’t Let Air Canada Profit From Unpaid Labor
Air Canada’s flight attendants have defied Ottawa’s back-to-work order, striking for pay they’ve never received for pre- and post-flight duties, from safety checks to restocking. The action exposes decades of unpaid work baked into airline operations.
The Defeat of European Socialism Was Far From Inevitable
Contrary to popular belief, the 1970s was a period in which the European left was at its strongest. Unions were powerful, and socialists felt confident that the changing economy could benefit them. So why was the Left defeated a decade later?
Google’s President Loves Trump’s Anti-Climate Policies
Google’s president, Ruth Porat, has repeatedly expressed enthusiasm for the Trump administration’s pro–fossil fuel energy policies. Her comments suggest Big Tech is now prioritizing energy for data centers over its climate commitments.
Jeremy Corbyn on Britain’s New Left-Wing Party
Keir Starmer’s Labour government has had a dismal first year in power. In an interview, socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn explains why it’s time to create a new left-wing party that empowers working-class people.
The Trump White House has helped install the ticking time bomb that is cryptocurrency directly into our economy. When it blows up, the damage will be catastrophic.
France’s Dead-End War on Crime
Crime in France has been on the decline for decades, especially among minors. But a moral panic about wayward youth is feeding legislation designed to jail more young offenders.
MAHA Is Going to Make America Sicker
Donald Trump has spent the last seven months flooding our food, water, and air with all kinds of very real, very horrible pollutants, including numerous cancer-causing chemicals — the exact opposite of “making America healthy again.”
The Trump–Putin Talks Blindsided European Leaders
This summer, European states hiked military spending and swallowed a poor trade deal in order to win favor with Donald Trump. Yet the US president’s negotiations with Vladimir Putin all but ignored their proposals.
Columbia Is Replacing Its TAs With Nonunion Adjuncts
A week before classes were set to begin, Columbia University informed around 140 unionized graduate student workers that they had been removed from their teaching duties. The university is hiring nonunion adjunct instructors to do the work instead.
John Maynard Keynes warned that when real investment becomes the by-product of speculation, the result is often disaster. But it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
Americana Falls Flat
Nothing in film is more exposing than the big attempt at meaning and poignance that just doesn’t come off. Sadly, Americana stands exposed.
Private Equity Is Coming for Public Utilities
While extending its tentacles elsewhere, private equity has mostly stayed away from electric utilities because they often don’t yield quick returns. A BlackRock subsidiary’s campaign to take over a regional utility in Minnesota suggests that is changing.
Alien: Earth Is a Much-Needed Defense of Humanity
Noah Hawley’s new FX series, Alien: Earth, draws on the best of the sci-fi horror franchise to suggest humanity’s future might offer more than mere survival.
Cloud is a Techno-Thriller for the Age of Online Hustle Culture
The internet has robbed the world of much of its mystery and replaced it with the jaded cynicism of online grifters. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s film Cloud explores this bleak world dominated by people who just can’t log off.