Around The Nation

Around The Nation

Last Spring, Sebastian Jones was fact-checking in The Nation‘s modest Capitol Hill office as our DC intern, keeping track of the excitement (and corruption) in Congress. Like a seasoned pro, Jones paid attention, following up on some whispers and a few good leads. The result? A stunning and widely discussed investigation about former House Majority Leader–and one-time populist–Richard Gephardt.

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

Last Spring, Sebastian Jones was fact-checking in The Nation‘s modest Capitol Hill office as our DC intern, keeping track of the excitement (and corruption) in Congress. Like a seasoned pro, Jones paid attention, following up on some whispers and a few good leads. The result? A stunning and widely discussed investigation about former House Majority Leader–andone-time populist–Richard Gephardt. Frank Rich, Matt Yglesias and others referenced the piece as emblematic ofthe revolving door system of corruption in DC, and "Dick Gephardt’s Spectacular Sellout" was our most read article of the week.

Jones shows the veracity of our shoestring Internship program, while Investigative Reporter A.C. Thompson reminds us how important the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute can be. This week the New York Times reported in depth (for the first time) on Thompson’s 18-month investigation into vigilante shootings and police misconduct in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The killings, reported the Times, "[were] not investigated by the authorities until an article about it appeared in The Nation magazine in December 2008." Both incidents are now under "multiple investigations," and justice could beat hand.

To support efforts like our internship program and the I-Fund, click here.

Also this week:

• Chris Hayes did the impossible! He explained the bailouts in eight minutes. Watch this VideoNation feature for the scoop on how much money went into the bailouts; who got it; how they spent it; and if we’re getting it back. • I made a case for increased attention to unemployment on ABC’sThis Week. Highlights are here. • Richard Kim was fast out of the gate with his take on President Obama’s Nobel Prize victory (followed by analysis from Melissa Harris-Lacewell and John Nichols) and his analysis is spot on: The President won the prize; now he has to earn it.

That’s all for now. As always you can leave comments below, and follow me on twitter at Twitter.com/KatrinaNation.

Disobey authoritarians, support The Nation

Over the past year you’ve read Nation writers like Elie Mystal, Kaveh Akbar, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Bryce Covert, Dave Zirin, Jeet Heer, Michael T. Klare, Katha Pollitt, Amy Littlefield, Gregg Gonsalves, and Sasha Abramsky take on the Trump family’s corruption, set the record straight about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s catastrophic Make America Healthy Again movement, survey the fallout and human cost of the DOGE wrecking ball, anticipate the Supreme Court’s dangerous antidemocratic rulings, and amplify successful tactics of resistance on the streets and in Congress.

We publish these stories because when members of our communities are being abducted, household debt is climbing, and AI data centers are causing water and electricity shortages, we have a duty as journalists to do all we can to inform the public.

In 2026, our aim is to do more than ever before—but we need your support to make that happen. 

Through December 31, a generous donor will match all donations up to $75,000. That means that your contribution will be doubled, dollar for dollar. If we hit the full match, we’ll be starting 2026 with $150,000 to invest in the stories that impact real people’s lives—the kinds of stories that billionaire-owned, corporate-backed outlets aren’t covering. 

With your support, our team will publish major stories that the president and his allies won’t want you to read. We’ll cover the emerging military-tech industrial complex and matters of war, peace, and surveillance, as well as the affordability crisis, hunger, housing, healthcare, the environment, attacks on reproductive rights, and much more. At the same time, we’ll imagine alternatives to Trumpian rule and uplift efforts to create a better world, here and now. 

While your gift has twice the impact, I’m asking you to support The Nation with a donation today. You’ll empower the journalists, editors, and fact-checkers best equipped to hold this authoritarian administration to account. 

I hope you won’t miss this moment—donate to The Nation today.

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel 

Editor and publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x