Column

Americans Are Being Bled Dry by Hidden Taxes

Americans Are Being Bled Dry by Hidden Taxes Americans Are Being Bled Dry by Hidden Taxes

Three private taxes are pushing electricity costs far above what ordinary people can afford.

Apr 9, 2026 / Column / Zephyr Teachout

Residents of Daytona Beach, Florida, line up in their cars during a free food distribution for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on November 9, 2025.

We All Hate AI, but if You’re Poor, It Can Really Ruin Your Life We All Hate AI, but if You’re Poor, It Can Really Ruin Your Life

Debt collection. Parole decisions. Oversight of public services. It’s all being outsourced to AI, with terrible consequences for poor people.

Apr 8, 2026 / Column / Kali Holloway

Man waring a suit sits in a courtroom.

Kash Patel Kash Patel

Apr 7, 2026 / Column / Calvin Trillin

A poster on a wall in Margate, United Kingdom, showing President Donald Trump in an SS uniform.

The Rapid and “Unprecedented” Collapse of American Democracy The Rapid and “Unprecedented” Collapse of American Democracy

The V-Dem Institute, the world’s chronicler of democracy and autocracy, has determined that the United States is no longer “a liberal democracy.”

Mar 27, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

People take part in a protest outside the New York Times Building on February 26, 2017, in New York.

The Trump Administration Is Casually Torching the First Amendment The Trump Administration Is Casually Torching the First Amendment

If he can’t stop the bad news from happening, the least an authoritarian can do is try to stop the dissemination of that bad news.

Mar 20, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

President Donald Trump flanked by Vice President JD Vance, from left and House Speaker Mike Johnson during the 2026 State of the Union address.

Why Does the Supreme Court Treat Trump Like a “Regular” President? Why Does the Supreme Court Treat Trump Like a “Regular” President?

The emperor is stark naked, but thanks to a misguided legal doctrine, the Republican justices keep insisting he’s fully clothed.

Mar 16, 2026 / Column / Elie Mystal

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson during the Republican Members Issues Conference at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, on March 9, 2026.

Using Bigotry to Hide an Authoritarian, Christian Nationalist Agenda Using Bigotry to Hide an Authoritarian, Christian Nationalist Agenda

Republicans invent an Islamophobic threat while undermining the Constitution.

Mar 13, 2026 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

The Pork Oligarchs of Iowa Have Local Politicians in Their Pockets

The Pork Oligarchs of Iowa Have Local Politicians in Their Pockets The Pork Oligarchs of Iowa Have Local Politicians in Their Pockets

Jeff and Deb Hansen spend hundreds of thousands to keep the state friendly to their business.

Mar 12, 2026 / Column / Chuck Collins

Anti-AIPAC protesters in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on November 10, 2025.

Is AIPAC Doomed? Is AIPAC Doomed?

The hard-line pro-Israel lobby is facing more opposition than ever before. But fully defanging it won’t be easy.

Mar 12, 2026 / Column / Jeet Heer

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026.

A Briefing on the War in Iran A Briefing on the War in Iran

Mar 10, 2026 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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