All In at the Crypto Casino
How America got high on the crypto bubble — and lost it all.
77 Article(s) by: Ryan Zickgraf
Ryan Zickgraf is a journalist based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The Jackson Water Crisis Is a Disaster Created by Austerity
Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis is an omen of climate disasters to come. But August floods were only the straw that broke the Jackson water system’s back. More fundamentally, the crisis is the result of decades of disinvestment and austerity.
How to Work Hard, Live Frugally, and Still Have $71,000 in Student Debt
Critics like to paint a picture of debtors as overeducated elites demanding a handout while idly snacking on $15 avocado toasts. But I’ve worked hard and lived modestly, and my debt is still haunting me — even after the White House’s partial cancellation.
The Uber Files Revealed a Corrosive System of US Lobbying
Uber is in trouble after a leak demonstrating the extent of its pay-to-play activities. But in America, you don’t need a trove of leaked texts or emails to prove the corrosive effects of lobbying. The proof is right out in the open, and Uber is hardly alone.
The 1877 Class War That America Forgot
In 1877, one million workers went on strike and fought police and federal troops in cities across America. The monikers “Great Upheaval” and “Great Railroad Strike” undersell what verged on a second Civil War — this time pitting labor against capital.
Right-Wing Billionaire Ken Griffin Is Florida’s Problem Now
The Citadel CEO spent $179 million trying to make Illinois a conservative hellscape. Now he’s taking his talents to South Beach.
Was Ozark Actually About the Clintons?
In its last season, Ozark goes beyond family drama. It critiques the insidious ways that capitalism and political power work in America and the self-interested choices elites make to keep climbing the ladder.
The Two Souls of Pentecostalism
Early Pentecostal preachers railed against elites and uplifted the oppressed — a far cry from their recent efforts to elect right-wing populists like Donald Trump. There are deep contradictions at the heart of Pentecostalism, and they aren’t resolved yet.
Elon Musk Might Make It Worse, but Twitter Was Already Bad
Many fear that Twitter under Elon Musk will fall to bigots and harassers. Maybe. But instead of arguing over who should be kicked off Twitter, we should ask what it’s designed to do to those who stay on it.
Disney’s Affordable Housing Plan Is Self-Interest, Not Socialism
Conservatives are convinced that Disney is trying to implement a radical left agenda. But even with its altruistic-seeming new housing development for workers, the company is just looking out for the bottom line.
Sorry Grimes, Your Ex-Boyfriend Won’t Save Us
The avant-garde pop star Grimes has made a heel turn away from left-wing politics toward the Silicon Valley libertarianism of her ex Elon Musk. She calls herself “a bit of a socialist, but not economically.” Let’s just call her a manic pixie dream capitalist.
The Kids Are Alright. BlackRock’s President Isn’t.
BlackRock president Rob Kapito has a lot of nerve calling young Americans entitled brats. In reality, millennials and Zoomers are struggling to find a foothold in a harsh economic climate that BlackRock executives themselves helped create.
Were the 1990s Really Devoid of Politics?
Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties imagines the decade as dominated by pop culture, not politics. In reality, Gen X was passionately political during the 1990s — and centrists were busy laying the groundwork for the politics of the next century.
Segregation Is Still Alive in Mardi Gras’s Birthplace
Decades after the end of Jim Crow, cities like Mobile, Alabama, are still shot through with racial segregation. That segregation is reflected in the city’s Mardi Gras culture, where some social societies still maintain white-only membership.
Abolish LA Rams Owner Stan Kroenke
All professional sports team owners are evil. But the sight of billionaire LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke hoisting the Super Bowl trophy on Sunday should inspire particular revulsion — he’s one of the most despicable owners on the planet.
No, America Is Not Sliding Into Civil War
Liberals have made a cottage industry out of breathless warnings about impending apocalypse at the hands of the Right. This rhetoric isn’t just overblown — it’s also politically useless.
McDonald’s HQ Is a Perfect Symbol of America’s Class Divide
Housed within McDonald’s Chicago HQ are both white-collar workers upstairs, enjoying a relaxed work environment and decent compensation — and restaurant workers downstairs, making the company’s profits but facing unsafe work environments and low wages.
The Lack of Hospital Beds Is a National Crisis
America is experiencing a massive shortfall in hospital beds, harmful to both COVID and non-COVID patients needing care. But the pandemic didn’t create the hospital bed crisis — it exacerbated an existing one that our government refuses to address.
Jeff Bezos’s Resemblance to Lex Luthor Isn’t Just Skin-Deep
Has anyone ever seen Jeff Bezos and Superman supervillain Lex Luthor in the same room?
Even Neo Can’t Log Off
The Matrix Resurrections makes a convincing case that the Matrix franchise is keeping us plugged into the Matrix. Unfortunately, it exhausts the viewer in doing so.