In today's edition of the FT Swamp Notes newsletter, @philgordondc.bsky.social and I discuss whether this is the US's Suez moment as.ft.com/r/0f682616-6...

Pigeon Town Steppers second line, New Orleans

Author Jay McInerney: ‘I went from being a nobody to being somebody’ [FREE TO READ] The unofficial laureate of 1980s hedonism on the truths behind his New York novels — and when the ‘Bolivian Marching Powder’ got out of hand

'I notice he has barely touched his prosecco, while I’ve guzzled most of mine.' I had lunch with Jay McInerney as.ft.com/r/3a99aa58-2...

Trump’s poll ratings should worry Republicans Seven months out from the midterms, Americans are feeling economic pain

Not waving but drowning: Trump’s poll ratings should worry Republicans - my latest FT Swamp Notes appearance giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Author Jay McInerney: ‘I went from being a nobody to being somebody’ [FREE TO READ] The unofficial laureate of 1980s hedonism on the truths behind his New York novels — and when the ‘Bolivian Marching Powder’ got out of hand

I do like it when the lunchee just takes some big swings. Have a free prosecco at Balthazar with the laureate of 1980s hedonism as.ft.com/r/819b10b5-7...

Author Jay McInerney: ‘I went from being a nobody to being somebody’ [FREE TO READ] The unofficial laureate of 1980s hedonism on the truths behind his New York novels — and when the ‘Bolivian Marching Powder’ got out of hand

'I notice he has barely touched his prosecco, while I’ve guzzled most of mine.' I had lunch with Jay McInerney as.ft.com/r/3a99aa58-2...

Trump’s war is delivering a gut punch to the US economy [FREE TO READ] A supply chain crisis will hit ordinary Americans with higher prices at a time when they are already feeling stretched

Trump's war is delivering a gut punch to the US economy, argues @warren.senate.gov for @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/54fd3b40-7...

The NS Profile: Ralph Miliband Ralph Miliband, father of the Labour leadership rivals David and Ed, is remembered as a great teache

Reading @willoyd.bsky.social’s excellent profile of Ed Miliband, which rightly stresses the influence on him of his father, reminded me of this piece about Miliband père that I wrote for the NS in 2010, during that year’s Labour leadership campaign www.newstatesman.com/uncategorize...

Fear and Fury — law, disorder and white rage in 1980s America [FREE TO READ] Heather Ann Thompson’s history returns to the Goetz shootings that divided New York — and continue to cast a long shadow today

My review of Heather Ann Thompson’s book about the Bernie Goetz shootings and the politics of law and order in Eighties America as.ft.com/r/d4142f72-4...

Fear and Fury — law, disorder and white rage in 1980s America [FREE TO READ] Heather Ann Thompson’s history returns to the Goetz shootings that divided New York — and continue to cast a long shadow today

My review of Heather Ann Thompson’s book about the Bernie Goetz shootings and the politics of law and order in Eighties America as.ft.com/r/d4142f72-4...

Trump’s Iran playbook was written in the 1980s [FREE TO READ] From oil threats to ultimatums, the US president has a decades-old view of how to confront Tehran

As my colleague Alex Barker argues here, you can find the entire Trump worldview in utero in the late 1980s - including the obsession with taking Kharg Island as.ft.com/r/c712ace2-4...

Jürgen Habermas, master thinker of postwar Germany, 1929-2026 [FREE TO READ] The philosopher and social theorist thought deeply about the foundations of liberal democracy

Fine FT obituary of Habermas by @iprnickp.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/92bbb72b-6...

New York shivers in one of the most severe winters since the Gilded Age [FREE TO READ] Only three in history have endured a colder stretch with more snow

My colleague @okr.bsky.social crunches the numbers on NYC's big freeze as.ft.com/r/cb54e5e5-d...

How Principled Conservatives Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Trump Join the Moynihan Center for a panel discussion featuring Sohrab Ahmari, Jonathan Derbyshire, Naomi Schaefer Riley, and Matthew Sitman.

Looking forward to moderating this discussion www.eventbrite.com/e/how-princi...

Pam Bondi vs the courts [FREE TO READ] The US attorney-general believes there is a co-ordinated judicial attack on the authority of the executive

In which I discuss Alexander Hamilton on the 'least dangerous' branch of government and Pam Bondi's war against the courts
as.ft.com/r/983435f2-9...

Infinite Jest is a novel for 2026 Podcast Episode · The New Society | culture from the New Statesman · 31/01/2026 · 26m

Thanks to @tanjilrashid.bsky.social for
inviting me on to the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social’s excellent new culture podcast to revisit one of the first pieces I ever wrote for the magazine and to talk about David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest at 30 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

One of my first and most vivid childhood memories is of my father’s bewilderment as a relative drove us into Manchester from the airport after we'd been living abroad for a few years, through streets entirely denuded of familiar landmarks. “Where are we,” he kept asking, “where are we?”

The mighty Hudson at bay

Occupied America [FREE TO READ] The Trump administration is over-reaching in Minneapolis and creating a sense of dread and anxiety in the process

My latest Swamp Note: as.ft.com/r/ae01cce7-b... Occupied America @jderbyshire.ft.com

The year ahead in US politics [FREE TO READ] Friends of the Swamp look forward to what is likely to be a pivotal period, culminating in November’s midterm elections

In the latest FT Swamp Notes newsletter (and before the seizure of Maduro), I asked @constelz.bsky.social, @michaelrstrain.bsky.social, @sohrabahmari.bsky.social, Lauren Fedor and Rebecca Katz to offer some guidance to the year ahead in US politics as.ft.com/r/faed7e98-5...

Year in a word: Affordability [FREE TO READ] Americans are feeling the pinch and some Democrats are reaping the electoral dividends

My contribution to the FT’s Year in a Word series: Affordability as.ft.com/r/f5b79447-4...

Donald Trump’s affordability crisis [FREE TO READ] The issue reflects deeper shifts in the US economy that probably cannot be reversed ahead of next year’s midterms

In the latest edition of the FT's Swamp Notes newsletter, James Politi and I discuss whether Trump is now a lame duck as.ft.com/r/d490805c-9...

It’s time to restore the civic function of US universities [FREE TO READ] Focusing on research at the expense of teaching has left institutions vulnerable to Trumpian attack

It's time to restore the civic function of US universities, argues Carlo Invernizzi Accetti
as.ft.com/r/fd995cdd-c...

Casinos could deal New York’s poker dens a losing hand [FREE TO READ] They are among the few truly democratic spaces left in the city

In this piece for @financialtimes.com, @lioneltrolling.bsky.social fears for the future of New York's poker clubs if the casino approvals go ahead as.ft.com/r/e6eb3203-3...

America, the western hemisphere and the laws of war [FREE TO READ] The new national security strategy advocates the use of force in the US’s backyard

Me on the 'Trump corollary' to the Monroe Doctrine and the laws of war for FT Swamp Notes (with Steff Chavez weighing on where this all leaves Hegseth) as.ft.com/r/2537067d-3...

Europe’s fateful moment [FREE TO READ] The EU faces a historic choice: whether or not to unlock frozen Russian assets and save the Ukrainian war effort

"Trump, in his way, is as much of a wolf as Putin. Europe has run out of excuses to pretend otherwise". My Swamp Notes with @martinsandbu.ft.com on why Europe must make those frozen Russian assets work for Ukraine. The time for that is now. as.ft.com/r/9144c41b-7...

It's that time of year. This seems about right.

US foreign policy in the age of the envoy [FREE TO READ] Trump favours ‘dealmakers’ over diplomats — what does that mean for peace in Ukraine?

In the latest edition of the FT Swamp Notes newsletter, Alec Russell and I examine American foreign policy in the 'age of the envoy' on.ft.com/48bZ0lR

How will Democrats handle the Mamdani effect? [FREE TO READ] Centrist incumbents are facing challenges from leftwing insurgents

As @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social prepares to meet Trump at the White House, in today's edition of FT Swamp Notes I ask how the Democrats will deal with the 'Mamdani effect' - with a response from the great Lauren Fedor on.ft.com/3JNZYvj

In today's FT Swamp Notes, @ranaforoohar.bsky.social and I pick the bones out of last week's election results in the US on.ft.com/49chSlE