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This Week in People’s History, Jul 29-Aug 4, 2026

Portside
Union soldiers holding their noses to stop smelling the rotten egg of secession
Rebels Aren’t the Noble Warriors They Would Like to Think They Are (1861), The Civil War Was Over, but Not the Bloodthirsty Racism (1866), Take Your Fugitive Slave Law and Shove It! (1836), Killing Anti-Eviction Protesters Isn’t a Good Look (1931)

We Welcome Your Hatred

Harold Meyerson The American Prospect
Some Democrats are showing up for the class war. Others conspicuously are not. The party's prospects rest on advocacy for the economic interests of the working and middle classes, and against opponents who champion the interests of the rich.

Target Practice

Sophia Goodfriend The New York Review of Books
Artificial intelligence systems—now an integral part of the Israeli war machine—began as tools developed to surveil every aspect of Palestinian life.

Pushing Protein

Niloufar Haidari Vittles
Previously companies created products and sold them via celebrities and marketing campaigns. The protein craze seems to have reversed this flow, with businesses desperately pumping out products to meet the demand created by social media influencers

Proportional Representation Gets a New Look

Paul Starr The American Prospect
Supreme Court decisions and unrestrained partisan gerrymandering are focusing attention on a fundamental election reform. But one version is more feasible than the others.