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December 2025 Issue
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Editorial
The Left Must Build Its Infrastructure
We need to look not at what it will take to win the next election, but what it’ll take to win the next 10 elections.
From Mission Impossible to Mister Mayor
If Zohran Mamdani governs as he campaigned, he will prove that the people have the power to shape their own future.
Mayor to Mayor: Some Advice for Zohran
Keep it simple and focused amid the daily challenges of leading New York City.
Zadie Smith: “I Say What I See”
A conversation with the acclaimed author about her new essay collection, Dead and Alive.
The Supreme Court Left No Doubt: It Will Gut the Voting Rights Act
The ruling, when it comes, will be disastrous for Black voters and for Democrats.
Column
The 1935 Novel That Predicted Trump’s Second Term
Sinclair Lewis imagined an American version of the rise of fascism in Europe. His predictions didn’t come true then, but seem eerily familiar now.
The Occupation of Washington, DC, Reflects the Failures of Our Democracy
After fumbling the cause of DC statehood, Democrats now appear helpless as Trump sends troops into the city.
This Winter, Give the Gift of Hope
The state of the world has been looking dark. Helping our fellow human beings is one way to add some light.
Letters
Letters From the December 2025 Issue
First time as tragedy… Worth the price?… The Nation replies… Distrust by design (Web-only)…
Feature
The Campaign to Free Jimmy Lai
How a globe-trotting attorney is trying to win the release of the famed Hong Kong publisher.
Philanthropy in the Crosshairs
As Trump escalates his war on civil society, will liberal foundations join the fight to defend democracy?
“Nobody Blames the Landlord. They Just Take Away the Kids.”
All too often, when parents can’t afford safe housing, the solution child welfare services offer is putting their children in foster care.
The Eviction Kings
One of Israel’s biggest companies is taking over huge swaths of US real estate—and tenants are paying the price.
The Deliberate Decimation of the Federal Workforce
Systems built up over the last 120 years are being either eliminated or corroded at warp speed, with the implicit blessing of the US Supreme Court.
A Fired Federal Worker Finds Refuge in Mexico
“The administration doesn’t want me. I personally don’t feel safe [in the United States]. I know I’m not the only person who feels that way.”
The Right Is Lying About Left-Wing Violence
The Trump administration is using an imagined enemy—“antifa”—to justify turning ICE into an ultra-violent, unaccountable army invading US cities.
Books & the Arts
How Can We Fix American Democracy?
Preserving our democracy is as urgent a task as ever, but the question is how.
Franz Kafka’s Best Friend
Kafka’s late story about a philosopher dog, like most of his stories about animals, is really about our lost humanity.
Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech
The story ofhis landmark case reminds us of how powerful a popular front of socialists and liberals can be in protecting our civil liberties.
The Transformation of the New York Waterfront
From the Navy Yard and Industry City to the recent remaking of Bush Terminal, developers are attempting to remake Brooklyn’s coastline.
The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”
Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.
