5 d. ago The US has drafted a coin featuring Trump. Here’s a better way to immortalize him | Robert Reich

It is our solemn duty to ensure he is remembered for all he has done and may still do to destroy US democracyThe US treasury has drafted a design for a $1 coin featuring Donald Trump on both sides, for the purpose of “honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS”, according to treasury officials.Meanwhile, Trump reportedly wants the Washington Commanders to name their planned $3.7bn stadium after him. A senior White House source told ESPN: “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen.”Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Republicans are regimented. Democrats are undisciplined. Just look at the shutdown | Robert Reich

Democrats finally had bargaining power and they caved. It’s nothing new – but it’s proof voters must make our demands clearChuck Schumer couldn’t hold his senators together at a time when their unity and toughness were essential. And at a time when they were winning: most of the public was blaming Republicans for the shutdown, and pressure was growing to reopen the government (flight delays were mounting).Does this mean Schumer should go? Yes.Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Gen Z’s ‘first lady’: how Rama Duwaji, Mamdani’s wife, speaks to a new era of political fashion

The 28-year-old artist’s style steers clear of the political wife cosplay of pastel skirt suits in favor of something more playful and youthful yet still elegantIt is the most traditional of assets for any ambitious young male politician: a fashionably dressed, beautiful young wife. But as with everything else about the rise of Zohran Mamdani, his wife, Rama Duwaji, represents a new era of politics which speaks to a new generation of voters.Married to the soon-to-be leader of the biggest city in the US, Duwaji, 28, is arguably the US’s first generation Z “first lady”. Duwaji is an artist and illustrator of Syrian heritage, whose work explores themes of Arab identity, female experience and social justice. Working in paint, line-drawing, ceramics and animation, she graduated with a master’s degree in fine art from New York’s School of Visual Arts in 2024. Her thesis was titled Sahtain!, an Arabic expression which translates as “bon appetit”, and explored the communal act of making and...

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9 d. ago Gen Z’s ‘first lady’: how Rama Duwaji, Mamdani’s wife, is reshaping political fashion

The 28-year-old artist’s style steers clear of the political wife cosplay of pastel skirt suits in favor of something more playful and youthful, yet still elegantIt is the most traditional of assets for any ambitious young male politician: a fashionably dressed, beautiful young wife. But as with everything else about the rise of Zohran Mamdani, his wife, Rama Duwaji, represents a new era of politics which speaks to a new generation of voters.Married to the soon-to-be leader of the biggest city in the US, Duwaji, 28, is arguably the US’s first generation Z “first lady”. Duwaji is an artist and illustrator of Syrian heritage, whose work explores themes of Arab identity, female experience and social justice. Working in paint, line-drawing, ceramics and animation, she graduated with a master’s degree in fine art from New York’s School of Visual Arts in 2024. Her thesis was titled Sahtain!, an Arabic expression which translates as “bon appetit”, and explored the communal act of making an...

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2 w. ago Trump is threatening the basic needs of poor Americans. How low he has sunk | Robert Reich

The president has put Snap benefits in jeopardy amid a fight over Medicaid. The nation has lost its moral authorityThe Democrats had a great day on Tuesday. It’s crucial that they hone their economic message for next year’s midterms to focus on affordability and fairness.Trump is doing the opposite. Although a federal court ordered him to continue to provide food stamps to about 42 million low-income Americans who depend on them, Trump threatened to deny them anyway until the end of the government shutdown.Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now Continue reading...

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2 w. ago ‘A historic victory’: our panel reacts to Zohran Mamdani’s triumph | Panel

Our panelists discuss what Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral race means for New York and beyondSet aside for a moment the interminable back and forth over whether Zohran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic party. This much is beyond dispute: Zohran Mamdani represents the immediate future of New York City, America’s largest town and the financial capital of the world.Osita Nwanevu is a columnist at Guardian US and the author of The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American FoundingJudith Levine is Brooklyn-based journalist, essayist and author of five books. Her Substack is Today in FascismMalaika Jabali is a columnist at Guardian USBhaskar Sunkara is the president of the Nation, the founding editor of Jacobin, and the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in An Era of Extreme Inequalities Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Zohran Mamdani defeats Andrew Cuomo for New York mayor as Democrats count victories in major tests against Trump

Historic victory delivers profound message to Democratic Party as it reckons with a future under Trump

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2 w. ago From wannabe rapper to future mayor? The many lives of Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani’s victory would have major implications for the future of the Democratic Party, which has struggled to find a winning message in the era of President Donald Trump.

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3 w. ago Zohran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic party | Robert Reich

Democratic party leaders like Chuck Schumer refuse to endorse Mamdani. And The New York Times wrongly cautions against him. Both are wrongThe only upside to living through this dark time is it pushes us to rethink and perhaps totally remake things we once thought immutable.Like the Democratic party. Continue reading...

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