Jack Smith Throws In the Towel on Prosecution of Trump

The president-elect's "ability to escape prosecution does not retroactively validate his illegal, unconstitutional and democracy-destroying activities," said one critic.

Inside the Plan Lets Trump Track Millions of Immigrants

The private prison lobby has been quietly pushing a drastic expansion of ICE’s surveillance apparatus. Trump’s reelection may be the final step.

Resist: How To Keep ‘It’ From Happening Here

The zeal that marks rising authoritarian movements makes resistance an apt term for the position that half of Americans find themselves in and more if one acknowledges that issue by issue many Trump voters disagree with the Republican Platform.

Dr. Oz and the Stealth Destruction of Medicare

The TV doctor’s scams and fake cures are the least of what makes him so dangerous as Trump’s appointee to head Medicare and Medicaid.

Media Bits and Bytes – November 26, 2024

The great X-odus

U.N. Climate Summit a "Bad Deal" for Developing World

COP 29's final offer is “a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed” for developing countries to deal with the effects of climate change.

This Week in People’s History, Nov 27-Dec 3

A painted caricature of Japan's 1959 Prime Minister, Kishi Nobusuke
What Can You Expect from a War Criminal? (1959), The Battle of Seattle’s Unexpected Outcome (1999), We’re Not Raw Material, We’re Human Beings! (1964), A Brave Doctor Helps Lead the Way (1969)

Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al-Assad and Me

Trump’s DNI pick and I were both in Damascus in the winter of 2017 to meet with the dictator of Syria. We came away with very different takes

Democratic Socialists Post-Election: What Next

Much of the post-election Democratic Party fretting has appropriately centered on the degree to which it has lost the presumption of being the party of the working class. One solution: "Maybe Democrats have to embrace a Sanders-style disruption."

Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.

Nearly a quarter of working-age adults have insurance that leaves them underinsured.
Read more

Culture

film

‘The Piano Lesson’ Review: Ghosts in the Instrument

Alissa Wilkinson The New York Times
In 1990, “The Piano Lesson” won the eminent playwright August Wilson his second of two Pulitzers for drama. It’s part of his Pittsburgh Cycle (sometimes called his Century Cycle), a set of 10 decade-spanning plays about Black American life.

This Cheese Is Your Cheese

Hannah Walhout Ambrook Research
There’s a literal wide world of cheeses out there. As U.S. dairies struggle, should we be making more of them? Sometimes, this can make all the difference in keeping a farm in business.

tv

Why Influencers Like Jake Paul Are Taking Over Boxing

Jack Bedrosian Jacobin
Influencers like Jake Paul have risen to prominence by fighting athletes who want an alternative to exploitative bodies like the UFC. His pro-Trumpism and call for a union to protect the rights of fighters represent the contradictions within combat

poetry

Whosoever

Elizabeth Scanlon Whosoever Whole
Poet Elizabeth Scanlon asks "what is this a culture of," and finds the usual answers wanting, leaving it up to the rest of us to make better choices.

books

The Charge Sheet Against Rule Britannia

Colin Grant The Guardian
In this ambitious sequel to Empireland, the journalist travels far and wide to examine the legacy of British imperialism, piecing together an important rebuttal of revisionist narratives

Labor

labor

Understanding the Immigrant Swing Toward Trump

Sharon M. Quinsaat Jacobin
Liberal pundits have puzzled over increasing support for Trump by immigrants and people of color. To understand the trend, we should look to economic issues and the way institutions like unions and churches affect political socialization.

labor

Anti-Union Captive Meetings Are Now Illegal

Bob Funk Jacobin
Captive audience meetings are a key tool for bosses to destroy union drives. With last week’s outlawing of such meetings by the National Labor Relations Board, labor has a window to take advantage before Donald Trump scales back worker rights.

labor

Letter Carriers Are Organizing Against an Insulting 1.3 Percent Raise

Alexandra Bradbury Labor Notes
"A strong no vote will force both our leadership and the arbitrator to pay attention. And we have to build the infrastructure for a real contract campaign. Our main emphasis should be on building a movement, not just having the best negotiator.

labor

Worker Wins: Standing Together for Their Families

Kenneth Quinnell and Sydney Roberts AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO's latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

Friday nite video

video

Leonard Cohen | Everybody Knows

By Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and collaborator Sharon Robinson, originally released in 1988. Still unfortunately relevant to our times.

video

Bread & Roses | Movie

In the shadow of Kabul’s fall, three women fight to reclaim their lives. Directed by Sahra Mani and produced by Jennifer Lawrence and Malala Yousafzai. Now streaming on Apple TV.

video

That Matt Gaetz Report – Should Still Come Out

Matt Gaetz's confirmation went down in flames. The public deserves to see the report he resigned from Congress to hide before Gaetz shows up seeking another powerful position.

video

What a Trump DOJ Will Look Like

It's more than Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. Trump is seeking to turn the Justice Department into his personal law firm, with bombshell consequences.