Economy

The Ghosts of Colonialism Haunt Our Batteries

The Ghosts of Colonialism Haunt Our Batteries The Ghosts of Colonialism Haunt Our Batteries

With its cobalt and lithium mines, Congo is powering a new energy revolution. It contains both the worst horrors of modern metal extraction—and the seeds of a more moral economics...

Feb 10, 2026 / Feature / Nicolas Niarchos

Mayor Mamdani walks inside Kreyol Flavor with its owner, Cursy Saint Surin, in the neighborhood of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, on October 25, 2025.

Mayor Mamdani Offers a Progressive Vision for Small Businesses Mayor Mamdani Offers a Progressive Vision for Small Businesses

If successful, his policies might offer a new nationwide playbook.

Feb 10, 2026 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

“You shouldn’t wait until somebody is on ‘Drag Race’ to show your support,” says Afrosephone. “The one thing that will keep us performing, the one thing that will keep us afloat, is if you show up.”

Drag Can Save a Life in New York City—if People Show Up Drag Can Save a Life in New York City—if People Show Up

Black and trans drag performers are crowdfunding to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Feb 9, 2026 / Ava Pauline Emilione

Jeffrey Epstein and Jeff Bezos.

From Epstein to Bezos, the Ruling Class Is Rotten to the Core From Epstein to Bezos, the Ruling Class Is Rotten to the Core

Let this week be yet another reminder that plutocrats are a threat to democracy, not its saviors.

Feb 6, 2026 / Jeet Heer

How Big Gaming Is Swallowing Up the Big Game

How Big Gaming Is Swallowing Up the Big Game How Big Gaming Is Swallowing Up the Big Game

The Super Bowl will showcase the lords of legalized betting, even as they’ve already colonized every other reach of human experience.

Feb 6, 2026 / Matt Alston

Elon Musk peddles his vision of cosmic colonization at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Why Elon Musk’s Latest Mega Merger Is Little More than Vaporware Why Elon Musk’s Latest Mega Merger Is Little More than Vaporware

The tech mogul and would-be space pioneer is mashing up his properties once more in a deal that's unlikely to achieve escape velocity .

Feb 4, 2026 / Jacob Silverman

Looking for plastic bottle trash at a garbage dump in Aceh province, Indonesia.

Why Do Americans Consume So Much? Look to the Military. Why Do Americans Consume So Much? Look to the Military.

We consume far beyond our means because our military keeps enough of us feeling secure, and we have such a large military because we consume far beyond our means.

Feb 2, 2026 / Andrea Mazzarino

Starbucks Workers On Strike

Baristas Are the Brand Baristas Are the Brand

The future of Starbucks depends on its workers.

Jan 28, 2026 / Darrick Hamilton

A farmer shovels snow from the roof of his building on December 09, 2025 near Belvidere, Illinois.

The Farmland Revolt The Farmland Revolt

America’s farmers are fuming over Trump’s tariffs. Democrats need to channel their anger.

Jan 26, 2026 / Column / Erica Etelson and Anthony Flaccavento

Striking nurses listen to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on the picket line at Mount Sinai West on January 20, 2026, in New York City.

Nurses Dig In Against New York’s Hospital Giants Nurses Dig In Against New York’s Hospital Giants

As nearly 15,000 nurses’ strike, New York’s biggest hospital systems are trying to roll back hard-won staffing rules and health benefits—even as executive pay soars.

Jan 23, 2026 / Prajwal Bhat

x