Working-Class Men Are Not Okay
Working-class American men are getting lonelier and sicker, and their lives are getting shorter. It’s not just a sad state of affairs; it’s a full-blown crisis that demands policy solutions.
19121 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Striking East Coast Dockworkers Just Won Big
The International Longshoremen’s Association secured a considerable pay raise after a three-day strike that brought port operations to a halt. But the fight against job-killing automation continues.
The Regulatory Loophole That Keeps Poisoning Atlantans
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.
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.
Climate Change–Induced Disasters Are Killing Workers
Eleven of Impact Plastics’ workers were at the company’s Tennessee factory when Hurricane Helene hit. Two are confirmed dead, and 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.
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.
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.
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.
Apple Lost a Tax-Dodging Battle, but It’s Winning the War
Last month, the European Court of Justice issued one of the biggest tax rulings in history, forcing Apple to pay €13 billion to Ireland. But firms like Apple have already teamed up with Irish government officials to devise new ways of avoiding taxes.
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.
US Labor Has a Responsibility to Stop Israel
In an interview, United Electrical Workers president Carl Rosen talks about the union’s call to halt US military support to Israel and why it’s important that the labor movement speak up against US wars.
Wolfs Is Lax, Low-Key Entertainment
In Wolfs, George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s new Apple TV+ buddy action-comedy about a rivalry between two lone-wolf fixers cleaning up a crime scene, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for: lax, unambitious entertainment for dark times.
At the VP Debate, Neither Candidate Spoke Up for Peace
At last night’s vice presidential debate, Tim Walz spoke eloquently and passionately on abortion rights. But on Israel, Palestine, and Iran, he might as well have been J. D. Vance.
The First East Coast Longshore Strike in Half a Century Is On
After a monthslong impasse between the longshore workers’ union and its employers, 47,000 ILA workers from docks along the East and Gulf coasts have struck. Billions of dollars’ worth of goods won’t move until they return to work.