Bari Weiss+

How Mamdani's Socialism Ends

Most young people hear “socialism” and think of “freezing the rent” and Zohran Mamdani jumping into a town pool, but as Marian L. Tupy explains, that’s never where socialism ends. Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel or at TheFP.com.

The Political Cost of Socialism

Economist Marian L. Tupy experienced socialism firsthand during his childhood in Czechoslovakia. He explains that under socialism you don’t just lose your economic freedom; you also lose your political liberty: “When socialists fail to deliver on their promises and people become unhappy and revolt, to keep socialism going the revolt has to be suppressed.” Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel.

The AI star of RushTok

Earlier this month, a 19-year-old, curly-haired student named Janie went through Bama Rush, the University of Alabama’s annual sorority recruitment. Just like thousands of other girls, she posted about the process and clips fumbling her way through trending dances on social media. There was just one catch. Janie wasn't real.

Editors Killed My Story on Trans Athletes. I Resigned.

Matt Calkins spent 11 years as a sports columnist for The Seattle Times. Last week, he resigned after the paper refused to publish a column with a pretty basic thesis: that supporting the separation of biological males and females in sports doesn’t make you transphobic. But Calkins says the final column wasn’t a one-off but the breaking point in a pattern of silencing dissenting voices. He describes a newsroom that changed dramatically over his tenure, especially after 2016, when what started as small edits to his columns turned into a pattern of spiked stories, sidelined pitches, and pressur

Overpopulation Is a Myth

Overpopulation is a myth, according to economist Marian L. Tupy. The public assumes that adding more people to the world means the resources we share will become scarcer, but the evidence shows the opposite: As the world’s population has grown, resources have become more abundant. He calls this phenomenon “superabundance.” Watch “The ‘Overpopulation’ Myth” at our YouTube channel.

The Psychology of Internet Trolls

What makes someone an online troll? It’s not just a bad habit. Trolls are a specific personality type that blends narcissism, manipulation, psychopathy, and sadism, says professor Arthur Brooks. What should the rest of us do? The answer, he says, is simple: Don’t engage. Read Arthur Brooks’s column at TheFP.com.

The Inevitable Rise of Violence

Former progressive activist Sabrina Joy Stevens warns that years of fear-inducing rhetoric on the left has devastating real-world consequences. Constantly tell people they face an existential threat—in Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, Brian Thompson—and eventually, some will take you seriously: “Voting is not enough for me anymore. I’m going to pick up a gun and solve the problem.” Full interview: https://youtu.be/2noJMZYEQeQ

The Doomers Are Lying To You

You've heard it all before: The world is overcrowded. Resources are running out. Capitalism is failing. The planet is doomed. Or is it? Marian Tupy, author of Superabundance, joins Lucy Biggers to make the data-driven case for optimism—and explain why more people, more freedom, and more innovation may continue to make the world a better place.

My Teenage Daughter Hates My Boyfriend

A reader’s teenage daughter won’t accept her boyfriend, but seems to accept her father’s girlfriend without a problem. Read the full response from Abigail Shrier at the link in our bio or at TheFP.com.

The Moms of TikTok Have Gone Insane

Unlike the “masculinity crisis,” when women perform the exact same thing with public displays of rage, filmed for an audience, monetized by the algorithm, we don't call it a crisis. We call it brave. We call it liberation.

Is "Wokeness" Over?

“This is not over.” Former progressive activist Sabrina Joy Stevens draws a direct line between the “woke” ideology of 2020 and rising political violence today: Once you’ve “purity purged” every moderate from your movement, “the people who are still bought into it are really bought into it…and they are taking that rhetoric to its logical conclusion.” Full interview available on YouTube.

How AI Is Killing Roller Coasters

AI killed the roller coasters. Now Silicon Valley's only amusement park is closing. Read Josh Code's piece on how his childhood amusement park is shutting down after 50 years: https://www.thefp.com/p/the-last-roller-coaster-in-silicon-valley-amusement-park-data-center

Former Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer Tell Jews to Stand Up

"I worked for the Bernie Sanders campaign. My former boss, and the broader left-wing activist infrastructure that surrounds him are actively fueling antisemitism in this country."

What Does Gen Z Get Wrong About Dating?

What does Gen Z get wrong about dating? Read more advice from Abigail Shrier at TheFP.com.

New Data Undermines Claims of Gaza Famine

In August 2025, Gaza was officially declared famine-stricken. Now, a year later, new rigorous data says that the territory has one of the region’s lowest levels of severe child malnutrition. Olivia Reingold reports on the Unicef-led data that has triggered a debate over whether the original declaration was correct.

Confessions of a Social Justice Warrior

Former progressive activist Sabrina Joy Stevens spent nearly two decades inside the world of left-wing activism—working across education, women’s rights, racial justice, and political advocacy. In this episode of Confessions, she explains how an ideology built around oppressors and victims shaped her worldview, why the contradictions she witnessed during 2020 finally pushed her to question it, and what happened when she walked away. She also reflects on the forces keeping progressive activism alive—from nonprofit incentives and ideological conformity to grievance politics—and why she believes

Is Gambling Ruining Young People's Future?

Gen Z has a new investment strategy: sports betting. This generation is increasingly treating sportsbooks and prediction markets as part of their long-term financial planning. How did we get here?

The UK Tells Asylum Seekers Not To R*pe

The British government has published a guide for asylum seekers about gender equality, domestic abuse, sex and consent, and respect in public.

Fauci Denies He Wanted to Close Schools

Dr. Fauci denies that he wanted to close schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. 1,000 pages of his diary tells a different story.

Why Would Fauci Keep His Diary on a Government Computer?

Why did Dr. Fauci put all his self-obsessed thoughts to paper...on a government computer, no less?

Women Are Identifying with the Mom Who Killed Her 3 Children

Lindsay Clancy killed her three children. She's admitted that she did, it's not in dispute. Instead, her trial centers on the question of whether she's not just guilty but culpable, or whether she was so deranged by postpartum psychosis that she can't be held criminally responsible for the murders.

A City's War on Surveillance Cameras

Flock Safety's 100,000+ license plate cameras are supposed to fight crime—but from Troy, NY to cities nationwide, people are pushing back hard, and River Page went to find out why.

I Read 1000 pages of Fauci Diaries. It's Bad. | Dr. Vinay Prasad

It’s not every day that the diary of one of the most polarizing figures of a global pandemic gets released to the public. But that’s exactly what happened last month to Dr. Anthony Fauci. In late July, Senator Rand Paul publicly released over 1,000 pages of notes that Fauci had kept—on a government server—during his time as Covid-19 czar, between 2019 and 2022. Shortly thereafter, Fauci was forced to testify before the Senate, on July 29. Then in early August, Paul and fellow Republican senator Ron Johnson released a set of texts, obtained from Fauci’s government-issued cell phone, between hi

I'm Gay and My Mom Doesn't Think I Can Raise Kids

This reader’s mother had always been supportive of his homosexuality. But she had concerns about two gay men raising a family. What should he do? Read the full response from Abigail Shrier at TheFP.com.

My Daughter Is Having Premarital Sex. What Should I Do?

“Numberless women of every faith sleep with their college boyfriends. Most of us don’t call them ‘unmarriageable sluts.’ Most of us call these women ‘mom.’” Read the full response from Abigail Shrier here: https://www.thefp.com/p/tough-love-my-catholic-daughter-is

Why Dems Don't Want to Tax Billionaires

Should California tax its billionaires, or could this blow up in the state’s face? Of all the demographics you could tax, billionaires are the one group with a lot of funds to move out of state and avoid a one-time tax. @austynjeffs reports.

Would Taxing Billionaires Ruin California?

Should California tax its billionaires, or could this blow up in the state's face? Of all the demographics you could tax, billionaires are the one group with a lot of funds to move out of state and avoid a one-time tax. Austyn Jeffs reports.

Is AOC Wrong to Freeze Her Eggs?

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez simply talking openly about something that’s already happening—or is she normalizing putting off motherhood? Dr. Debra Soh tells The Free Press's Rafaela Siewert: “What I noticed actually in the comments on those posts is the number of women who would say, ‘I don't feel so alone now.’” Watch the full interview at TheFP.com.

AOC and the Harsh Reality of Egg Freezing at 36

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's decision to freeze her eggs at 36 sparked debate. Debra Soh gives her credit for being candid about the process—and says more women should know what they’re getting into. “There are women who go into egg freezing, and they may not fully understand what the drugs are, what they're doing to their body, why they're taking them, and what the true rate of success is," she tells The Free Press's Rafaela Siewert. "Not only is it really expensive and extremely painful," she adds, "but there are all these side effects that you have, and then you also don't know: Is it actu

The High School Not Tackling Antisemitism

When Jewish students at an Arlington, Virginia, high school were mocked, threatened, and chased, their desperate requests for help were met with indifference by school officials. Rupa Subramanya reports.

AOC and the Harsh Reality of Egg Freezing at 36

Over the weekend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted a viral video to Instagram, sitting alone with a table of medication in front of her, talking followers through the first steps of her egg-freezing process. She was upfront about why she was sharing it, saying she hoped “to show more depictions of women having full lives in every context and every choice.” The announcement was met with a firestorm—critics accusing her of putting career, and even an alleged presidential run, ahead of starting a family. On the one hand, women are better off than ever before—58 percent of college students i

Why Is Everyone Taking Mental-Health Leave?

Why is everyone taking the day (or the month) off from work? Mental-health leave has never been easier to get—and never easier to abuse.

Did Fauci Mislead America About Covid Miscarriage Risk?

In private, Anthony Fauci told America's most senior health officials that the Covid vaccine could theoretically be associated with miscarriage. In public, he said there were no red flags.

Confessions of a Former DSA Organizer

On this latest episode of Confessions, former Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organizer Jake Altman joins The FP's Maya Sulkin for an inside look at one of the most influential political movements on the American left. Drawing on nearly a decade of experience inside the organization, Altman explains why he joined, the radical revolution that drove him out, and how the DSA transformed from a small group into a major force shaping Democratic party politics. Jake exposes the movement's internal culture, organizing tactics, and what its growing influence could mean for the future of the De

The Great $20 Burrito Debate

The Great Burrito Debate: Are $20 burritos a sign of the cost-of-living crisis? It might be the one thing that defies inflation.

Are RFK Jr.'s Fish Cakes Really Under $5?

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. just launched a cooking show promising affordable, healthy meals for every family. His first recipe: fish cakes for under $5. We sent River Page grocery shopping to see if the math checks out. Read River's full piece on how the recipe turned out at TheFP.com.

Democrats Vilified White Men

Former Democratic operative Evan Barker recalls how, during the 2020s, her colleagues explicitly vilified white men. "I would see the men have to self-flagellate." She says having her son in 2022 made her start to question this ideology within her party. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Literature professor fired for teaching literature

Professor Vinita Prabhakar shared an award-winning short story with her freshman English class. The narrator is a drug-using, heavy-drinking Catholic school teacher who gets bored with teaching, and fills up class time talking about her sex life instead. The University president called the story “political,” and fired her. And now, she’s suing to get her job back.

What El Sayed's Win Says About America

In 2008, Obama had to renounce his association with an anti-American preacher to win his party’s nomination. In 2026, El-Sayed embraced an anti-American streaming star—and the Democrats didn’t care.

Working People Don't Want Handouts

Former Democratic operative Evan Barker grew up in a working-class family in Kansas City, Missouri. She says her family has no interest in handouts and doesn't hate billionaires. "They don't want everything to be free. They just want better opportunities... and I think Zohran can't fathom that because he's never worked that hard."

Working for Abdul El-Sayed

Former Democratic operative Evan Barker reflects on working for Abdul El-Sayed. "I don't understand what he's doing. All he does is talk about abolishing ICE, AIPAC, and corporate PAC money."

Flock Safety cameras don't want anything to do with law-abiding citizens

Ever feel like you're being watched? You might be right. But Flock Safety cameras aren't interested in you—unless you're a kidnapper, a thief, or up to no good.

Is Hasan Piker's Hype Manufactured?

"Hasan Piker and someone like Nick Fuentes are just different flavors of the same thing." @RealSabiJoy argues that both speak to real grievances—but offer destructive answers.

Former Democratic Operative Tells All

Former Democratic fundraiser Evan Barker spent years working alongside some of the biggest names in progressive politics. In this conversation with Lucy Biggers, she reveals what she witnessed behind the scenes—from campaign fundraising and donor influence to the ideological shifts that ultimately led her to walk away from the Democratic Party and write Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative.

Abdul El-Sayed Wants to “Get Money Out of Politics”…Or Does He?

Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has attacked his opponent for benefiting from millions in PAC spending. He did not respond when we asked about the nearly $5 million in outside spending supporting his own campaign. Olivia Reingold reports.

Is GiveSendGo Incentivizing Hate?

When people involved in controversies need money, they turn to GiveSendGo. From Kyle Rittenhouse to Karmelo Anthony to Daniel Penny, the platform has raised millions for those at the center of news stories that divide America. But is the company incentivizing hate?

Get in, boys. We're Nixonmaxxing!

Get in, boys. We're Nixonmaxxing. Why is Gen Z suddenly obsessed with our 37th president—the man who resigned in disgrace over Watergate? Mostly, it's a vibe.

This Is Dangerous.

@JillianMichaels argues that telling young white Americans they’re inherently racist isn’t reducing racism—it’s creating a new generation of it. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/P9tbJEVX9qg

Can I tell my daughter she's fat?

“Can I tell my daughter she’s gotten fat?” A mom wants to know if she can encourage her mid-20s kid to ‘actively lose weight. @AbigailShrierxo weighs in. Read Abigail’s full piece at TheFP.com/tough-love.

Meet the nuns suing New York

A group of nuns that provide care to the terminally ill are suing the state of New York. On Friday, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne filed a complaint over the state’s new assisted dying law, arguing it forces religious workers to compromise their faith. Madeleine Long got the exclusive on their lawsuit.

California's OTHER failed train line

California’s struggle to build high-speed rail has been well-publicized, but did you know there’s a second train line that's also not getting built? Austyn Jeffs investigates Brightline West, a rail project that’s supposed to link Las Vegas to California in three years’ time, but not a single foot of track has been laid.

Curtis Sliwa tries to save Central Park's horses

Last month, 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan was thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park and killed. Now people—including Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa—are advocating for "Romanch's Law," which would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. This push comes amid other complaints about mistreatment of the horses. We talked with Curtis Sliwa about what he's trying to do to save the horses in Central Park.

There's been a gay cruising scandal in international waters

There’s been a gay cruising scandal in international waters—but it’s not what you think. Earlier this month, a cruise ship called Scarlet Lady carrying 2000 gays and Patti LuPone was barred from docking in Turkey and Egypt. But there’s something missing from the story: the obvious cause of the ship’s rejection.

If Mamdani froze the rent, why did NYC rent hit an all-time high?

Mamdani “froze the rent.” So why did NYC rent just hit an all-time high? We break down exactly why your rent keeps climbing.

America's politicians are using Israelis as props

“They’re using us as props… It’s disgusting.” Haviv Rettig Gur argues American politicians like Ro Khanna and Rahm Emanuel have turned Israelis and Palestinians into stage props for their own, self-serving political theater.

Ro Khanna is a liar

“It’s an extremely irrelevant event… The congressman is a lying liar.” Haviv Rettig Gur says Representative Ro Khanna grossly exaggerated what happened during his West Bank visit for his own political purposes.

Haviv Rettig Gur: Ro Khanna Is LYING About His Israel Detainment

Representative Ro Khanna's recent visit to the West Bank ignited a political firestorm after he alleged that Israeli settlers detained his delegation while Israeli security forces stood by. But did events unfold the way they were initially described? Journalist Haviv Rettig Gur joins Rafaela Siewert to examine the facts of the incident, the competing narratives that emerged online, and what the controversy reveals about the growing role of Israel in American politics. Their conversation explores the incentives driving political messaging, the information war surrounding the Israeli-Palestinia

What Has The Media Missed About Lyndsey Fifield's Story?

What has the media frenzy missed about Lyndsey Fifield’s story? “I have been totally transformed. My life is radically different,” said Fifield, one of Platner’s ex-girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse, to The Free Press’s Frannie Block. Read more of the story at TheFP.com.

Who is Graham Platner?

Who is Graham Platner? He is a “dangerous, charismatic, charming, delusional narcissist,” said Lyndsey Fifield, an ex-girlfriend of Platner’s who has accused him of physical abuse. “That’s who he was when we dated, and that’s who he is still today—not contrite, not reflecting, not taking accountability, but doubling down and claiming that none of this ever happened, and he’s the victim,” she added. Fifield spoke with The Free Press’s Frannie Block about her relationship with Platner and his decision to suspend his campaign. Read more of the full story at TheFP.com.

Lyndsey Fifield on Graham Platner Dropping Out

How does Lyndsey Fifield, one of Graham Platner's accusers, feel now that he's dropped out? "This isn't a victory," she told The Free Press's Frannie Block. Read more at TheFP.com.

Little Italy forgotten by Mayor Mamdani as immigrant neighborhood

Mayor Zohran Mamdani released his map of New York City’s “immigrant enclaves.” Except, he forgot a few spots. Little Italy—one of the oldest immigrant communities in New York City—didn’t make the cut. Here’s what the Italian-Americans whose families have been a part of Little Italy's history had to say about it.

Trump’s ‘Ceasefire’ Collapses | Niall Ferguson

Is the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran over? Is the memorandum of understanding dead? On Wednesday, those questions were put to President Donald Trump at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, a gathering that came on the heels of renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Here, to make sense of the fragile state of the strait, the stalled negotiations in Iran, and the big ticket questions about the European alliance, Turkey, and China, is Free Press columnist Niall Ferguson. He breaks down how the ceasefire fell apart, why the pathway to managing the Strait of Hormu

What's a Death Doula?

In an overstressed, understaffed system of care for dying patients, a new kind of caregiver is stepping in—one who wants to bring humanity back to a process that’s grown cold and corporate. Even Nicole Kidman has signed on. These are caregivers who help people die. They’ll plan your funeral, walk you through medically assisted dying laws, and sit with you at the end. They’re called death doulas, and they’re on the rise across America. Kat Rosenfield spoke to some of them for her column in The Free Press this week. Read the full story at TheFP.com.