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Saturday, December 21, 2024

■ The Week in Review


Call for $2.5 Trillion in Cuts Proves GOP Wants to 'Steal Our Benefits'

"Nearly 60% of mandatory spending is for Medicare and Social Security," noted one expert. "If they don't touch those, they'd have to cut Medicaid to the bone."

By Jake Johnson • Dec 20, 2024



'No Contract, No Coffee': Starbucks Workers Launch Five Days of Strikes

Starbucks Workers United accused the company of "backtracking on our promised path forward" and failing to present a "serious economic proposal" to unionized baristas.

By Jake Johnson • Dec 20, 2024



Study Suggests AI Capable of 'Strategically Lying'

"We think that it is important to work now, while AI models do not pose catastrophic risks, to understand threats that might become more salient with future, more capable models," wrote the researchers.

By Eloise Goldsmith • Dec 19, 2024



'President Musk' Trends After Trump's Top Oligarch Torpedoes Federal Spending Deal

"Welcome to the Elon Musk presidency," wrote Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia.

By Eloise Goldsmith • Dec 19, 2024



Doctors Without Borders Says Israel's Assault on Gaza Bears 'Clear Signs of Ethnic Cleansing'

"People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave," said the humanitarian group's secretary-general.

By Jake Johnson • Dec 19, 2024



Trump FTC Pick Casts Lone No Vote on Rule Banning Deceptive Junk Fees

Andrew Ferguson has opposed several major initiatives championed by Lina Khan, including FTC rules banning anti-worker noncompete agreements and making it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions.

By Jake Johnson • Dec 18, 2024



Biden Admin Confirms Dangers of LNG Exports But Won't Act to Block Them

"This study mirrors the Biden administration's entire four-year approach to advancing a clean energy future: weak and half-hearted," one advocate said.

By Olivia Rosane • Dec 17, 2024



Democrats' Working-Class Failures, Analysis Finds, Are 'Why Trump Beat Harris'

"By branding itself as an active party of economic populism that fights for needed changes for the working class, the Democratic Party can put itself in a position to regain the support of the voters it lost in 2024."

By Jessica Corbett • Dec 17, 2024



Sanders Rips Lawmakers Saying 'We Don't Have the Money' While Backing $900 Billion for Military

"I think it's time to tell the military-industrial complex they cannot get everything they want," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. "It's time to pay attention to the needs of working families."

By Jake Johnson • Dec 17, 2024



'Tried My Best,' AOC Says After Losing Bid for Top Oversight Role

"Sorry I couldn't pull it through everyone—we live to fight another day," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media following the vote.

By Jake Johnson • Dec 17, 2024


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■ Opinion


Progressives Have the Answers to Transform the Democratic Party

The Democratic Party cannot afford to continue losing its connection to the working class. Failing to respond with bold action, clear reforms, and a commitment to the priorities of working families will all but guarantee further electoral losses.

By Joseph Geevarghese • Dec 20, 2024


If Musk Blocking a Key Spending Bill Isn’t Oligarchy, I Don’t Know What Is

You may not get access to services you depend on just before the holidays because an unelected billionaire shadow president wanted it that way.

By Robert Reich • Dec 19, 2024


How Did the GOP Win the House? Gerrymandering

According to a new analysis, Republicans won a net 16-seat advantage due to manipulated maps drawn for party advantage.

By Michael Waldman • Dec 19, 2024


What the Post-Election Autopsies Leave Out

Any serious analysis seeking to understand what happened on November 5 must begin with the recognition that the seeds of this year’s Democratic defeat were planted decades ago and are now bearing fruit.

By James Zogby • Dec 16, 2024