Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille

“However they voted, Americans waking up Wednesday morning can probably sympathize with Rep. Haley Stevens (D–Mich.), who surprised campaign watchers by rescinding her support for her party’s Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, and endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in the race. After her past harsh words for the GOP hopeful, Stevens seems an unlikely Rogers fan. Instead, it appears she concluded that he sucks less than the Democrat and cast her lot accordingly. Most voters can sympathize. … Americans seem to make similar calculations as their political choices swing wildly between America’s two entrenched major parties, through the ideological mutations suffered by those organizations.” (11/03/26)

https://reason.com/2026/11/03/on-election-day-we-all-get-to-be-haley-stevens-and-pick-the-hopefully-less-lousy-candidates/

Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff

“The campaigning to win American votes in Tuesday’s elections has been highly partisan. But there’s overwhelming consensus on one issue: Eighty-seven percent of voters, according to a Gallup survey last week, agree that the economy is ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important in these elections. Their concerns range from inflation to anticipated job losses from the use of artificial intelligence. Yet amid the economic turbulence, a substantial share of business is holding steady. And it is doing so by hewing to a balance of profitability, purpose, and a people-first approach. These are the often highly successful but not very visible family-owned companies, which account for 25% of U.S. firms and employ 23% of the workforce. They typically focus on consistent, long-term progress built on consensus and a shared respect and purpose that encompasses all levels: staff, managers, owners, and customers.” (11/02/26)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/1102/The-US-economy-s-sturdy-pillar-Family-firms

Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher

“The GOP can’t sustain itself as a party without principles led by a mob boss. Tonight’s midterm results may make that reality impossible to ignore.” (11/03/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/11/03/maybe-the-republican-fever-will-finally-break-this-time/

Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“It seems to have gotten relatively little attention here, but China’s AI stocks have taken a sharp dive over the last four months. Reuters put the plunge at 40% in the STAR50 index, which includes most of the country’s AI and tech-related companies. The article said this drop corresponded to a loss of $480 billion in market wealth. There are several important points about this plunge that should provide lessons for investors in the United States. The first and most obvious lesson is that sharp plunges in stock prices like this can happen. That shouldn’t really be news. … Another striking point about China’s crash is how little money is involved. None of us will ever see $480 billion, but this sum is trivial compared to the sums in play with the U.S. AI and tech companies.” (11/03/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/11/03/chinas-ai-bubble-burst-will-this-be-another-export-to-the-united-states/

Source: Inequality.org
by Danielle Atkinson & Kelly Little

“This country depends on caregivers, but too often it fails the very people holding our families and communities together. As we head into the midterms, we have the chance to make our voices heard on the policies that affect our lives and families’ futures. A 2025 AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving survey found that 63 million Americans identify as caregivers, nearly 50% more than the decade prior. That’s millions of people raising children, caring for aging parents, supporting loved ones with disabilities, all while balancing that labor with jobs and bills of their own. Caregiver needs and experiences deserve to be represented in the decisions we make at the ballot box. Both of us are parents (one of us is a mother to six beautiful children and leads an advocacy organization and the other is a father and maternal health advocate).” (11/03/26)

https://inequality.org/article/care-is-on-the-ballot/