Mamdani begins his term with something few mayors ever have: an energized following and an international megaphone. His administration could launch a 100-day affordability sprint, using executive and emergency powers creatively and expansively to lower costs for ordinary people.
Health & Social Policy
Posted inPolitics
Chuck Schumer Is Not Fit to Lead the Democratic Party
The Senate leader doesn’t just betray his own party, he’s also terrible at leading it. In Trump’s second term, facing a full-on authoritarian attack on America’s democracy and constitutional structure, Schumer is simply incapable of mounting a determined resistance.
Posted inPolitics
Trump Lost the Politics of the Shutdown
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.
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 inLaw and Justice
Bail Crackdown on Ballot Ignores Mental Health Crisis, Advocates Say
In Texas, Proposition 3 is a constitutional amendment that would require judges to deny bail to defendants accused of certain crimes punishable as a felony. Reformers argue that the state’s criminal justice system already ensnares people struggling with untreated mental illness.
Posted inEconomic Policy
How Do We Rebuild After Trump?
Many Trump critics are focused on what he is doing to our basic democratic compact. But there’s a reason that all the presidents who led us through our worst previous crises also had an aggressive program of reform—including public provision and ownership.
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
Trump Is Illegally Withholding Food From Needy Families
The White House claims it cannot fund food stamp benefits for November. But not only is there a contingency fund meant to be used in this exact fashion, but it’s illegal for the Trump administration to refuse to do so.
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 inHealth and Social Policy
Meet RFK’s Corporate Underlings
The administration’s rhetoric about breaking corporate power in health care rings hollow, as several top officials in the Department of Health and Human Services worked for the very corporate interests their boss claims to oppose.
Posted inTAP
Unveiled Today: The First Politically Viable Wealth Tax
A proposed 2026 California ballot measure would tax billionaires’ fortunes to fund imperiled health access for 15 million state Medicaid recipients. The spillover effects of its presence on the midterm-election ballot should be considerable.