The City the Rich Built — and Broke
A new history traces how elite-driven development made New York richer on paper and poorer in practice.
21053 Article(s) by: Yi San
Yi San is a freelance writer based in New York.
Remembering Red Ken
Ken Livingstone’s legacy in London reminds us just how much democratic socialist leadership can do for a single city.
A Double Issue of Catalyst Journal Is Out Now
The new edition is essential reading to understand the current moment, how we got here, and how the Left should strategize in these difficult times.
The 60 Minutes Scandal Is What Creeping Authoritarianism Looks Like
Bari Weiss blocked a devastating 60 Minutes exposé on CECOT — showing how Trump administration authoritarianism flows through corporate media, not jackboot censorship.
The Uprisings in Bangladesh Will Not Be Stopped
The assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, the youth leader who rose from Dhaka’s 2024 uprisings, has reignited mass revolt and exposed the limits of Bangladesh’s elite-managed democracy.
The Bolsonaro Dynasty’s Hail Mary
After an attempted jailbreak, Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has endorsed his son Flávio for president in 2026. Few electoral campaigns have been launched under less auspicious circumstances.
Democrats Lost Working-Class Voters’ Trust
Thanks to decades of failing to seriously address the economic struggles of ordinary Americans, the Democratic Party brand has cratered in the Rust Belt and is increasingly flagging with working-class voters of all races.
Learning From Defeat in Chile
Chile’s left-wing alliance took power with huge optimism in 2022, but hopes of changing the constitution, or even securing reelection, soon faded. Former minister Giorgio Jackson tells Jacobin what went wrong.
Debt: An American Tragedy
After learning her mother took out $200,000 of debt in her name, Kristen Collier felt betrayed. Her new book traces how it pushed her to expose unscrupulous lenders who upend the lives of millions across the US.
The US Military Will Enjoy a Record-Breaking Budget in 2026
Just one in ten American voters supports greater spending on the military. That didn’t stop the US Senate from joining the House of Representatives last week in voting to pass a record-breaking $901 billion defense budget for next year.
Power, Not Economic Theory, Created Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism didn’t win an intellectual argument — it won power. Vivek Chibber unpacks how employers and political elites in the 1970s and ’80s turned economic turmoil into an opportunity to reshape society on their terms.
The Dismantling of the New School
The New School was founded as an institution dedicated to critical inquiry and the free exchange of ideas. The current austerity measures at the university are dismantling the radical democratic aspirations it once represented.
The Domestic Costs of CIA Covert Action Abroad Run High
As the CIA has waged war through covert actions across the globe, the consequences have blown back on American shores with deadly consequences. Last month’s killing of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, DC, appears to be just such a case.
As Germans Drink Alone at Home, Community Pubs Are Closing
Skyrocketing prices and stagnating real wages are forcing more and more pubs to shut their doors. The closing of neighborhood pubs means the loss of leisure space, and of the community built around it.
Zohran Mamdani’s Field Director on Knocking 3 Million Doors
The Zohran Mamdani campaign didn’t just have a charismatic candidate with slick videos. It built a grassroots army of over 100,000 volunteers knocking on 3 million doors. We spoke to the campaign’s field director, Tascha Van Auken, about how they did it.
An American Communist Like No Other
Victor Grossman died in Berlin, aged 97, last Wednesday. An American communist, his life was forever shaped by his defection to the Eastern Bloc at the height of the Cold War.
Portugal’s General Strike
Portugal’s right-wing government is extending the anti-labor agenda it pushed during the austerity era. A 3-million-strong general strike on December 11 showed a resilient working-class response.
Mexico’s Successful Left Project Is Under Threat From Trump
Mexico’s hugely popular president, Claudia Sheinbaum, won massive reforms in 2025. But with the Donald Trump administration’s neocolonial interventions in Latin America, next year will be a fight for survival.
Lab-Grown Blood Vessel Maker Promotes Risky Off-Label Uses
Developers of a lab-grown blood vessel designed to save life and limb in emergency scenarios appear to be promoting its use in surgeries far beyond what the Food and Drug Administration has approved the product for, despite known safety risks.
Zohran Needs to Create Popular Assemblies
If Zohran Mamdani is serious about delivering on his promises, he needs more than policies — he needs institutions that empower working people. Popular assemblies offer a way to build a new, bottom-up political culture in New York City.