In Colombia, the Fight Is Still On
Far-right Abelardo de la Espriella topped the first round of Colombia’s presidential election. Left-wing senator Iván Cepeda is still in the race but now has to find support outside the ruling party’s core vote.
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Canada Is Cheerleading New NATO Expansion
Justin Trudeau's Canadian government has eagerly embraced NATO’s new "strategic concept": expansion. The strategy is a return to the Cold War — and a recipe for more frequent military conflict.
UFC’s “Power Slap” Is a Case Study in Regulatory Capture
The UFC spinoff company Power Slap is angling to make slap fighting a new “sport.” But its recent visibility has less to do with its organic popularity than with the UFC’s ever-expanding grip on combat sports.
In Colombia, Álvaro Uribe’s Conviction Is a Flash Point
Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe was convicted this month of bribing witnesses, making him the first head of state in modern Colombia to face a criminal conviction. The case is roiling the country’s political landscape.
Christian Rakovsky’s Life and Death Mirrored the Fate of European Marxism
Born in Bulgaria, Christian Rakovsky became a major leader of the Russian Revolution who wanted the Soviet Union to be a true partnership of nations. But when Rakovsky challenged Stalin’s dictatorship, he was tried and executed on a trumped-up charge.
The Bipartisan Origins of the New Cold War
At the start of the century, there was a consensus that the US should cooperate, rather than compete, with China. But starting with Obama, American presidents embraced the idea of arresting China’s rise, opening the door to Trump’s trade wars and hawkishness.
How Yemen’s Dream of Unity Turned Sour
Thirty years ago today, Yemen united as one country in a mood of optimism about the future. Those hopes were to be cruelly disappointed, thanks to the destructive, self-serving record and rivalry of Yemen's political elites.
Franco’s Afterlife
Spain’s uncertain democracy, built from the ruins of the dictatorship, is finally beginning to collapse.
The Americanization of the World Cup Is Here to Stay
Unwarranted ad breaks, entry bans on some foreign nationals, and political tampering with the game all made this a Trumpian World Cup. But if Donald Trump put his stamp on the world’s game, it’s also set a precedent for future FIFA-organized tournaments.
Meet the Radical Right-Wing Group Seizing Power in Canada’s Conservative Heartland
Populist grievances are pushing Alberta, Canada’s most conservative province, further to the right. The activist group Take Back Alberta is working to escalate this trend.
Trump and Rubio’s Petty War on Cuban Athletes
Last year, Cuba’s basketball team did the unthinkable and beat the US at the FIBA AmeriCup. Now Trump and Rubio have taken their revenge, blocking every Cuban team — from table tennis to girls’ softball — from competing in the US and Puerto Rico.
Kevin Rudd’s “Fourth Way” Proves the Australian Labor Party Is Out of Ideas
Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd has come up with a plan for Labor that he calls the “Fourth Way.” But on closer inspection, Rudd’s would-be alternative is a rehash of the timid, conservative approach to politics that has kept Labor out of power for a decade.
Brandon Johnson Is Heading to Chicago’s Mayoral Runoff as a Champion of the Working Class
The results of last night’s Chicago mayor election were stunning: former Chicago Teachers Union organizer Brandon Johnson advanced to an April runoff against neoliberal architect Paul Vallas — pitting working-class power against austerity.
Miami’s Anti-Communist Insider Turns Convicted Foreign Agent
A former CIA station chief revered by Miami’s anti-Castro circles now faces prison as an unregistered foreign agent. His path from Cold War covert ops to selling secrets says a lot about the political machinery he came from.
Emmanuel Macron’s Government Is Using the War in Gaza to Stifle Dissent at Home
This week, a French court struck down the government’s blanket ban on pro-Palestine rallies. But now, authorities are taking things further, citing “anti-terrorism” measures to break up left-wing groups and even expel activists from France.
Judge Sergio Moro Is to Blame for Jair Bolsonaro’s Far-Right Presidency
In Brazil, an absurd and deeply politicized “anti-corruption” campaign was carried out to block Lula da Silva from the presidency — delivering it instead to far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who oversaw the world’s worst COVID-19 response. We have ex-judge Sergio Moro to thank for it.
Let’s Be Sober About the Limits of Bidenomics
Many on the Left have hailed Joe Biden's economic policy as historically progressive. But overall, Bidenomics has meant lavishing subsidies on favored sectors of business while failing to really move the needle in the interests of working people.
The Brazilian Left Has Yet to Find a Successor to Lula
Jair Bolsonaro is now awaiting trial on charges of plotting a coup, depriving Brazil’s far-right bloc of its figurehead. Yet with a presidential election due next year, the Brazilian left hasn’t found a candidate who can match Lula’s popular appeal.
Korea’s Samsung Workers Are Striking for the Very First Time
Samsung, the flagship of South Korean capitalism and one of the world’s biggest electronics firms, is facing its first-ever strike.
Riding the Fence on Medicare for All Isn’t Smart Politics
With Kamala Harris out of the race and Elizabeth Warren’s numbers dropping, recent weeks haven’t been kind to candidates who have equivocated on Medicare for All. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate whose support for M4A is solid and unchanging — a stance that’s not only morally correct but politically smart.