This week, a Georgia chemical plant suffered yet another accident, releasing toxic fumes into an Atlanta suburb for at least the fourth time. The plant falls into a yawning regulatory loophole that chemical industry lobbying has kept open for years.
Lawmakers Aren’t Disclosing Their Private Equity Millions
The wealthiest members of Congress from both parties — including vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance — have millions invested collectively in private equity funds. In many cases, they are not required to disclose details about these investments.
The Pessoptimist Turns Fifty
In 1974, Emile Habibi published The Pessoptimist, an irreverent novel that interpreted the Nakba as a tragicomic fable. Fifty years later, it still speaks to the dilemma facing Palestinians fighting to pull liberation from the jaws of defeat.
Justin Trudeau’s Pivot to the Right on Immigration
Canadian private sector demands have long shaped immigration policy. As immigrants are scapegoated for failed economic strategies, Justin Trudeau’s shift in rhetoric — from embracing to blaming — highlights the hypocrisy of a system designed for profit.
Climate Change–Induced Disasters Are Killing Workers
Eleven of Impact Plastics’s workers were at the company’s Tennessee factory when Hurricane Helene hit. Two are confirmed dead, four are still missing. Workers say the company did not let them leave until it was too late.
A Newly Free Julian Assange Speaks
After over half a decade of imprisonment and constant government harassment, Julian Assange is free and speaking out for freedom of speech and human rights. His freedom is a relief, but the state of protections for journalists like him is far from strong.
How Australia’s Voting System Maintains Two-Party Rule
As democracies go, Australia isn’t as dysfunctional as the United States. But its electoral system still ensures that many votes are undervalued or wasted.
Wallowing Into War
After October 7, Israel embarked on an unprecedented massacre. The new book 10/7 — with an afterword by novelist Joshua Cohen — longs for the moment when it was Israel that had the world’s sympathy.
Climate Denialism Made Hurricane Helene’s Destruction Worse
In the years before Hurricane Helene ravaged North Carolina last week, Republican lawmakers and corporate interests continually sabotaged efforts to prepare the state for stronger storms and a rising sea.
The leading thinkers of Marxism stressed how important it was to govern in partnership with the peasantry. When communist states imposed collectivization by force, the results were disastrous.
Marine Le Pen Sets the Agenda for France’s Government
In the name of constructive opposition, Marine Le Pen has issued her conditions for tolerating new prime minister Michel Barnier. Her party wants to show it’s ready for high office — but is vaguer about its stance on Barnier’s austerity plans.
Tim Walz’s Talents Are Wasted on This Campaign
At the VP debate, Tim Walz offered lessons for how progressives can communicate their ideas to ordinary Americans. Unfortunately, it’s all in the service of Kamala Harris’s unambitious, corporate-friendly campaign.
Claudia Sheinbaum, Presidenta
Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, took office yesterday, succeeding AMLO following the left coalition’s landslide victory. Expect the Right to redouble its media attacks — and find a willing accomplice in the United States.
South Korea’s Repressive Laws Deny Workers Their Rights
The ousting of a popular government official in Seoul last month was linked to Korean laws that bar many workers from engaging in political activity. A draconian system known as the “prosecutor republic” helps conservative elites maintain their power.