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In These Times, Chicago, IL (2025)

11/19/2025

A new analysis by Dania Rajendra examines the backlash to NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani from right-wing Jewish institutions and what it reveals about internal political divisions. The piece looks at the open letter signed by more than 1,000 rabbis, the ADL’s post-election “Mamdani Monitor,” and the organizing that shaped voting patterns across the city. Rajendra traces how debates over anti-Zionism, representation and democratic legitimacy intersected with broader concerns about cost of living, community safety and rising authoritarianism.

Read the full article for a detailed look at the forces that defined this election and the shifting landscape within Jewish political life.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/zohran-mamdani-islamophobia-antisemitism-adl

11/19/2025

A new investigation by Adam Mahoney examines the human impact of the U.S.–Ghana transfer deal, where West African migrants are being sent to third countries under secretive agreements.

A woman recently attempted su***de after being deported to Ghana, and several people have been quietly transferred to the countries they originally fled, despite U.S. assurances they would be protected from persecution, torture, or death. Attorneys and advocates report there is no mechanism to enforce these guarantees once migrants are moved.

Since July, dozens of Black migrants have been sent to African nations under this program. Legal experts note that Black immigrants already face disproportionate rates of arrest, solitary confinement, and deportation in the U.S., making these transfers especially consequential.

In one case, a man who had previously won protection from removal was flown back to his home country and is now in hiding. Ghanaian officials have defended the arrangement as a humanitarian effort, but a case before the Ghanaian Supreme Court argues the deal violates constitutional and international law.

Mahoney’s reporting traces how these agreements are unfolding in real time and the risks faced by those caught in the system.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/west-african-attempts-su***de-deportation-immigration-trump-ghana-migrants

11/18/2025

Chicago’s Chop Shop recently hosted a tribute concert honoring the late Lebanese composer and social critic Ziad Rahbani, bringing together nearly 200 people for an evening centered on SWANA music, dance and cultural preservation. The event featured TAYF, a queer-fronted ensemble that blends maqam traditions with jazz and pop influences, marking the group’s first full year and celebrating Rahbani’s impact on Arab music and political expression.

The performance, titled From Ash to Bloom, highlighted how artists across the SWANA diaspora are sustaining and expanding their musical heritage. Musicians spoke to Rahbani’s legacy as an innovator who pushed boundaries in both sound and politics, and whose work continues to inspire commitments to liberation and community connection.

The concert also reflected a broader movement to create space for SWANA arts in Chicago. TAYF and the Middle East Music Ensemble have become hubs for musicians seeking cultural reconnection and collaborative creativity, drawing participants across generations and regions. Their work underscores how gathering around music remains a vital form of resilience during ongoing regional and global crises.

This piece looks at how cultural preservation becomes a form of resistance, and how artists are shaping new possibilities for SWANA expression in the diaspora.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/cultural-preservation-as-resistance

11/17/2025

As COP30 takes place in Belém, climate scholars Andreas Malm and Wim Carton discuss what they call the “overshoot” moment — a world already pushed past 1.5°C and leaning on technological fixes that risk deepening the crisis. In this wide-ranging interview, they explore the political forces shaping climate denial, the rise of geoengineering, and the future of climate movements amid escalating disasters.

Read the full conversation here: https://inthesetimes.com/article/climate-change-cop30-the-long-heat-book-interview-fossil-fuels

11/17/2025

Starbucks workers across the country remain on strike following a 92% super-majority vote by the unionized baristas of SBWorkersUnited to authorize an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike. Workers cite chronic understaffing, low wages and hundreds of unresolved ULP charges as key factors behind the decision. The walkout began on , one of the company’s highest-traffic days of the year.

In this interview, longtime barista and Starbucks Workers United spokesperson Michelle Eisen discusses the conditions inside stores, the origins of the union drive dating back to Buffalo in 2021, the company’s responses in bargaining, and the broader labor climate under the current NLRB.

The piece offers a detailed look at how workers describe their day-to-day environment, the scope of the ongoing strike and the dynamics shaping the standoff.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-red-cup-rebellion-strike-picket

11/15/2025

What happens when the lines between military power, culture war and religious crusade disappear? Alberto Toscano’s new investigation into Trump and Pete Hegseth’s push for a “Department of War” reveals a project far bigger—and far more dangerous—than a symbolic name change.

From purging military lawyers and DEI programs to floating strikes inside Mexico and expanding U.S. military reach across the hemisphere, Hegseth’s vision turns every social conflict into a battlefield. It’s a blueprint for endless war dressed up as patriotism and “warrior ethos.”

If you want to understand the real stakes of Trump’s second-term militarism—and the crusader politics behind it—this is essential reading.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/secretary-of-all-wars-pete-hegseth-trump-military

11/15/2025

Tech giants are deeply involved in Gaza’s ongoing crisis. Leaked plans reveal “voluntary” displacement, AI-assisted targeting, and billion-dollar corporate projects like Elon Musk–branded zones—all while Palestinians are displaced and neighborhoods destroyed.

Companies like Palantir, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle provide technology, platforms, and infrastructure that have been used in attacks and propaganda campaigns. Even during the so-called ceasefire, violence and destruction continue, with tech playing a key role.

Learn how corporations are profiting from and enabling these attacks—and how accountability is possible.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/gaza-palestine-israel-genocide-tech-elon-musk

11/15/2025

A month after the ceasefire in Gaza, life remains extremely difficult. Homes and neighborhoods have been destroyed, access to water and electricity is limited, and basic services are scarce.

Mohammed Abutawila, a former English teacher, shares an on-the-ground update to Working People with Maximillian Alvarez on how Palestinians are surviving, rebuilding, and distributing life-saving water to displaced families. Despite the destruction, he says hope and resilience remain.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/mohammed-abutawila-working-people-podcast-episode-gaza-palestine-ceasefire

11/15/2025

For the past five months, particularly in the weeks leading up to the November 4 New York City mayoral election, several sitting members of Congress have made overtly racist comments targeting Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. These include threats of deportation, claims that he is part of an “enemy within,” and references to 9/11 in connection with his candidacy.

Examples from the past month alone include:

Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) called for Mamdani to be deported and referred to him as a “Communist Muslim Jihadist.”

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Tex.) criticized Mamdani’s campaign ad in Arabic as “humiliation.”

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) posted a video of the 9/11 attacks on election day alongside commentary about Mamdani.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) sent an email calling Mamdani’s election a threat comparable to 9/11.

Despite these attacks, major U.S. media outlets — including CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal — did not run articles or broadcast segments in the past month focusing on these racist statements. Some outlets mentioned them briefly in passing, but none made the attacks the focus of their coverage.

This pattern is consistent with previous coverage of Congressional attacks on Muslim lawmakers such as Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

Read: https://inthesetimes.com/article/zohran-mamdani-racism-media-randy-fine-nancy-mace

11/15/2025

What do you call a “drug war” when the targets aren’t traffickers — but fishermen, migrants, and anyone unlucky enough to be on the water?

Greg Grandin’s new piece pulls back the curtain on Trump’s rapidly expanding kill zone in the Caribbean — a campaign that’s already left dozens dead, without evidence, charges, or even basic accountability.

For decades, U.S. presidents have fueled this fire. But what’s happening now is something even darker: a president publicly releasing videos of extrajudicial killings and daring anyone to stop him. And too many in power are shrugging.

⚠️ This is what the “forever drug war” looks like when it mutates into open, daily executions.
⚠️ This is what happens when a system built across 10 administrations gives a demagogue the keys.

From Nixon to Reagan to Clinton to Biden — Grandin traces the whole lineage straight to today’s violence off the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru.

— Why is there so little political or media pushback?
— How do we break this cycle before it gets even worse?

Read the full investigation here: https://inthesetimes.com/article/trump-venezuela-colombia-drug-war-narco-boat-strikes

11/13/2025

Starbucks workers across the United States have launched a nationwide strike, calling for a consumer boycott. SBWorkersUnited represents nearly 10,000 baristas and says the action may become the biggest and longest unfair labor practices strike in the company’s history.

Workers are striking to protest what they describe as unfair labor practices. The union is seeking action on understaffing, higher take-home pay, and sufficient weekly hours for workers to qualify for benefits. Starting baristas make just over fifteen dollars per hour, which Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) data shows is not enough to afford the cost of living in any state when working full-time. Many baristas receive fewer than twenty hours per week.

The National Labor Relations Board has found Starbucks guilty of more than five hundred labor law violations. More than seven hundred unfair labor practice charges remain unresolved. According to the Strategic Organizing Center, Starbucks’ union related legal fees, consultant payments, and lost productivity cost the company more than $240,000,000 through February 2024.

The union says meeting its contract proposals would cost less than one average day of Starbucks sales. Workers have drawn attention to CEO Brian Niccol’s compensation package, which totaled $96,000,000 over four months last year, compared with an average annual worker pay of less than $15,000.

Eighty-five members of Congress, led by Senators Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal, have sent letters urging Starbucks to cease union-busting and negotiate a contract. The strike is beginning at sixty-five stores in more than forty cities. The union is asking customers not to buy Starbucks during the open-ended strike.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-strike-unfair-labor-boycott

11/13/2025

SBWorkersUnited President Lynne Fox says Starbucks is entering a critical period as union baristas continue to push for a fair contract. In September of this year, Fox outlined why workers are prepared to strike if negotiations do not resume.

According to Fox, Starbucks has not returned to productive bargaining since late 2024. Union baristas report short staffing, irregular scheduling, and low take-home pay. Many workers report not consistently receiving the hours they need to qualify for health benefits. The union has filed dozens of new unfair labor practice complaints since Brian Niccol became CEO in 2024.

Fox notes that Workers United represents more than 12,000 union Starbucks baristas in 45 states and Washington, D.C. Baristas have won union elections at more than 640 stores. In December 2024, approximately 5,000 baristas participated in a nationwide strike against unfair labor practices.

Fox writes that the remaining economic parts of a contract would cost Starbucks less than one average day of company sales. In contrast, the company continues to spend large amounts on executive compensation, conferences, and legal fees. She says union delegates rejected the company’s most recent offer during mediation in early 2025.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/starbucks-union-bargaining-sbwu-strike-lynne-fox-nicchols

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