Economy

Jupiter Jetson, right, and Molly Wylder, pose for a photo in front of Sheri's Ranch, In Pahrump, Nevada, on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

How Brothel Workers in Nevada Just Made Labor History How Brothel Workers in Nevada Just Made Labor History

The courtesans at Sheri’s Ranch were staring down a horrifying new contract. So they did what workers everywhere do: They got organized.

Feb 26, 2026 / Kim Kelly

Striking Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers in the rain outside the Anaheim hospital, on February 16, 2026.

Democrats Must Listen to Workers Democrats Must Listen to Workers

How winning people’s trust involves listening to their challenges, ambition, ideas, and stories.

Feb 25, 2026 / Greg Kaufmann

A television on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange broadcasts news about the Supreme Court striking down Donald Trump’s global tariffs.

The Giant Mess Behind the Supreme Court’s Tariffs Ruling The Giant Mess Behind the Supreme Court’s Tariffs Ruling

The 6–3 decision was a rare victory, but it was crafted out of conflicts that leave almost nothing certain—including future tariff rulings.

Feb 24, 2026 / Elie Mystal

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference at Deno’s Wonder Wheel on Coney Island in New York City on February 15, 2026.

Zohran Mamdani Is Putting Corporate Sick-Leave Cheats on Notice Zohran Mamdani Is Putting Corporate Sick-Leave Cheats on Notice

The mayor announced that the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will investigate employers where more than half their workers take no paid time off in a given year.

Feb 24, 2026 / Prajwal Bhat

A worker holds lithium hydroxide at the Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) chemical plant in Antofagasta, Chile, 2024.

The Scramble for Lithium The Scramble for Lithium

Thea Riofrancos’s Extraction tells the story of how a critical mineral became the focus of a worldwide battle over the future of green energy and, by extension, capitalism.

Feb 23, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Casey A. Williams

San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico—A farmworker brought her two children to the highway blockade.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and the San Quintín Justice Plan Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and the San Quintín Justice Plan

Field workers’ highway blockades send a warning to Mexico’s president.

Feb 23, 2026 / David Bacon

Donald Trump answers questions during a press briefing held at the White House February 20, 2026

Trump’s Attack on the Supreme Court Was Unhinged Even for Him Trump’s Attack on the Supreme Court Was Unhinged Even for Him

The president went on a wild rant alleging that the justices who struck down his tariffs were part of a vast global conspiracy to destroy him.

Feb 20, 2026 / Chris Lehmann

Anti-ICE demonstrators rally at a demonstration organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, on February 15, 2026.

The Urgency of Marrying Affordability to Anti-Corporate Populism The Urgency of Marrying Affordability to Anti-Corporate Populism

For all the good news, Democrats are at a dangerous moment politically.

Feb 19, 2026 / Mike Lux

Reverend Jesse Jackson addresses supporters in the lead-up to the 1988 Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucuses, on February 1, 1988.

The Job of Being Jesse Jackson The Job of Being Jesse Jackson

Jackson’s lessons for today’s Democrats.

Feb 19, 2026 / Bruce Shapiro

Jeffrey Epstein, along with some of the many plutocratic dopes of his acquaintance.

Epstein Class Clowns Epstein Class Clowns

One key revelation in the wide correspondence of the late pedophile: The rich and powerful just aren't all that bright.

Feb 17, 2026 / Elizabeth Spiers

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