#political-disillusionment

#political-disillusionment

Trencin is a picturesque city in western Slovakia, best known for its historic castle perched on a rock above the city. Below it, the city center is nestled around a large square lined with cafes and bars. The old town is also home to a magnificent synagogue that was recently renovated and stands as a powerful symbol of Trencin's centuries-old Jewish community. Today, it occupies a central place in the city as both a tourist attraction and a venue for cultural events.

There's a lot of grief across the best albums of this year. It's unsurprising: 2025 has felt like a definitive and dismal break with government accountability, protections for marginalised people and holding back the encroachment of AI in creative and intellectual fields, to cherrypick just a few horrors. Anna von Hausswolff and Rosalia reached for transcendence from these earthly disappointments. Bad Bunny and KeiyaA countered colonial abuse and neglect with writhing resistance anthems.

Gen Z and millennial Americans are feeling increasingly demoralized about their economic prospects, and some say their concerns have gone unaddressed by elected officials. In communities of all kinds, voters in their 20s and 30s are confronting a financial reality of rising costs, mounting debt and minimal wage growth. Many described a similar reality one where economic worries loom large over their everyday lives and erode their faith in the ability of those in power.