Ken Burns talks to Jacobin about his new documentary, The American Revolution; the ongoing project of 1776; and why the Declaration of Independence was far more than a revolt of slaveholders and the wealthy.
These Poor Billionaires Are Melting Down Over Taxing the Rich
Facing the prospect of paying a bit more in taxes, billionaires are responding calmly and rationally: by calling themselves a marginalized, oppressed minority group being traumatized.
Kenya’s Floods Kill Because of Government Inaction
The latest floods in Kenyan capital Nairobi killed at least 108 people. This death toll wasn’t just caused by a natural disaster: while wealthier residents were protected from harm, Kenyans living in informal settlements were left to fend for themselves.
Celebrity Culture Is Swallowing the News Media
As trust in media craters and revenue dries up, legacy news outlets are filling their feeds with celebrity heart-to-hearts and personality-driven coverage. The result is journalism that fawns over fame and power rather than holding it to account.
Bowlero Is Facing a Class-Action Lawsuit for Ruining Bowling
A collection of bowlers has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing private equity–backed corporation Bowlero of a multiyear scheme to consolidate bowling centers, driving up prices and degrading lane quality.
Under capitalism, technological “progress” like AI systematically deskills workers, deepens managerial control, and turns the labor process into a site of conflict rather than liberation. This is by design.
The Israel Lobby Is Picking Sides in a California Primary
A pro-Israel group is set to spend half a million dollars in a California congressional primary to boost the campaign of Jasmeet Bains, who recently walked back comments calling the Gaza war a genocide. Democratic Party leadership is also backing Bains.
Why the Smears Against Graham Platner Didn’t Work
Opponents went all in on smearing Graham Platner as a Nazi based on a bad tattoo choice. It didn’t work. Maine voters decided they’d rather have universal health care and an end to reckless wars than a polished politician with an unblemished past.
Climate Action and Affordability Are Not Opposed
A renewable energy transition doesn’t have to mean higher prices for consumers. On the contrary: if managed well, it could actually offer lower energy prices.
BJP Wins West Bengal as Millions Vanish From Voter Rolls
Millions found their names missing from electoral rolls ahead of a state election in West Bengal that was won by the BJP. Officials call the revisions routine verification but critics say they disproportionately affected poor, rural, and minority communities.
Neoliberalism didn’t win an intellectual argument — it won power. Vivek Chibber unpacks how employers and political elites in the 1970s and ’80s turned economic turmoil into an opportunity to reshape society on their terms.
The Scam Artistry of the Right’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Right’s con men promise liberation for those who feel themselves superior but are held back by the leveling institutions of mass mediocrity. Their rhetoric intoxicatingly combines feelings of superiority with a sense of dispossessed victimization.
Liberal Poptimists Tried to Kill Rock. They Failed.
Faced with declining market share and poptimist contempt, rock music once seemed bound for the dustbin of history. But an industry crisis and a moribund liberal political establishment are driving a rediscovery of rock’s potential.
Obama’s Presidential Center, Brought to You by the Oligarchs
Former President Barack Obama just unveiled his presidential library, an oligarch-funded shrine to himself. It’s a perfect bookend to a presidency that bailed out Wall Street donors who were throwing millions of Americans out of their homes.
The Voting Rights Rollback Shows We Need a New Constitution
The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais last week dealt a major blow to the Voting Rights Act. The ruling underscores the many antidemocratic features of our political system and the need for a new, actually democratic constitution.