James Schamus

What Mamdani Can Learn from Chicago’s Struggles Brandon Johnson’s early successes were quickly overshadowed by relentless and well-funded opponents.

What Mamdani Can Learn from Chicago’s Struggles
open.substack.com/pub/waleedsh...

Open Letter to President Claire Shipman from Professor Marianne Hirsch Marianne Hirsch is the William Peterfield Trent Professor Emerita of English and Comparative Literature and the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender.

A clear, cogent, and collegial warning about how Columbia University is fanning the flames of antisemitism: Open Letter to President Claire Shipman from Professor Marianne Hirsch open.substack.com/pub/riseupco...

Senator Mike Gianaris (‪@sengianaris.bsky.social) and I worked together to deliver for our public transit system, including historic new funding for better service and a groundbreaking fare free bus pilot.

That's why I didn't mind lending him our video team to deliver this important message:

July 31, 2025 Breaking news, analysis, art, and culture from a progressive Jewish perspective. Sign up for our newsletter!

This week's Jewish Currents Parshah commentary by Maya Rosen is dedicated to the memory of the late Awdah Hathaleen: jewishcurrents.org/shabbat-read...

The Killing of Awdah Hathaleen by a West Bank Settler Israeli authorities are refusing to release the body of the beloved Palestinian activist while the Israeli settler who shot him walks free.

This is worth reading, if only to be reminded that it's in the daily, relentless details that the full picture of Israeli official depravity can be truly understood: The Killing of Awdah Hathaleen by a West Bank Settler open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...

Public Progress Solutions and Zenith Research polling breakdown between Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa, Eric Adams, Jim Walden, and Andrew Cuomo

85% of young men support Zohran Mamdani.
79% of young women support Zohran Mamdani.
67% of Jewish people aged 18-44 support Zohran Mamdani.
65% of Black people aged 18-44 support Zohran Mamdani.

Would you have guessed *any* of that with how the media has covered all this?

@jamesschamus.bsky.social writes to Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman about Columbia’s agreement with the Trump administration to “resolve multiple federal agency investigations into alleged violations of federal anti-discrimination laws.”
t.co/jlGabpGjD1

Is starvation in Gaza really Israel's fault? The facts are clear Rising starvation in Gaza may have a number of factors. But Israel's wartime policies on humanitarian aid are inarguably among them.

For @forward.com, I wrote about how we know that Israel has been withholding food as a military tactic because Israeli officials have said versions of “we are withholding food as a military tactic” for the entirety of the war and pretending otherwise is willful ignorance forward.com/opinion/7586...

“Where is my antisemitism money?”: A Columbia professor’s letter to the university president. [Last week, Columbia University reached an agreement with the Trump administration to “resolve multiple federal agency investigations into alleged violations of federal anti-discrimination la…

I wrote another thing - “Where is my antisemitism money?”: A Columbia professor’s letter to the university president. lithub.com/where-is-my-...

One very counter-stereotype experience I had is that my dad who did not go to university was extremely enthusiastic about me studying philosophy precisely on the grounds that he'd always worked jobs just cos he had to, and absolutely hated that, so wanted me to do something I loved instead.

Photo of Tom Lehrer

My last living musical hero is still my hero but unfortunately no longer living. RIP to the great, great Mr. Tom Lehrer.

Done!

As Palestinians returned from the U.S.-Israeli aid sites, ER doctors found gunshot wounds clustered in different body parts.

Dr. Nick Maynard, who just returned from Gaza, says the clustered injuries appear to be “target practice,” indicating that Israeli soldiers are “playing some sort of game.”

A very good analysis of Columbia’s shameful capitulation and the coming dangers ahead: balkin.blogspot.com/2025/07/regu...

Thank you to @monachalabi.bsky.social for this powerful graphic, which starkly pictures the severity of the Israeli government’s policy of mass death through forced starvation.

Columbia Sells Out Its Students, Still Has to Cough Up $200 Million A day after suspending nearly 80 pro-palestinian student protestors, Columbia finds another way to betray its students.

Columbia Sells Out Its Students, Still Has to Cough Up $200 Million hellgatenyc.com/columbia-dea...

reading a memoir is so crazy to me. you remember stuff you did?

"Can a man become a woman?" raises a bunch of really interesting philosophical questions like

"How long should Rahm Emanuel spend in prison for helping cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald in order to win reelection?"

When we say evil walks among us, we can point to the people responsible for this utterly vomitous @nytimes.com headline as perfect examples. According to them, Israel is not intentionally starving millions of people, it is "failing to address a power vacuum." Insane.

Our friends in Gaza are texting and posting what feel like farewells, as they and their families enter the final stages of the starvation imposed on them, while my employer,
@columbiauniversity.bsky.social, just announced a new crackdown on criticism of Israel. What is wrong with us?

Child Amputees, Aid Massacres, Mass Starvation—the Israeli War Crimes NYT Covers Less than Mamdani and 'Globalize the Intifada' Theoretical, third order, speculative violence must be condemned while actual, real world mass violence, that actually exists in reality, is seen as normal and unworthy of sustained coverage.

In the past month NYT has published 32 articles that mention Mamdani and “globalize the intifada", 13 that mention Israel's fake "aid" agency that's killed 800+, 5 on Israel's starvation campaign and two that mention, in passing, child amputees in Gaza. I argue this is makes no sense and is depraved

"We Have No Pope." Prof. Ken Miller on President Shipman's Antisemitism Announcement Earlier this week, President Claire Shipman sent yet another letter on “Our Additional Commitments to Combatting Antisemitism.” (Once again, not a word in the missive about discrimination against Musl...

"We Have No Pope." Prof. Ken Miller on Columbia President Shipman's Antisemitism Announcement open.substack.com/pub/riseupco...

I'm trying to think about how I would have reacted if shown this headline five years ago

the big anti-trans NYT story today relies entirely on a data point refuted by my reporting in December for @rollingstone.com, citing a poll figure that the pollster told me in an interview does not reflect how the electorate felt about trans rights in 2024

The world's most famous medical NGO concludes Israel is committing genocide.

It joins a consensus of genocide scholars, including in Israel, and NGOs like Amnesty International.

No politician or journalist can claim "I did not know at the time!" to evade future justice.

Report: US security firm overseeing Gaza aid also conducting intelligence operations Safe Reach Solutions is also conducting intelligence operations using Israeli data, documents reveal; its partner Gaza Humanitarian Foundation faces questions over transparency

See, for background: www.ynetnews.com/article/skps...

If you're between jobs and looking to get paid to help out with the genocide in Gaza, check out these insane job listings: recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/J...

In Germany Today, It's 'Zionism Above Everything' Germany's absurd crackdown on anti-Zionist Jews and other pro-Palestinian voices makes you wonder: has the country not learned anything from its horrific past?

In Germany Today, It's 'Zionism Above Everything'
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...