Trump Casts Himself as a Protector of White People

President Trump publicly dressed down the president of South Africa based on a fringe conspiracy theory, providing a vivid distillation of his views on race.

The Radical Courage of Noor Abdalla

How the wife of Mahmoud Khalil has navigated becoming a new mother while fighting for her husband’s freedom.

Israeli Forces Shoot at Foreign Diplomats in West Bank

Among those shot at were representatives of three nations that threatened "concrete actions" if Israel doesn't end its assault and siege on Gaza and others that support a genocide case against the country.

The Biggest Political Con of the Last Century Unmasked

Why the destruction of public institutions, the middle class, and government itself may not be a mistake — but the mission…

Global Left Midweek – May 21, 2025

War, peace, fascism and imperialism

The Path to Medicare for All

Part of the story of reducing costs is easy. We pay $350 billion a year for the administrative costs of private health insurance. By contrast, the administrative costs of Medicare are just over 1.0 percent of what it pays out to providers.

How NOT To Run an Antisemitism Commission

Hatred of Jews because they are Jews is anathema wherever it rears its ugly head, it should be called out. But anti-Israel statements should not presumptively be equated with antisemitism, nor pro- Israeli statements imply an absence of antisemitism

Why the House Budget Bill Will Hurt Rural America

Republicans in Congress are jamming through a sweeping bill to fund handouts to the rich.

There is No Epidemic of Workless Medicaid Recipients

Trump administration officials including RFK Jr want to add work requirements to Medicaid, arguing that there is a major scourge of able-bodied recipients refusing to get jobs. Their case dramatically overstates how many people in this group are not

Dispatches From the Culture Wars – May 20, 2025

Who ya gonna call?
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Culture

books

Double Negative

George Blaustein The European Review of Books
This book is a detailed history of an aspect of modern European history and the treaty that catalyzed that story.

poetry

Poem

Muriel Rukeyser The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser
Writing in 1968, poet and activist Muriel Rukeyser addresses the struggle to imagine and build a more humane world.

books

Mr. Lonely

Zoë Hu Dissent Magazine
Some have suggested that young men are drawn to Andrew Tate because they suffer from a dearth of social contact. Yet men go to Tate not to alleviate loneliness but to intensify it.

Labor

labor

Starbucks Dress Code Causes Walkouts

Grace Snelling Fast Company
The union has been bargaining to reach a contract with Starbucks for over three years, with no end in sight. It says that the new dress code represents “bad faith bargaining,” .

Friday nite video

Trump's Epic 'Weave'

Concluding his Mideast corruption tour in the United Arab Emirates, Trump engages in a 15 minute ramble about Sean Duffy and Pete Buttigieg’s bicycle