When Socialists Run for NYC Mayor, Good Things Can Happen

Socialist legislator Zohran Mamdani is running for New York City mayor against a corrupt, unpopular mayor. Morris Hillquit did the same thing a century ago.

“Buy Now, Pay Later” Companies Are an Unregulated Racket

“Buy now, pay later” companies like Klarna present themselves as friendly, interest-free alternatives to credit cards. Consumer advocates warn that the services don’t have proper guardrails, leading to potentially dangerous consequences for users.

How Labor Can Fight Trump’s Authoritarianism

Former United Teachers Los Angeles president Alex Caputo-Pearl lays out a “block and build” strategy for labor to defeat the rising right-wing attacks on workers and democracy in the coming Donald Trump administration.

How Austrian Liberals Silenced Pro-Palestinians

If German public debate is infamous for its pro-Israel dogmas, the situation is as bad in Austria. While the far-right Freedom Party is now normalized, pro-Palestinians are silenced in the name of “anti-fascist” solidarity with Israel.

How Left Economists Have Challenged Economic “Common Sense”

The US New Left spawned a generation of progressive economists who sought to challenge economic orthodoxy. For the “popular economics” movement, that has meant taking on pro-capitalist economics in academia as well as the public sphere.

Queer Asks You to Believe Daniel Craig Can’t Get Laid

Based on William S. Burroughs’s cult novel, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer finds an American expat looking for love among the men of 1950s Mexico. But a story about thwarted desires runs into problems when you cast a Hollywood hunk like Daniel Craig.

On-Demand Nursing Is Dangerous for Nurses and Patients

Big Tech and Wall Street are deploying an on-demand nursing model across America. Created to solve a nursing shortage that doesn’t exist, it creates unsafe conditions for both medical professionals and patients.

Voters Chose Economic Populism at the State Level

Even in states carried by Donald Trump, voters passed ballot measures supporting paid sick leave, higher minimum wages, and unionization rights while rejecting school privatization. Voters want progressive economic policies.

Jordan Peterson’s Take on the Bible Is as Bad as You’d Think

In his latest book, right-wing provocateur Jordan Peterson looks to extract existential and political lessons from the Old Testament. Far from probing deep truths, it’s a shallow, self-serving exercise in culture war.

No, Brian Thompson Wasn’t a “Working-Class Hero”

Commentators like the New York Times’ Bret Stephens have called slain CEO Brian Thompson a “working-class hero.” You don’t have to condone murder to see through that ridiculous claim about a man who was at the helm of a legalized extortion racket.

How Fast-Food Giants Hide Behind Their Franchises

As major fast-food corporations like McDonald’s and Taco Bell transformed into almost fully franchised operations, the chains created a system that shields them from accountability on labor issues while maintaining strict control over working conditions.

Keeping Sanctions on Syria Makes No Sense

US and European governments are refusing to lift sanctions on Syria, punishing its people for a situation that is out of their control even though the intended target of the sanctions, Bashar al-Assad, is out of the picture.

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree Belongs to the Working Class

Construction workers pooled their wages to erect the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 1931, bringing holiday cheer to themselves on the job site. Their billionaire bosses co-opted the gesture, transforming it into today’s consumer spectacle.

UnitedHealth’s Unchecked Growth Has Caused Widespread Misery

Despite antitrust regulators’ efforts to rein it in, UnitedHealth Group has been growing to control ever more of the health care sector. The corporation’s expanding power has meant worse care, higher prices, and a mounting human toll.

Benjamin Netanyahu Is on Trial for His Political Life

The ICC’s arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of genocide has attracted global attention. But in Israel, he faces a trial for corruption to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars that could mean the end of his political career.

Privatizing the Post Office Would Be a Disaster

Yesterday Donald Trump confirmed that he’s considering privatizing the US Postal Service. That would be a big step in the direction of a libertarian dystopia.

Indian Communists’ Muslim Dilemma

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) used to have a mass base among West Bengal’s landless Muslim peasants. Today, their poor relations symbolize the party’s decline.

Close Reading Kamala

Five Books on the Democrats and Labor

We asked scholar Eric Blanc to recommend reading on the party’s contentious relationship to the trade union movement.

The Obama-Industrial Complex

Since leaving the White House, Barack Obama has been hard at work in Hollywood with his production company, Higher Ground, which signed a “high eight-figure deal” with Netflix.