Democracy Now! Wednesday, May 6, 2026

The state of global press freedom has reached its lowest point in 25 years, with over half the world’s countries now classified as having 'difficult' or 'very serious' conditions for journalists. Reporters Without Borders' 2026 index ranks the U.S. at 64th—down from 17th in 2002—citing systemic attacks on the press under President Trump, including FBI raids on journalists’ homes, the weaponization of national security laws, and a surge in violence against reporters. In Lebanon, Israeli forces have intensified bombing campaigns despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, displacing over 1.2 million people and destroying entire villages, while also targeting journalists like Amal Khalil, who was killed after receiving death threats. The U.S. is also under scrutiny for its role in escalating violence in the Caribbean and tightening sanctions on Cuba, which have contributed to a 148% rise in infant mortality. Meanwhile, constitutional law scholar Kimberly Crenshaw, author of the memoir *Backtalker*, argues that critical race theory and intersectionality remain essential tools to confront systemic racism and democratic backsliding, warning that the Supreme Court’s recent rulings—such as gutting the Voting Rights Act—represent a dangerous reversal of civil rights progress. Her personal story, rooted in her parents’ civil rights activism, underscores the power of 'backtalking' as resistance against narratives that claim inequality is inevitable.