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Articles by Eric Levitz
Cold weather and high prices could flip the Senate
This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here Throughout his second term, President Donald Trump has saddled his party with no shortage of political liabilities — from the mass pardons of January 6 convictions to ICE killings of US citizens to questionable Reflecting Pool redesign choices.
Are the AI industry’s apocalyptic warnings just a marketing ploy?
Silicon Valley has long warned that its favorite technology might get us all killed. But chatter about AI’s apocalyptic potential has grown louder in recent weeks. In September, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned from the company, accusing his former employer of “gambling with our lives” by developing evermore powerful models faster than it could control them.
AI CEOs keep saying their companies might end the world. Is it just a marketing ploy?
U.S. Politics 3 hours ago New Texas Senate poll signals shift for GOP as early voting nears USA TODAY - Mateo Rosiles • 3h With 10 days until early voting starts in Texas for the midterm elections, a new poll suggests momentum may be shifting back in Republicans' favor in two key races. A new UMass Lowell/YouGov poll, released Oct.
After a Decade in Israel, AZ House Opens Its First U.S. Recovery Home in Baltimore
Free long-term residential recovery community for Jewish men will open its doors October 12 BALTIMORE, MD — After a decade of operating in Israel, AZ House will open its first U.S. location in Baltimore on October 12, bringing its free, long-term residential recovery model to the American Jewish community. The eight-bed Baltimore home will provide Jewish men struggling with addiction a safe, kosher, structured environment in which to build lasting recovery and rebuild their lives.
Trump tried to make burgers cheaper. It backfired spectacularly. Original
On most fronts, President Donald Trump has shown little concern for reducing Americans’ cost of living ahead of November’s midterms. Trump has refused to accept Iran’s ceasefire proposals, even as the conflict pushes fuel costs to new heights. And he’s declined to abandon his trade wars — with US adversaries and allies alike — even as tariffs nudge up Americans’ expenses.
Trump tried to make burgers cheaper. It backfired spectacularly.
1 hour ago Republicans haven't broken with Trump yet. But with the primaries over, his approval sinking and his own endorsees breaking ranks, the split could come faster than anyone expects. In his 2000 bestseller "The Tipping Point," Malcolm Gladwell argued that big shifts in behavior often start with just a …
Flock cameras are creepy. They might still be worth it. Original
To no small extent, Americans have grown accustomed to being watched. For more than a decade, CCTV cameras have recorded a hefty portion of many people’s public movements, while ubiquitous smartphones have made us all perpetually vulnerable to unsolicited documentation (if not, social media notoriety). Until recently, however, technical limitations constrained the reach of government surveillance (at least, in the physical realm). Police may have been swimming in CCTV footage.
The scariest AI doom scenario you haven't thought about
AI will be the death of me. And you. And everyone we know. At least, this is what a growing number of technologists and policymakers fear. Last week, a lead researcher at Anthropic declared that there was a greater than 10 percent chance of AI “killing all humans” within the next decade. This nerve-racking forecast, combined with recent AI-initiated cyberattacks , have fueled calls for slowing the progress of artificial intelligence — a proposal that Anthropic and OpenAI subsequently embraced.
The AI threat keeping scientists up at night Original
AI will be the death of me. And you. And everyone we know. At least, this is what a growing number of technologists and policymakers fear. Last week, a lead researcher at Anthropic declared that there was a greater than 10 percent chance of AI “killing all humans” within the next decade. This nerve-racking forecast, combined with recent AI-initiated cyberattacks, have fueled calls for slowing the progress of artificial intelligence — a proposal that Anthropic and OpenAI subsequently embraced.
Trump keeps telling voters he doesn’t care much about affordability Original
If the midterms were a referendum on whether trans athletes should be barred from women’s sports, or the White House ballroom should be gorgeously renovated, or God should be identified as “nonbinary,” then Republicans would have a clear and confident closing message. • The cost of living is midterm voters’ top issue. • The war in Iran has led to the first decline in real wages since 2023.
The Jewish Democrats trying to get to “yes” on Abdul El-Sayed Original
Abdul El-Sayed is trying to win over undecided Jewish voters in Michigan — without compromising his substantive positions on Israel or disavowing his most radical allies. During both his primary and general election campaigns, El-Sayed’s opponents have portrayed him as insensitive to Jewish concerns, if not outright antisemitic.
The data centers are winning Original
In the United States, building a data center now polls roughly as well as abolishing the police. If current trends continue, server warehouses may soon be less popular with Americans than pizza topped with pineapple and shattered glass. In an August survey from Heatmap Pro and Embold Research, just 15 percent of Americans said they would support a data center being built in their area, while 75 percent expressed opposition.
Dead billionaires should pay higher taxes Original
Americans want to soak the rich. But few have strong opinions about precisely how. Indeed, even among our nation’s most impassioned class warriors, contemplating the fine details of tax policy is an eccentric pastime. In an interview earlier this month, Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer called for taxing “the hell out of” the wealthy.
The strange politics of the AI backlash
The general election for Wisconsin governor is now a week old. But the past seven days of debate between the race's Republican and Democratic candidates can be paraphrased in just two lines: “My opponent is a shill for Big Tech who wants to build data centers over Wisconinites' farms, parks, preserves, graves — and, possibly, Lambeau Field.” “I know you are, but what am I?” The Republican nominee, Congressman Tom Tiffany, has been the aggressor in this argument.
How the Wisconsin governor’s race became a data center hate-off
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How the Wisconsin governor’s race became a data center hate-off
The general election for Wisconsin governor is now a week old. But the past seven days of debate between the race’s Republican and Democratic candidates can be paraphrased in just two lines: “My opponent is a shill for Big Tech who wants to build data centers over Wisconinites’ farms, parks, preserves, graves — and, possibly, Lambeau Field.” “I know you are, but what am I?” The Republican nominee, Congressman Tom Tiffany, has been the aggressor in this argument.
How the Wisconsin governor’s race became a data center hate-off
The general election for Wisconsin governor is now a week old. But the past seven days of debate between the race's Republican and Democratic candidates can be paraphrased in just two lines: "My opponent is a shill for Big Tech who wants to build data centers over Wisconinites' farms, parks, preserves, graves — and, possibly, Lambeau Field." "I know you are, but what am I?" The Republican nominee, Congressman Tom Tiffany, has been the aggressor in this argument.
The left is winning the argument on aid to Israel. The next step will be harder. Original
In recent months, two ideas that were once on the fringes of Democratic policy thinking — cutting off financial support and stopping arms transfers to Israel — have gone mainstream. Nearly half of House Democrats voted to end aid to Israel last month, while roughly 40 percent of the caucus has called for blocking the sale of offensive weapons to the Israeli government until it persuades Congress that it will not use American bombs to perpetrate war crimes.
What would actually happen if the US cut off aid to Israel?
In recent months, two ideas that were once on the fringes of Democratic policy thinking — cutting off financial support and stopping arms transfers to Israel — have gone mainstream. Nearly half of House Democrats voted to end aid to Israel last month, while roughly 40 percent of the caucus has called for blocking the sale of offensive weapons to the Israeli government until it persuades Congress that it will not use American bombs to perpetrate war crimes.
The hidden cost of Mamdani’s plan for cheap groceries Original
New Yorkers will soon enjoy a 30 percent discount on their meat, seafood, milk, and bread — so long as they shop at a city-owned store. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani touted such bargains this week at a press conference detailing his plans to launch five public grocery stores, in a bid to lower New Yorkers’ food costs. Under the proposal, the city would own each supermarket and dictate its pricing and labor practices, while private grocery companies would handle the day-to-day operations.
AI could end up too cheap to control
The AI industry’s investors and critics don’t agree on much. But many in each camp share at least one basic conviction: America’s top labs are about to make a killing. Capital markets have signaled their faith in Anthropic and OpenAI’s impending hyper-profitability, valuing each at nearly $1 trillion.
AI could end up too cheap to control
This is not entirely self-evident. After all, AI labs aren't much like the hyper-profitable tech giants of the 2010s. Facebook and Airbrb were relatively capital-light businesses with ultra-low marginal costs (adding a profile to Facebook or listing to Airbnb costs the companies virtually nothing). And once each gained a foothold in their respective markets, network effects enabled them to retain formidable positions without needing to constantly upgrade their products.
Medicare-for-all has a doctor problem
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The big healthcare fight Democrats keep dodging Original
Abdul El-Sayed is among America’s most prominent proponents of Medicare-for-all. The frontrunner in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary literally wrote the book on that policy (or at least, a book on it). In El-Sayed’s view, Medicare should cover “all necessary healthcare” for every American — without co-pays, premiums, or deductibles — and be “accepted everywhere.” • American healthcare is expensive largely because our hospitals, doctors, and drugmakers charge unusually high prices.
Who counts as “working class”? Original
The Democratic Socialists of America say they are fighting for “a government by, for, and of the working class.” Yet the organization’s membership and candidates consist largely of educated professionals. As of 2021, 80 percent of DSA members over 25 were college-educated, while 28 percent earned more than $100,000 a year (putting them in roughly the top 15 percent of America’s income distribution), according to a DSA internal survey.
The one thing MAGA nativists get right Original
President Donald Trump blames immigrants for virtually every problem in American economic life. In the president’s telling, the undocumented have been taking American-born citizens’ jobs, lowering their wages, driving up their costs, and bankrupting their welfare programs. These claims are largely false.
An economist makes the case for Zohran Mamdani’s rent freeze
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Voters love rent freezes. Economists hate them. Except for this one. Original
As America’s housing crisis deepens, policymakers are increasingly turning to an old idea for improving affordability: making large rent increases illegal. In recent years. Oregon, Washington, and California have enacted statewide rent controls. In 2024, the Biden administration floated a nationwide cap on rent increases for large buildings.
There’s one big reason socialist voters may not get what they want
The left is painting Blue America rose. In just the past two weeks, four insurgent left-wing candidates — including three socialists — have won Democratic congressional primaries. The latest victor, 29-year-old Melat Kiros, defeated 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette Tuesday night. These wins capped a banner year for progressives in general and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in particular. Socialists will soon hold the mayorships of New York, Seattle, Washington DC, and Chicago.
The AI industry just won a race — but lost the war
New York's congressional primaries on Tuesday were supposed to be the moment AI's top backers definitively proved they could bend US politics to their will. Instead, they left behind a muddy stalemate that only raises more questions about whether their spending can keep pace with an anti-AI backlash.
The AI industry just won a race — but lost the war
New York’s congressional primaries on Tuesday were supposed to be the moment AI’s top backers definitively proved they could bend US politics to their will. Instead, they left behind a muddy stalemate that only raises more questions about whether their spending can keep pace with an anti-AI backlash.
ChatGPT probably isn’t conscious. But what if we’re wrong?
AI is rapidly gaining abilities that once belonged to humanity alone. In just the past four years, chatbots have learned how to build apps, make video games, generate research reports, compose songs, analyze contracts, and write terrible literary fiction. Soon, they may even be able to dread their own deaths. In Silicon Valley, many believe that AI systems can already think and feel.
Why ChatGPT might be suffering
AI is rapidly gaining abilities that once belonged to humanity alone. In just the past four years, chatbots have learned how to build apps, make video games, generate research reports, compose songs, analyze contracts, and write terrible literary fiction. Soon, they may even be able to dread their own deaths. In Silicon Valley, many believe that AI systems can already think and feel.
Trump just found the worst way to regulate AI
Eric Levitz Tue, June 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC 8 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. President Donald Trump speaks during a proclamation signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. | Alex Wong/Getty Images In a sense, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is getting what he wanted.
Trump just found the worst way to regulate AI
In a sense, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is getting what he wanted. Amodei has long argued that AI is becoming dangerously powerful — and thus, that regulatory restrictions on the technology are urgently needed. In an essay published last week, Amodei wrote that the release of cutting-edge AI models “should be blocked or reversed as a threat to public safety” if they fail to meet strict security standards.
Trump’s strange flirtation with AI socialism, explained
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Trump’s strange flirtation with AI socialism, explained Original
A new, bipartisan idea is taking Washington by storm: collective ownership of the means of production. Sort of, anyway. Last Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he would soon be meeting with the executives of top AI companies to discuss a financial “partnership.” “There are concepts where pieces [of these companies] could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies,” Trump said.
Smartphones broke dating. AI might finish the job.
Humanity may be scrolling its way out of existence. Across the globe, fertility rates are plummeting. In 2023, the average number of births per woman worldwide fell beneath 2.1 — the minimum level necessary for averting population decline (also known as the "replacement rate"). And this collapse is not concentrated in just a handful of places; more than two-thirds of all nations now have below-replacement fertility. While this crisis has been building for decades, its nature recently changed.
Smartphones broke dating. AI might finish the job.
Humanity may be scrolling its way out of existence. Across the globe, fertility rates are plummeting. In 2023, the average number of births per woman worldwide fell beneath 2.1 — the minimum level necessary for averting population decline (also known as the “replacement rate”). And this collapse is not concentrated in just a handful of places; more than two-thirds of all nations now have below-replacement fertility. While this crisis has been building for decades, its nature recently changed.
MAGA’s civil war over immigration is over. Silicon Valley lost.
The Trump administration announced last Friday that US visa holders who want a green card must first return to their home countries and apply from there, “except in extraordinary circumstances.” On its face, this rule — which was officially promulgated in a memo from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — would upend America’s immigration system and the lives of hundreds of thousands of US residents.
MAGA’s civil war over immigration is over. Silicon Valley lost.
World News 9 hours ago Ro Khanna is taking his economic message on the road. Will it lead to the White House? CNBC - Garrett Downs • 9h PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO and MICHIGAN — U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna was riding shotgun in a black Chevrolet Suburban hurtling down an Ohio highway. His mind was on … Polymarket 12 hours ago A Google engineer used internal search data to bet $2.7m on Polymarket. The DOJ has charged him.
The 2026 economy could have been great — if not for Trump
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The 2026 economy could have been great — if not for Trump
President Donald Trump has put the US economy through the wringer. Since taking office, he has: Imposed large and evershifting tariffs on imports, thereby driving up consumers’ costs and businesses’ uncertainty. Manufactured a global energy crisis that has pushed up Americans’ gas prices while threatening to plunge the world into a recession. And yet, the American economy keeps trudging forward like a gut-shot zombie, damaged but undeterred by the bullets it has absorbed.
The 2026 economy could have been great - if not for Trump
President Donald Trump talks to reporters before boarding Air Force One on May 20, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Donald Trump has put the US economy through the wringer. Since taking office, he has: And yet, the American economy keeps trudging forward like a gut-shot zombie, damaged but undeterred by the bullets it has absorbed.
The hidden way dictatorships are shaping what AI tells you
In the near future, a handful of AI platforms could shape the way that billions of people see the world. Already, there is evidence that large language models (LLMs)—today’s preeminent form of AI—are persuading some users to change their views. This has generated fears about chatbots’ potential to spread state propaganda. Such anxieties generally center on the prospect of major AI labs consciously designing their LLMs to favor pro-regime perspectives while suppressing dissident ones.
The hidden way dictatorships are shaping what AI tells you
In any given week, more than a billion people now look to chatbots for information and advice — as well as robo-plagiarism, erotica, and myriad other services. ChatGPT alone boasts 900 million weekly users. And these figures are likely to rise. In the near future, a handful of AI platforms could shape the way that billions of people see the world. Already, there is evidence that large language models (LLMs) — today’s preeminent form of AI — are persuading some users to change their views.
Data centers could actually be good for your hometown Original
The only good data center is a canceled data center. Or so a growing number of Americans seem to feel. Throughout the United States, citizens are mobilizing against the construction of new data centers in general — and the massive, “hyperscale” ones that fuel artificial intelligence, in particular. Data centers can increase local air pollution, though their emissions vary widely between different contexts. Their impact on local water supplies, meanwhile, has been greatly exaggerated.
Democrats’ latest critique of Walmart is wrong — and dangerous Original
For years, many Democrats have lamented the fact that some workers at highly profitable corporations — from Amazon to Walmart to McDonald’s — receive Medicaid benefits. Their reasoning isn’t hard to understand: To be eligible for safety net programs, one must have a low household income. And why should anyone working at a highly profitable enterprise earn a low income? Surely, Walmart can afford to provide its cashiers with a living wage and health care benefits.
The real problem with Hasan Piker Original
Hasan Piker is exceptionally good at ranting about politics while playing video games. In the late 20th century, this would have made him a fun (if exhausting) hang.
The Iran war isn’t hitting your grocery bill — yet Original
The aorta of the global energy economy has been clogged for more than a month now. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway connecting the Gulf oil producers to global markets — has throttled worldwide energy production and driven up the prices of gasoline, diesel, fertilizer, plastics, and myriad other commodities.
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