Kamala Harris’s CNN Interview Didn’t Inspire Confidence
Kamala Harris cleared the low bar of avoiding a disastrous interview moment last night. But her answers suggested plenty of opportunities for disasters to come.
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An Ode to the Art of Economic Survival
The Exit Is the Entrance chronicles a working life spanning some 30 jobs across eight states. Author Lydia Paar went AWOL from the military at age 20 and never stopped moving, an escape artist evading everything but her student debt.
How Dark Money Groups Bought a Tax Cut in Colorado
Dark money groups extracted huge tax cuts from Colorado lawmakers by threatening to push ballot initiatives that would slash taxes even further. Referenda should promote democracy — yet billionaires are using them to blackmail the state.
In Former East Germany, the Left Is Paying for Its Failures
Three states in former East Germany face elections in September, with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland leading polls. The party is exploiting voter discontent with the fallout of reunification — and the Left’s lack of a convincing alternative.
Universities Are Cracking Down on Free Speech Over Gaza
The school year is kicking off, and American universities are starting the semester with scaling back students’ First Amendment rights, with the goal of stopping criticisms of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Biden May Be the President Who Kills the Two-State Solution
Joe Biden convinced himself he could rescue his legacy by securing Palestinian statehood. His blank check to Israel could now make him the leader who killed it for good.
Fighting Climate Disinformation Is an Urgent Priority
The fossil fuel industry runs a sprawling, lavishly funded operation spreading lies about the climate crisis. Pushing back against that disinformation needs to be a priority for the climate movement.
Texas Has Set Up a System of Oil-Friendly Business Courts
Texas is about to open its business courts, a new legal system backed by Big Oil that is expected to have immediate impacts on environmental cases in the state. The courts’ judges were handpicked by Gov. Greg Abbott, a major recipient of oil industry cash.
Austerity Is a Choice
Despite what new Labour prime minister Keir Starmer says, there’s nothing inevitable about another round of austerity — it is a deliberate decision to avoid confronting the powerful and presenting a real alternative for working-class people.
Fred Halliday’s Study of Iran Is a Marxist Classic
On the eve of the Iranian revolution, Fred Halliday published a classic study of the shah’s US-backed dictatorship and the social forces working to undermine it. It’s an essential text for those who want to understand the politics of the Middle East.
LA Mayor Karen Bass Puts a Progressive Veneer on Centrism
LA mayor Karen Bass has burnished a progressive reputation throughout her political career. But that reputation has helped legitimate her move toward punitive approaches to homelessness and other social problems.
Public-Private Partnerships Hurt the Clean Energy Transition
When governments rely on free-market forces for the shift away from fossil fuels, gains are left in private hands while the public is responsible for losses.