John Nichols

National Affairs Correspondent

@NicholsUprising

John Nichols is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation. He has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.

Members of the Freeport Peace Vigil stand as they have stood for over 40 Sundays on the steps of the post office in Freeport, New York, carrying signs protesting the war in Vietnam on Jan. 21, 1968.

Happy Anti-Imperialist Fourth of July Happy Anti-Imperialist Fourth of July

John Quincy Adams warned on July 4, 1821, that the US should speak "the language of equal liberty, of equal justice, and of equal rights"—not of empire. He was right.

Jul 4, 2023 / John Nichols

Gus Newport and Danny Glover speak at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders

Gus Newport Showed Bernie Sanders How to Be a Socialist Mayor in the Age of Reagan Gus Newport Showed Bernie Sanders How to Be a Socialist Mayor in the Age of Reagan

Former Berkeley mayor Eugene “Gus” Newport was an indefatigable activist who proudly identified as “an avowed socialist” in the age of Ronald Reagan—a fact that The New York Times…

Jul 3, 2023 / John Nichols

Jamaal Bowman arrives at the US Capitol on June 22, 2023.

Jamaal Bowman Knows Exactly How to Win the Next Fight Over Affirmative Action Jamaal Bowman Knows Exactly How to Win the Next Fight Over Affirmative Action

After a devastating Supreme Court decision, the House member and veteran educator has a plan that brings essential perspective to the defense of race-conscious admissions.

Jun 30, 2023 / John Nichols

Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.

When Russia Shook the World, American Cable News Stumbled When Russia Shook the World, American Cable News Stumbled

Instead of shifting to serious coverage, they ran on autopilot and left Americans without the news they needed. That’s a dangerous precedent for journalism—and democracy.

Jun 26, 2023 / John Nichols

Virginia state Senator Joe Morrissey gestures during an interview in his office on May 22, 2023.

Virginia’s Pro-Choice Majority Just Ousted an Anti-Abortion State Senator Virginia’s Pro-Choice Majority Just Ousted an Anti-Abortion State Senator

By an overwhelming margin, Virginians just voted out a Democratic legislator who sided with Republicans on restricting abortion access.

Jun 22, 2023 / John Nichols

Eugene Debs and Donald Trump.

Let’s Stop Casually Comparing Donald Trump to Eugene Debs Let’s Stop Casually Comparing Donald Trump to Eugene Debs

Trump could, like Debs, wind up running for president from prison. But Debs was a socialist, a free speech champion, and a fearless organizer. Trump is no Eugene Debs.

Jun 21, 2023 / John Nichols

William Spriggs, chief economist at the AFL-CIO, speaks during the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) economic policy conference in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

William Spriggs Was the Economist Who Fought for the Entire Working Class William Spriggs Was the Economist Who Fought for the Entire Working Class

From his days as a graduate student union leader, he championed an intersectional vision of economic, social, and racial justice.

Jun 15, 2023 / John Nichols

The Democrat Taking Back Wisconsin

The Democrat Taking Back Wisconsin The Democrat Taking Back Wisconsin

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler has taken the party’s operation out of the backrooms and into the streets.

Jun 12, 2023 / Feature / John Nichols

US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) hits the gavel after being elected Speaker in the House Chamber at the US Capitol on January 7, 2023.

Kevin McCarthy’s Debt-Ceiling Deal Gets Approval From the Billionaire Class Kevin McCarthy’s Debt-Ceiling Deal Gets Approval From the Billionaire Class

Within hours of the vote on a deal that protected tax cuts for the rich, the Republican speaker was off raising funds from… the rich.

Jun 9, 2023 / John Nichols

Cornel West speaks at Harvard University

Cornel West’s Presidential Run Is Already Shaking Up the 2024 Race Cornel West’s Presidential Run Is Already Shaking Up the 2024 Race

The veteran academic and activist announced what is sure to be a controversial run, declaring, “Democracy creates disruption."

Jun 6, 2023 / John Nichols

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