On a political level, Democrats have succeeded in painting Republicans as mean and unfeeling stewards of American decline. But Trump may win on policy nonetheless, as a gang of Democrats prepares to squander their leverage based on a vague assurance.
Congress
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
Despite Vow to Protect Health Care for Veterans, VA Losing Doctors and Nurses
Between December 2024 and August 2025, the VA reported a net loss of thousands of health care positions, and advocates report the impact of understaffing, facility closures, and waiting times has been ‘dire.’
Posted inTAP
Trump in Court
Trump’s increasingly flagrant efforts to govern as an outright dictator leave us heavily reliant on the Supreme Court. But three key cases coming before the Court, beginning with the tariff case to be argued this Wednesday, may not go so well for him.
Posted inPolitics
The 2025 Election’s Hudson River Divide
Through the campaigns of Zohran Mamdani and Mikie Sherrill, we can see a path that tenuously unites both social democrats and moderates. Future Democratic electoral successes will rest on a foundation of progressive economic populism.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Trump Selling Out Cattle Ranchers Highlights Structural Food Economy Crisis
To lower beef prices and help out his pal Milei, Trump will quadruple beef quotas from Argentina—and domestic cattle ranchers are going ballistic. But the bigger problem is an America that can no longer feed itself.
Posted inTAP
The Democrats’ Shutdown Challenge: How Long Must the Hurt Continue?
The problem the Democrats face in the current standoff is how to weigh these distinct forms of pain: immediate to a known universe of political allies; or long-term to a broader universe of, most importantly, swing voters.
Posted inPolitics
Politicians Aren’t Heroes
Issues lead politicians, not the other way around. It would be incorrect to say that politicians don’t matter—they most certainly do—but they matter less than people might think, and are often better seen as instruments of power.
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
The Health Insurance Cost Crisis Is Now Upon Us
The price hikes won’t happen until January 1, but open enrollment begins on November 1, ten days from now—and the average exchange beneficiary will see their premium costs more than double.
Posted inPolitics
The New Republican Voice of Sanity Is … Marjorie Taylor Greene?
Greene has emerged as something of a Republican voice of reason, at least by the standards of MAGA in 2025, perhaps the lowest bar imaginable. That might be useful for Democrats.
Posted inPolitics
Sparks Flying in Maine’s Senate Race
Susan Collins remains forever unconcerned. One of the Republicans’ most reliable meme generators isn’t fretting over Janet Mills’s entry into the race for Maine’s Senate seat alongside oyster farmer Graham Platner.
