Turning off the logistically complicated SNAP system—which relies on the federal government, states, and private companies to function in concert—and then trying to turn it back on quickly is no easy task.
Cities & Communities
Ripping Up SNAP and America’s Social Contract
Like their colleagues across the country, Mississippi River corridor mayors are on the front lines speeding food to desperate residents. Six out of the ten Mississippi River states have more than 10 percent of their populations who currently depend on SNAP benefits.
Six Ways Zohran Mamdani Can Make New York City Affordable Again
Mamdani begins his term with something few mayors ever have: an energized following and an international megaphone. His administration could launch a 100-day affordability sprint, using executive and emergency powers creatively and expansively to lower costs for ordinary people.
Trump’s Armed Force to Take Over Democratic Cities Is Nearly Ready to Deploy
On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Federal Appeals Court voted to hear the case of the Trump administration’s attempted deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon. The president then declared he was prepared to send “more than the National Guard” into American cities.
Mamdani and the Jews
Unlike his opponents in the New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani has offered perspectives on Israel, Zionism, and antisemitism that have upset and even alarmed some voters. But his outreach efforts to the city’s diverse Jewish communities will persist.
‘We’re the Resistance’
Rossana Pérez arrived in Los Angeles as a refugee more than 40 years ago. Now, the professor, writer, and activist reflects on how to cope with the terror and trauma of ICE raids in her city.
Governors Plunged Into Constitutional Crisis
As members of Congress scanned the skies for signs of bipartisan intervention amid an imminent government shutdown, the governor of Illinois called for President Trump to be removed from office. Though invoking the 25th Amendment was a rhetorical flourish—no executive-branch Republican would ever entertain the idea—JB Pritzker wasn’t finished. Last Friday, at a fundraiser for […]
How ICE Terror Campaigns Are Used to Discipline Labor
While Chicago sees a surge of ICE detentions, workers are facing retaliation as immigrants when they advocate for their rights.
Trump Calls Every American City Dweller to Train Our Troops for Dangerous Missions!
And tells our generals and admirals to refocus on ‘the war within.’
From Democracy to ‘My Way or the Highway’ in Missouri
State legislators have embraced norm-shattering techniques to boldly crack one House district. Voters may have the final say about that.

