A Guide to the Big Left and Labor Fights in 2026

Neal Meyer Jacobin
Photo of many people at a protest with signs.
An essential part of ringing in the New Year will be preparing for the major political struggles of 2026. Here’s a month-by-month roundup of the key union fights, elections, and other events of note for the Left.

The Secret Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Viral Videos

The team of creatives behind his Zohran Mamdani's viral videos, which gave the campaign a life of its own online, sit down with Mehdi Hasan to discuss some of their most talked-about videos.

Videos Contradict Trump Account of ICE Shooting

The New York Times' video team provides an analysis of footage from three camera angles, showing that the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire.

 

Join Ice | Jesse Welles

'I found me a paramilitary operation that was keen to hand me a gun.' A biting musical satire on how ICE recruits, and who joins.

NY Takes Baby Steps Toward Free Child Care

Jessica Gould, Jimmy Vielkind, Andrew Giambrone and Walter Wuthmann Gothamist
The launch of “2-Care” will start in “high-need areas,” building on the city’s existing pre-K and 3-K programs. NYS socialist legislators want to 'tax the rich' to raise the billions that a full implementation will require.

The 5 Stages of the ‘Enshittification’ of Academic Publishing

Martina Linnenluecke and Carl Rhodes The Conversation
Enshittification isn’t confined to the online world. It’s now visible in academic publishing. The same forces that hollow out digital platforms are shaping how a lot of research is produced, reviewed and published.

The Mad King’s Madness Deepens

Paul Krugman Paul Krugman Substack
For Trump, ICE’s violent lawlessness is a feature, not a bug. Sending armed, masked, poorly trained, and out-of-control thugs into blue cities is a war on Americans, just as January 6th was a war on American institutions.

Friday Nite Videos | January 9, 2026

Portside Portside
Can We Unrecruit People With No Business in Law Enforcement? | The Daily Show. Join Ice | Jesse Welles. Videos Contradict Trump Account of ICE Shooting. The Secret Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Viral Videos. FBI Whistleblowers: What Trump Is Hiding.