Media Analysis

Is Derek Penslar the Wrong Kind of Jew for Harvard?

Is Derek Penslar the Wrong Kind of Jew for Harvard? Is Derek Penslar the Wrong Kind of Jew for Harvard?

He’s a distinguished scholar, director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies, and former president of the American Academy for Jewish Research. But Bill Ackman doesn’t like him.

Feb 2, 2024 / Eric Alterman

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks during 2023 National Action Network (NAN) Triumph Awards at the Lincoln Center in New York.

The Anti-Defamation League: Israel’s Attack Dog in the US The Anti-Defamation League: Israel’s Attack Dog in the US

Posing as a civil rights group, the ADL has long operated as an intelligence organization targeting Israel’s critics. So why does the media still treat it as a credible source?

Jan 31, 2024 / James Bamford

President Joe Biden at the pulpit of the St. John Baptist Church

The Abject Failure of Biden’s Quiet Diplomacy Is Spreading Middle Eastern Chaos The Abject Failure of Biden’s Quiet Diplomacy Is Spreading Middle Eastern Chaos

The president’s promise of restraint is repeatedly belied by the reality of continued escalation.

Jan 29, 2024 / Jeet Heer

Al Jazeera reporter Wael Dahduh lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson in Israeli airstrikes on October 25, 2023. In the photo from January 7, he mourns his son, another journalist killed by Israel.

The US Media Is Ignoring Israel’s Campaign to Kill Palestinian Journalists The US Media Is Ignoring Israel’s Campaign to Kill Palestinian Journalists

Israel is trying to snuff out journalism in Gaza. This should be a sound-the-alarm, all-hands-on-deck moment for anyone who professes to support reporters and the work that they d...

Jan 23, 2024 / Jack Mirkinson

Nikki Haley talks to a group of people while campaigning in New Hampshire.

Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism

The two presidential candidates are boxed in by the bigotry they deny exists.

Jan 19, 2024 / Jeet Heer

Palestinians in a destroyed residential area try to collect usable items under the rubble.

Israel’s Vietnam—and Ours Israel’s Vietnam—and Ours

Everything that Israel is doing to the people of Gaza—especially killing civilians through intensive aerial bombardment—was prefigured during the American “ground war” in Vietnam....

Jan 18, 2024 / Van Gosse

An ESPN microphone before the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 25, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism? The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism?

ESPN’s dogged but underappreciated reporters keep getting laid off—and now a main target of their investigations may become the new boss.

Jan 17, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion

Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion

The president and his top advisers are prisoners of nostalgic fantasies.

Jan 16, 2024 / Jeet Heer

William A. Ackman attends the Pershing Square Sohn Prize 2023 Award and Tenth Anniversary Dinner at Manhatta on May 18, 2023, in New York City.

Meet William Ackman, America’s Most Entitled Donor Meet William Ackman, America’s Most Entitled Donor

The hedge-fund activist’s attacks on Harvard and Claudine Gay have gotten much notice; less attention has been paid to the toll his financial activities have taken on the country....

Jan 8, 2024 / Michael Massing

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) hugs Joe Biden upon the US president’s arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on October 18, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)

Why Is Biden Risking a New Regional War in the Middle East? Why Is Biden Risking a New Regional War in the Middle East?

The president’s foreign policy is mired in a deeply retrograde and one-sided view of Israel.

Jan 5, 2024 / Jeet Heer

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