As consumers flock to “reef-safe” and “ocean-friendly” skincare, beauty brands are selling a vision of ocean purity that is more marketing-driven than science-based. By Kate Petty The personal care industry has mastered the art of marketing eco-consciousness— evolving beyond familiar labels like “green,” “clean,” and “natural”—into a new wave of sea-inspired branding that claims to champion ocean conservation. Terms such as “reef-safe” and “ocean-friendly” evoke images of cry

Catherine Connolly campaigning in October -- image via Connolly for President on X By Vijay Prashad Catherine Connolly (born 1957) only became involved in active politics in 1999. Michael D. Higgins, the outgoing president of Ireland (2011-2025), encouraged Connolly to join the Labour Party and stand for election. Both Connolly and Higgins (known in Ireland as Michael D) come from Galway, a city on the west coast of Ireland. Connolly was born there, the ninth of fourteen chil

Washington’s unease is rising as Brazil’s Pix bypasses U.S.-dominated payment networks. The country’s digital payment revolution may soon be impossible to contain as other countries adapt their own models. By John P. Ruehl The Trump administration’s July 2025 decision to have the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) investigate Brazil’s “ attacks on American social media companies as well as other unfair trading practices ,” followed by the launch of 50 percent tari

Police surround and forcibly disperse protesters in Cuenca, Ecuador, September, 2025 -- Martin.vascovinueza, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia...

For decades, the Americas have been the most violent part of the world outside active war zones. Many factors contribute to this, but...

Far-Right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a signing ceremony in India, September, 2025 -- image via X By Sudhanva Deshpande...

. US 100 dollar bills being printed -- image via video screenshot By Jaime Bravo and Jorge Coulon In August 1971, Richard Nixon announced...

Facing habitat loss, climate change, and shifting livelihoods, Maasai women are leading a transformative program that links sustainable...

Rehman Abubakr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Shiran Illanperuma Sri Lanka has undergone one of the sharpest and fastest...

From hopeful beginnings to a broken system, student loans reveal how policy choices turned higher learning into a lifelong financial...

Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Marcelo Depieri Starting in the 1990s, a new form of...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 31, 2025 -- Prime Minister's Office (GODL-India),...

From deregulated economic zones to experiments in private governance, charter city projects aim to reshape how we live. Their rise...

US ships deployed towards Venezuela -- image via Al Jazeera news video screenshot By Vijay Prashad Suddenly, out of nowhere, the United...

Shot from the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China -- public domain image By Shiran Illanperuma China’s modernisation...

Marek Slusarczyk, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Vijay Prashad and Grieve Chelwa On 8 July 2025, the IMF published a brief blog post...

Between capitalism in decline, expressed in wars and neo-fascism, and the left calling for reconstruction, people resist. NATO Summit,...

From trading posts to tech empires, corporations continue to grow in strength. Without reform, their power may soon eclipse public...

Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago Stock Exchange Building -- MadnessAttack, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Jaime Bravo and Jorge...

The billionaire class has its sights set on an ignorant populace that would be more receptive to its morally bankrupt ideology....