Jacobin

South Korea’s Would-Be Coup Leader Has Been Jailed for Life Yoon Suk-yeol, the disgraced conservative president who tried to mount a coup against South Korea’s democracy in December 2024, has received a life sentence in prison. The popular resistance to Yoon shows the way for other countries facing authoritarian threats.

Yoon Suk-yeol, the disgraced conservative president who tried to mount a coup against South Korea’s democracy in December 2024, has received a life sentence in prison.

The popular resistance to Yoon shows the way for other countries facing authoritarian threats.

Canada’s Oil Province Wants Out Alberta’s sovereigntists are flirting with the Trump administration while promising freedom from Ottawa. But independence would expose the province's narrow oil economy to capital flight, brain drain, and serious fiscal strain.

Alberta’s sovereigntists are flirting with the Trump administration while promising freedom from Ottawa.

But independence would expose the province's narrow oil economy to capital flight, brain drain, and serious fiscal strain.

The Fallout Series Hits Close to Home While streaming on Amazon is a little on the nose, the Fallout television series admirably embraces the anti-capitalist critique of the original video game franchise. Its apocalyptic alternate America feels less far-fetched every day.

While streaming on Amazon is a little on the nose, the Fallout television series admirably embraces the anti-capitalist critique of the original video game franchise.

Its apocalyptic alternate America feels less far-fetched every day.

The Power of Power Structure Research Emerging in the 1960s, power structure research — mapping who holds power in society, how those entities are connected, and how they use their resources to shape major decisions — has been an important weapon in civil rights, antiwar, and labor struggles.

Emerging in the 1960s, power structure research — mapping who holds power in society, how those entities are connected, and how they use their resources to shape major decisions — has been an important weapon in civil rights, antiwar, and labor struggles.

Gambling on the Wisdom of Crowds Is a Bad Bet Prediction market cheerleaders want us to put our money up, invoking the wisdom of crowds to justify betting on everything from sports to elections. But the probabilities are shaped by speculation and market design, not reliable forecasts.

Prediction market cheerleaders want us to put our money up, invoking the wisdom of crowds to justify betting on everything from sports to elections.

But the probabilities are shaped by speculation and market design, not reliable forecasts.

Wall Street–Backed Lawmakers Want to Help Banks Gouge You State lawmakers across the US have moved to shield residents from sky-high interest rates charged by out-of-state banks. Two GOP congressmen, both heavily financed by Wall Street, are pushing federal legislation to override those state protections.

State lawmakers across the US have moved to shield residents from sky-high interest rates charged by out-of-state banks.

Two GOP congressmen, both heavily financed by Wall Street, are pushing federal legislation to override those state protections.

Frederick Douglass died on this day in 1895.

His radical vision is one we should strive for today: a politics that unites the poor, both black and white, against their wealthy exploiters: jacobin.com/2015/09/andrew-johnson-frederick-douglass-second-reconstruction

NYU’s Full-Time Contingent Faculty Are Poised to Strike After trying to bargain a first contract for over a year, the union for 1,000 full-time contingent faculty at New York University is voting on authorizing a strike. Contract faculty say NYU is refusing to budge on pay raises and job security protections.

After trying to bargain a first contract for over a year, the union for 1,000 full-time contingent faculty at New York University is voting on authorizing a strike.

Contract faculty say NYU is refusing to budge on pay raises and job security protections.

Cornel West on Christian Socialism & Trump YouTube video by Jacobin

📺 Tune in at 10 a.m. ET

Dr. @cornelwest.bsky.social makes a special appearance on the Jacobin Show tomorrow to talk Christian socialism and more.

Sócrates Showed Us the Best Way to Bring Politics Into Sports Today would have been the birthday of the late, great footballer Sócrates, who challenged the military dictatorship in his native Brazil — an example needed today on the eve of a World Cup designed to be a Trumpian propaganda showcase.

Today would have been the birthday of the late, great footballer Sócrates, who challenged the military dictatorship in his native Brazil — an example needed today on the eve of a World Cup designed to be a Trumpian propaganda showcase.

Trump’s Intervention in Iran Will Be a Disaster Iranians have been trying to complete their democratic revolution for over a century. Every time the US gets involved, it sets that project back by decades.

Iranians have been trying to complete their democratic revolution for over a century.

Every time the US gets involved, it sets that project back by decades.

Reassessing the People’s Hospital in the Bronx After a militant 1970 hospital takeover birthed a pioneering detox program in the South Bronx, New York City is now studying what it dismantled, and what redress requires amid an ongoing overdose crisis.

After a militant 1970 hospital takeover birthed a pioneering detox program in the South Bronx, New York City is now studying what it dismantled, and what redress requires amid an ongoing overdose crisis.

The Olympics May Soon Embrace Private Equity The International Olympic Committee, the body that oversees the Olympics, is hunting for more revenue. It may soon open the door to private equity, which has been increasingly reshaping sports to squeeze every last dollar out of athletes and fans.

The International Olympic Committee, the body that oversees the Olympics, is hunting for more revenue.

It may soon open the door to private equity, which has been increasingly reshaping sports to squeeze every last dollar out of athletes and fans.

In France, the Far Right Has Its Martyr French far-right activist Quentin Deranque has died from injuries sustained in a street battle with anti-fascist activists. Conservative media is using his death to whip up a moral panic about France Insoumise, painting it as a violent insurgent threat.

French far-right activist Quentin Deranque has died from injuries sustained in a street battle with anti-fascist activists.

Conservative media is using his death to whip up a moral panic about France Insoumise, painting it as a violent insurgent threat.

The Left Owes a Lot to Jesse Jackson As a movement builder, spokesperson, and candidate for the presidency, Jesse Jackson’s accomplishments were massive. He was one of the towering figures of American progressive politics in his era — or any era.

As a movement builder, spokesperson, and candidate for the presidency, Jesse Jackson’s accomplishments were massive. He was one of the towering figures of American progressive politics in his era — or any era.

What Will It Take to Unionize Chipotle? Workers in Michigan became the first Chipotle employees to ever win union recognition. Three years of fighting management for a contract they didn’t get taught them everything the next Chipotle union campaign will need to know.

Workers in Michigan became the first Chipotle employees to ever win union recognition.

Three years of fighting management for a contract they didn’t get taught them everything the next Chipotle union campaign will need to know.

Gary Dorrien Is Christian Socialism’s Greatest Champion The theologian and historian Gary Dorrien has made it his mission to chronicle and revive the tradition of Christian democratic socialism. His work reminds the American left of our project’s spiritual dimensions.

The theologian and historian Gary Dorrien has made it his mission to chronicle and revive the tradition of Christian democratic socialism.

His work reminds the American left of our project’s spiritual dimensions.

The Prairieland 19 Case Is a Test for Criminalizing Dissent Nine members of the “Prairieland 19,” anti-ICE protesters in Texas who the Trump administration is dubiously accusing of domestic terrorism, are going on trial this week. The case is a test for how easily Trump might criminalize dissent going forward.

Nine members of the “Prairieland 19,” anti-ICE protesters in Texas who the Trump administration is dubiously accusing of domestic terrorism, are going on trial this week.

The case is a test for how easily Trump might criminalize dissent going forward.

The DOJ’s Top Antitrust Officer Has Left as Lobbying Surges The head of the DOJ’s antitrust division has been ousted after clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how aggressively to crack down on corporate crimes. Her removal lays bare a broader fight w...

The head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Gail Slater, has been ousted after clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how aggressively to crack down on corporate crimes.

Her removal lays bare a broader fight within the department over corporate power and enforcement priorities.

Jesse Jackson Paved the Way for a New US Left With his two unabashedly left-populist campaigns for president in 1984 and 1988, Jesse Jackson opened the door to Bernie Sanders’s presidential runs — and a reborn American socialist movement.

With his two unabashedly left-populist campaigns for president in 1984 and 1988, Jesse Jackson opened the door to Bernie Sanders’s presidential runs — and a reborn American socialist movement.

Learning From the UAW’s National Organizing Push If the labor movement hopes to survive, it must find ways to organize in the private sector at scale. The UAW’s national push to organize higher ed, and its recent union drives at Volkswagen and Mercedes, offer potential guidance on the way forward.

If the labor movement hopes to survive, it must find ways to organize in the private sector at scale.

The UAW’s national push to organize higher ed, and its recent union drives at Volkswagen and Mercedes, offer potential guidance on the way forward.

What Universal Childcare Should Look Like A universal childcare policy that ensures adequate care for all families will not means test or rely only on vouchers to subsidize private providers. It should be free for all, with government taking direct responsibility for providing childcare seats.

A universal childcare policy that ensures adequate care for all families will not means test or rely only on vouchers to subsidize private providers.

It should be free for all, with government taking direct responsibility for providing childcare seats.

A Child’s Voice Demands to Be Heard in The Voice of Hind Rajab Built around real audio recordings of the Palestinian girl’s final moments, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a docudrama like no other. Jacobin spoke with the film’s director, Kaouther Ben Hania, about Hind...

Built around real audio recordings of the Palestinian girl’s final moments, The Voice of Hind Rajab is a docudrama like no other.

Jacobin spoke with the film’s director, Kaouther Ben Hania, about Hind Rajab’s death and the urgency of post–October 7 cinema.

The Epstein Whistleblower Who Was Silenced A former Deutsche Bank compliance officer told the FBI she was fired in 2018 after flagging suspicious activity in accounts linked to Jeffrey Epstein and Jared Kushner, offering yet another example of how they operated above the law.

A former Deutsche Bank compliance officer told the FBI she was fired in 2018 after flagging suspicious activity in accounts linked to Jeffrey Epstein and Jared Kushner, offering yet another example of how they operated above the law.

Politics Is Everywhere, So Why Do People Feel So Powerless? The defining feature of the last decade was that everything, from food to music, was politicized. All the while, our capacity to act collectively only grew weaker. Anton Jäger’s Hyperpolitics sets out to explain why.

The defining feature of the last decade was that everything, from food to music, was politicized.

All the while, our capacity to act collectively only grew weaker. Anton Jäger’s Hyperpolitics sets out to explain why.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Channeling FDR Working-class economic populism is necessary for both Democrats’ electoral success and the defense of democracy itself. Not many Democrats since FDR have recognized this, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the few who does.

Working-class economic populism is necessary for both Democrats’ electoral success and the defense of democracy itself.

Not many Democrats since FDR have recognized this, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the few who does.

Mano Dura Comes to Costa Rica Costa Rica’s surge in violent crime should have been a liability for President Rodrigo Chaves’s right-wing party. Instead, his handpicked successor, Laura Fernández, won resoundingly by promising law-and-order policy unencumbered by democratic institutions.

Costa Rica’s surge in violent crime should have been a liability for President Rodrigo Chaves’s right-wing party.

Instead, his handpicked successor, Laura Fernández, won resoundingly by promising law-and-order policy unencumbered by democratic institutions.

Trump’s Immigration Police Keep Abducting Children ICE’s arrest and detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minnesota last month sparked national outrage. The episode was just one among many instances of federal immigration agents abducting young children under the second Trump administration.

ICE’s arrest and detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minnesota last month sparked national outrage.

The episode was just one among many instances of federal immigration agents abducting young children under the second Trump administration.

Mothers Are on the Front Lines of the Nordic Care Crisis In Sweden today, maternal activism is uniting around a politics of collective care, turning private burdens into claims about public obligation and democratic rights.

In Sweden today, maternal activism is uniting around a politics of collective care, turning private burdens into claims about public obligation and democratic rights.