It’s Tuesday, July 7. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Tyler Cowen explains why socialism hurts the young. Josh Kaplan on how Trump’s FIFA interference makes the U.S. a true soccer nation. Audrey Fahlberg talks to the woman likely to become Washington, D.C.’s first socialist mayor. And much more.

But first: Is this just the beginning of the socialist surge?

If you look at the areas where democratic socialist candidates have surged to victory in recent weeks, you’ll find they all share one thing in common: The districts are deep, deep blue. Which raises a question: Shocking as these results are, is this all just a flash in the pan, limited to the most progressive enclaves of the United States?

No way, says Evan Barker, a former Democratic Party fundraiser who spent years training the progressive activists now leading the DSA wave. She knows exactly where this moment came from: a Democratic establishment that in 2018 decided to blacklist operatives working for progressive candidates, pushing them to build the ruthless campaign infrastructure proving so effective today. Read Evan’s piece to understand why “this far-left earthquake is only the beginning”—and what she believes Democrats must do to stop it.

Much of the power fueling this movement comes from young people, who are significantly more favorable toward socialism than older generations. But if you ask Tyler Cowen, those voters are embracing policies that will ultimately hurt them—in particular, by stifling the medical innovation they’ll depend on most. Read his analysis of why a movement promising young people the world may ultimately give them anything but.

But if this movement really is here to stay, who are these people anyway? What do they truly believe? Stu Smith, an investigative journalist at City Journal who has covered the DSA extensively, argues the organization has lurched so far leftward that a majority of its governing board now “openly identifies with Communist ideology.” Today, he explains what that means—and why he thinks “the DSA’s official name isn’t a reliable guide to the ideological makeup of its current leadership.”

—River Page

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Josh Kaplan • Culture and Ideas

America Is Becoming a Soccer Country

Last week, the star player on the U.S. World Cup team was shown a controversial red card, ruling him out of Monday night’s match against Belgium. Then, over the weekend, Trump called the head of FIFA—and the suspension was overturned. The reversal sparked worldwide accusations of cheating. But to Josh Kaplan, one of The Free Press’s resident Brits, it’s a sign that America, despite losing to Belgium in the end, has finally embraced the true spirit of the beautiful game—“one in which you admit nothing, fake everything, and do whatever you can to secure victory.” Read story ›

Audrey Fahlberg • U.S. Politics

Can a Socialist Mayor Keep D.C. Safe?

One of the hardest parts of being a far-left mayor is governing a city that still expects safe streets. Washington, D.C.’s incoming leader may soon face that test, with Janeese Lewis George poised to become the city’s next mayor after last month’s Democratic primary. Audrey Fahlberg spoke with Lewis George about her “tumultuous relationship” with the police—and with D.C. Police Union president Greggory Pemberton, who wonders whether her administration will “try to find some common ground” with officers, or if the affair is destined to be “an all-out brawl.” Read story ›

Aaron MacLean • School of War

Four Years Fighting Russia: An American Soldier’s Testimony

The war in Ukraine has become a daily headline—but few understand what life is actually like on the front lines. As Russia intensifies air strikes on Kyiv and the conflict nears its fifth year, Aaron MacLean speaks with a U.S. military veteran who has spent four years voluntarily fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. This week on School of War, they discuss the brutal realities of combat, the transformation of modern warfare, and what Americans still get wrong about the Russian military. Watch now ›