Joshua K. Leon
@joshuakl.bsky.social
Writer. Professor. Iona University. 22-23 Robert David Lion Gardiner Fellow, New York Historical. Author of "World Cities in History: Urban Networks From Ancient Mesopotamia to the Dutch Empire." Website: https://joshualeon.com/
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Joshua K. Leon
@joshuakl.bsky.social
· Jan 3
World Cities in History | Global history
www.cambridge.org
My new book, "World Cities in History: Urban Networks from Ancient Mesopotamia to the Dutch Empire," is released! Paperback available. Delighted to work with the wonderful team at @cambridgeup.bsky.social.
#urbanhistory #globalhistory #globalcities #internationalrelations
Info here:
#urbanhistory #globalhistory #globalcities #internationalrelations
Info here:
A nice guide for what to avoid this shopping season…
We Ain’t Buying It! - Economic Pressure on Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday - We Ain’t Buying It!
We Ain’t Buying It is an economic action and solidarity campaign designed to defend democracy and reclaim community power.
weaintbuyingit.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:07 AM
A nice guide for what to avoid this shopping season…
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
one thing i think is true is that republicans assumed that democrats would not respond in kind and that the forceful pushback spooked them (a lesson to learn here, perhaps)
Trump's corrupt scheme to rig 2026 is suddenly falling apart:
*Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymander
*Indiana GOP lacks votes to redraw map
*Big Dem win in Virginia could give Ds more seats
On the pod, DLCC head Heather Williams is informative on what's next:
newrepublic.com/article/2033...
*Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymander
*Indiana GOP lacks votes to redraw map
*Big Dem win in Virginia could give Ds more seats
On the pod, DLCC head Heather Williams is informative on what's next:
newrepublic.com/article/2033...
Trump’s Plot to Rig 2026 Is Falling Apart, and Boy Is He Mad About It
As the Trump-GOP scheme to gerrymander the midterms suddenly faces big new setbacks, a Democratic operative who’s leading in these fights explains why the battle isn’t over—and what must happen now.
newrepublic.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:13 PM
one thing i think is true is that republicans assumed that democrats would not respond in kind and that the forceful pushback spooked them (a lesson to learn here, perhaps)
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
America’s city dwellers produce similar levels of greenhouse gas emissions when they eat meat and power their homes, a new study published in @natclimate.nature.com suggests. Sophie Kevany reports:
Meat Consumption in U.S. Cities Produces as Much Climate Pollution as Powering Homes
Researchers found emissions from beef, pork and chicken consumption exceeded the entire carbon footprint of Italy.
buff.ly
October 21, 2025 at 1:20 PM
America’s city dwellers produce similar levels of greenhouse gas emissions when they eat meat and power their homes, a new study published in @natclimate.nature.com suggests. Sophie Kevany reports:
Por la ribolucion siempre! 🐸 😆
October 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Por la ribolucion siempre! 🐸 😆
I keep getting feedback on this, since it posted in the Interesting Times.
Lunchtime For Fascists: Nick Land And The Uses Of Incoherence
Guest essay by Dr. Joshua Leon, reflecting on his lunch with a (seemingly) mild mannered travel writer who went on to become a neoreactionary hero
theinterestingtimes.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I keep getting feedback on this, since it posted in the Interesting Times.
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out.
Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.
data4democracy.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:17 PM
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
A revealingly creepy formulation by Speaker Johnson.
What does he mean by “they” are going to “descend” on “our” capital?
WE are going to assemble in OUR communities exercising OUR constitutional rights in defense of OUR nation.
What does he mean by “they” are going to “descend” on “our” capital?
WE are going to assemble in OUR communities exercising OUR constitutional rights in defense of OUR nation.
Johnson: “They're going to descend on our capital for their much-anticipated so-called ‘No Kings’ rally. We refer to it by its more accurate description: 'The Hate America' rally. I'm not sure how anybody can refute that."
October 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
A revealingly creepy formulation by Speaker Johnson.
What does he mean by “they” are going to “descend” on “our” capital?
WE are going to assemble in OUR communities exercising OUR constitutional rights in defense of OUR nation.
What does he mean by “they” are going to “descend” on “our” capital?
WE are going to assemble in OUR communities exercising OUR constitutional rights in defense of OUR nation.
How could a strapped institution like Columbia ever have resisted the omnipotent arm of the Trump administration, and its $400m cuts? What power could poor Columbia possibly have? (Fun fact: their investment earnings in FY 2024 were $1.2 billion with a B)
Columbia’s endowment rises to $14.8 billion, on pace to outperform peer institutions in investment returns
Columbia reported on Sept. 27 an investment return of 11.5 percent on its endowment for the fiscal year of 2024—putting the University on track to outperform peer institutions in investment returns. T...
www.columbiaspectator.com
October 15, 2025 at 5:35 PM
How could a strapped institution like Columbia ever have resisted the omnipotent arm of the Trump administration, and its $400m cuts? What power could poor Columbia possibly have? (Fun fact: their investment earnings in FY 2024 were $1.2 billion with a B)
Fair point...
During a shutdown, the federal government can deploy troops to invade US cities but can’t send WIC funds to states to feed infants and children. Speaks volumes about how the rules around shutdowns systematically serve GOP priorities while harming everyone else.
October 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Fair point...
A lucid, must read article about how we got here...
A Republic, If We Can Keep It - Logos Journal
Robert J. Lacey Introduction The insurrection on January 6, 2021 was one of the darkest hours in American political history. If there were any doubts that we live in desperate times, the images from ...
logosjournal.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:34 PM
A lucid, must read article about how we got here...
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
Saturday tours to meet rescued animals at Woodstock Sanctuary in High Falls are happening through early November! 10am is the recommended time for younger kids. It’s the best time to visit and we bet your heart needs it 🐐🐄🍂
Tix still available for this Saturday! woodstocksanctuary.org/visit
Tix still available for this Saturday! woodstocksanctuary.org/visit
October 2, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Saturday tours to meet rescued animals at Woodstock Sanctuary in High Falls are happening through early November! 10am is the recommended time for younger kids. It’s the best time to visit and we bet your heart needs it 🐐🐄🍂
Tix still available for this Saturday! woodstocksanctuary.org/visit
Tix still available for this Saturday! woodstocksanctuary.org/visit
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
Poll after poll shows corruption is THE issue voters care about. And Jeffries goes out of his way to praise Adams, whose public corruption charges were dropped after Trump’s DOJ unceremoniously shut the case down?
Democrats have the winning hand right in front of them. Wild that they won’t play it.
Democrats have the winning hand right in front of them. Wild that they won’t play it.
September 29, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Poll after poll shows corruption is THE issue voters care about. And Jeffries goes out of his way to praise Adams, whose public corruption charges were dropped after Trump’s DOJ unceremoniously shut the case down?
Democrats have the winning hand right in front of them. Wild that they won’t play it.
Democrats have the winning hand right in front of them. Wild that they won’t play it.
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
Good news, everyone! City's Issue 29.3-4 is out.
Editorial: Spanglish city limits -Ulises Moreno-Tabarez
Yes, it's fully in Spanglish; meant to spark up convo re: upcoming RGS panel on Urban Omissions: Untranslated Concepts and Debates in Urban Studies
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Editorial: Spanglish city limits -Ulises Moreno-Tabarez
Yes, it's fully in Spanglish; meant to spark up convo re: upcoming RGS panel on Urban Omissions: Untranslated Concepts and Debates in Urban Studies
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
August 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Good news, everyone! City's Issue 29.3-4 is out.
Editorial: Spanglish city limits -Ulises Moreno-Tabarez
Yes, it's fully in Spanglish; meant to spark up convo re: upcoming RGS panel on Urban Omissions: Untranslated Concepts and Debates in Urban Studies
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Editorial: Spanglish city limits -Ulises Moreno-Tabarez
Yes, it's fully in Spanglish; meant to spark up convo re: upcoming RGS panel on Urban Omissions: Untranslated Concepts and Debates in Urban Studies
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Um, I think “assault” is the word you’re looking for, guys. Rampant euphemisms and are making the NYT a slog to read these days. Feels like they’re writing to avoid lawsuits and it’s just dull. #nyt
August 14, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Um, I think “assault” is the word you’re looking for, guys. Rampant euphemisms and are making the NYT a slog to read these days. Feels like they’re writing to avoid lawsuits and it’s just dull. #nyt
Interesting thing I just noticed from the '24 Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) data. Moscow was an alpha city in 2020 and now, with sanctions, barely has "sufficiency" status, ranking below Hartford, Conn. for global connectivity. Can't think of a steeper de-globalizing. #gawc #worldcities
August 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Interesting thing I just noticed from the '24 Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) data. Moscow was an alpha city in 2020 and now, with sanctions, barely has "sufficiency" status, ranking below Hartford, Conn. for global connectivity. Can't think of a steeper de-globalizing. #gawc #worldcities
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
The worst single-day crime spree in modern Washington history, of course, took place on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump issued no order to the National Guard to intervene -- Mike Pence did -- and later pardoned the perpetrators.
Citing a nonexistent crime crisis, Trump plans to take over the Washington DC police and put troops in the streets of the nation's capital. Contrary to his claims, violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low. @katierogersnyt.bsky.social Campbell Robertson Chris Cameron www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08...
Here’s the latest.
www.nytimes.com
August 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
The worst single-day crime spree in modern Washington history, of course, took place on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump issued no order to the National Guard to intervene -- Mike Pence did -- and later pardoned the perpetrators.
Gearing up to teach urban politics this Fall. Should we start by saying that everything the GOP says about cities is wrong?
The Hellscapes of Their Minds
ICE says it’s going to “flood” New York. Good luck with that
open.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Gearing up to teach urban politics this Fall. Should we start by saying that everything the GOP says about cities is wrong?
Democratic protocol: when you see a spark, throw a wet blanket.
Even if that means soaking your own candidate…
Even if that means soaking your own candidate…
Kirsten Gillibrand apologizes to Zohran Mamdani over ‘jihad’ claim
New York senator had claimed that Democratic nominee for mayor had made ‘references to global jihad’
www.theguardian.com
July 6, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Democratic protocol: when you see a spark, throw a wet blanket.
Even if that means soaking your own candidate…
Even if that means soaking your own candidate…
Will be missed…
Few people have embodied the best of journalism—its ability to cut through BS, its capacity to uplift those who’ve been wronged, its burning appetite to tell the stories people need to know—like Bill Moyers.
We’ve never needed him more, writes @monikab.bsky.social.
We’ve never needed him more, writes @monikab.bsky.social.
The Bill Moyers that obituaries missed
The “secular preacher” of TV journalism was also a ferocious critic of corrupt politicians and corporate titans—and the spineless media that enable them.
www.motherjones.com
July 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Will be missed…
So much of the coverage of the absurdly titled bill is about process and performance, but there needs to be more discussion about what this legislation actually does…
What’s in Trump’s major tax bill? Extended cuts, deportations and more
Donald Trump’s sweeping legislation boosts the wealthy, funds a border wall and risks $3tn deficit before his term ends
www.theguardian.com
July 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
So much of the coverage of the absurdly titled bill is about process and performance, but there needs to be more discussion about what this legislation actually does…
With malice toward some...
Erasing Lincoln
The capital city of Nebraska will have to change its name.
prospect.org
June 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
With malice toward some...
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
The Supreme Court's war on its own judiciary has just gone nuclear.
June 27, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The Supreme Court's war on its own judiciary has just gone nuclear.
Reposted by Joshua K. Leon
Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat is written by Ruth Milkman, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at @cunyslu.bsky.social. Purchase via Wiley Publishing: shorturl.at/BUQgW
April 13, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat is written by Ruth Milkman, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at @cunyslu.bsky.social. Purchase via Wiley Publishing: shorturl.at/BUQgW