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It’s Wednesday, November 12. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Our pointless debt crisis. Enrollment in remedial math is surging at UC San Diego. Why Socrates was the first punk rocker. And more.

But first: Zohran Mamdani and the vicious libel cycle.

We’ve extensively covered the rising tide of antisemitism over the last few years here at The Free Press. And to many, the triumph of Zohran Mamdani—a man who fashions himself an anti-Israel activist, and who has refused to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada”—in the New York mayor’s race last week was another data point in that trend. Others say Mamdani’s avowed “anti-Zionism” is not the same thing as anti-Jewish hate.

But for Adam Louis-Klein, this is the wrong frame.

In his latest essay, Adam looks at what he calls race libels—that is, “defamatory accusations leveled at Jews or other minorities.” They are not simply lies or misinformation, says Adam, but “social technologies” that “spread like wildfire, ignite moral certainty, and reshape institutions in their path. Their power does not come from proof, but from repetition, outrage, and a totalizing logic that shuts out contradiction.”

It is racism, pure and simple, Adam argues, because it “begins with a presumption of guilt.”

This piece helps you make sense of so much of the last two years—and offers a way out of the darkness. “This is not only a fight for truth,” writes Adam. “It is a fight against the belief that any people can be essentially evil.”

—Oliver Wiseman

What Did We Get for $38 Trillion in Debt?

James Hickman

Everyone knows that America has a debt problem—but most people don’t realize just how quickly it’s growing. With public debt now in excess of $38 trillion, James Hickman says that there is almost nothing to show for it. Now, after decades of wars, bailouts, and runaway spending, the U.S. must borrow trillions just to cover its promises. The bill is coming due. Read full story

The College Kids Who Can’t Do Basic Math

Tanner Nau

Between 2020 and 2025, the number of freshmen at the University of California San Diego falling short of middle-school math standards grew nearly thirtyfold, reports Tanner Nau. Almost 10 percent of students now need remedial math that teaches basic first-grade concepts. The slide in math has also reached the Ivy League. Read full story

She Was a Reality TV Child Star. Now She Tells Her Story.

Rafaela Siewert

Nia Sioux was just 9 years old when she joined the original cast of Dance Moms, a reality show about kids who spent up to 60 hours a week filming and training for weekly dance competitions under their infamously harsh teacher. The show was entertaining but, as Sioux says in her new memoir, built on cruelty to children. She sits down with Rafaela Siewert to set the record straight. Watch the interview

On Breaking History

Punk music was born 50 years ago. But the first punk wasn’t Sid Vicious or Joe Strummer—or anyone from the 20th century. The roots of punk go back 2,400 years to Socrates, the father of philosophy. So argues Eli Lake in the latest episode of Breaking History. He explores why Socrates’ insistence on questioning everything wasn’t just punk rock; it also prevented his culture—and ours—from stagnating.

Click here to listen to Eli’s latest, or catch it wherever you get your podcasts.