Opinion

On CORE’s 15th Anniversary, Reflecting on the Teachers Caucus That Changed Chicago—and the Nation

The Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators was formed in 2008 when a group of educators and union members came together to transform the Chicago Teachers Union. What they would build would end up changing the city—and country—forever.

Jackson Potter

Republicans Are Now Trying to Defund the Libraries

Claiming to protect children, Republicans are going after libraries and librarians instead of the police, gun manufacturers, and actual child sexual abusers.

Sonali Kolhatkar

How Land Swaps Turn Public Lands into Private Playgrounds

Land exchanges, a management tool used by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, too often benefit rich landowners at the public’s expense.

Erica Rosenberg

The War Over No Strike Clauses Has a New Front Line

In Erie, PA, Wabtec workers are poised to fight for the right to strike.

Hamilton Nolan

You Can’t Organize Alone

Political education used to happen in person. We should bring that practice back.

Keisa Reynolds

The College Board’s Profiteering Should Have No Place in Public Education

The College Board is selling our students' futures. It's just business as usual under racial capitalism.

Kinjo Kiema

A Billionaire Conserving Montana Is Funding the Group Bulldozing the Atlanta Forest

Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank is helping fund the forces behind Cop City.

Joseph Bullington

Rolling Back a Century of Progress, Republicans Are Reviving Child Labor

It might seem unimaginable that we're backsliding into the era of exploiting child labor. But that’s precisely what the GOP appears to be doing.

Sonali Kolhatkar

The Left Case for the Trillion Dollar Coin

Gimmick? Maybe. Path out of the debt ceiling mess? Absolutely.

Maurice BP Weeks

Bernie and Brandon Endorse Biden. What's the Takeaway?

This shows what two hardnosed progressives believe they need from a national governing coalition.

Max Elbaum

Helen Gym Lost, But Philly’s Progressive Movement Isn’t Going Anywhere

Gym may not have emerged victorious in the mayoral primary, but the labor-left coalition that powered her campaign has emerged as a formidable political force.

Mindy Isser

The Specter of a Second Nakba

The violence during Ramadan underscores how Israel's aggressive policies aim to humiliate Palestinians and threaten their existence.

Jehad Abusalim

Helen Gym Has Won Big for Working People

Critics claim that Helen Gym has no track record of tangible accomplishments. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

David I. Backer

Private Jets Are Dirty Luxuries for the Ultra Rich. Let’s Tax Them.

The private jet industry is destroying the climate and intensifying inequality. Rather than providing subsidies, we should tax the hell out of it.

Kalena Thomhave and Omar Ocampo

My Great-Uncle Was Shot at the Memorial Day Massacre. Why Was This Working Class History Silenced?

In 1937, police killed striking steel workers in Chicago, but the story behind the tragedy was repressed. No more.

Carol Quirke

Democrats Shouldn’t Fall for McCarthy’s Debt Limit Ransom Attempt

Republicans are threatening to tank the global economy if President Biden doesn’t agree to slash spending on social welfare programs. It’s a trap.

Max B. Sawicky

Democrats Should Run on Progressive Approaches to Public Safety. Here’s Proof.

Brandon Johnson’s victory in Chicago and the failure of attacks on bail reform in Illinois show that voters want to address the root causes of crime. Democratic Party, take notice.

Will Tanzman and Tanya Watkins

As Mayor, Brandon Johnson Should Establish a Public Bank in Chicago

Chicago’s working-class neighborhoods have been exploited by predatory financial institutions and starved of desperately needed investment. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson could change that by creating a public bank.

Saqib Bhatti