Jacob Riis, NYC’s “People’s Beach,” Is Under Threat
A new luxury club soon to open at Jacob Riis Park, the “People’s Beach,” is set to significantly erode the democratic spirit of a storied slice of the New York City waterfront.
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Garfield Sobers, a Hero of Cricket’s Golden Age
Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricket players to ever live, died last week at age 89. His career embodied a golden age of the sport and the social and political ascent of Barbados’s working class.
Trump Attacks Socialism Because He Knows Americans Want It
The current freak-out by Donald Trump, J. D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, and other right-wingers about democratic socialism is quite rational. In socialism, they see a formidable foe.
A Voice From Northern England, but Which One?
Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, says he can connect with the northern working-class voters who were once Labour’s base. Yet after decades of deindustrialization, it’s less clear that the party can rebuild its roots outside the main cities.
Zohran Mamdani’s City Hall Wants to Build Tenant Unions
A new New York City initiative, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement, will send volunteer organizers into neglected buildings to help tenants organize, testing the role government can play in building collective working-class power.
Against Geopolitical Football Moralizing
Anglo-American commentary has lost its mind, blending “VAR-gentina” complaints with outrage over Milei’s cozy relationship with Trump and Netanyahu. Don’t buy the moralizing: Argentina is still worth rooting for.
The Politics of Kurdish-Palestinian Solidarity
The Kurdish and Palestinian movements were forged in a common anti-colonial tradition. Their different political trajectories now reveal two competing models of liberation in the 21st century.
The Inexorable Rise of Funny Money
Last year, almost half of all “buy now, pay later” customers missed a payment. But a growing share of Americans are relying on such credit as a routine way to fund even basics like groceries.
As Centrist Dems Go After the Left, Beware the P-Words
Democrats are trying to defeat socialism by deploying concepts that, while sounding reasonable, ultimately play to the Right. Words like “practical” and “pragmatic” may sound objective, but they’re used to undermine a left that’s winning elections.
Even Donald Trump Couldn’t Ruin the World Cup
Donald Trump and his ally, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, have plumbed new depths with their political antics before and during the World Cup. But as David Goldblatt insists, they still couldn’t destroy the moments of collective joy it gives us.
Waging War on the Left Within the Democratic Party Won’t Work
Is it a good idea to destroy the rising socialist current within the Democratic Party, as many centrist pundits are now counseling? Just ask the Labour Party, which waged war on Jeremy Corbyn and the Left and is now in complete disarray.
Private Equity Is Taking Over Your Veterinarian
Private equity is taking over veterinary services, driving up prices, and putting the pets we love at risk through its relentless pursuit of financial extraction.