“New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Thursday evening that she gave Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell ‘until tomorrow’ to resign after an investigation found he had violated state ethics and harassment policy. … The state said this month that it had hired a law firm to investigate allegations against Caldwell, a Democrat who was elected on the ticket with Sherrill last year, claiming that he had behaved inappropriately toward women. … Sherrill said Caldwell’s ‘ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings.’ … Lawyers for Caldwell, who has denied the allegations, said in a statement Thursday night that they ‘strongly disputed the three findings in the investigation,’ as its conclusions ‘go further than the evidence supports.'” (09/24/26)
“All year we’ve heard predictions of a ‘blue wave’ in the midterms, with Democrats taking majorities in both houses of Congress. As of this writing, most forecasts I’ve consulted say that there’s a good chance of a Democratic House come January, but that the Republicans will likely hang on to the Senate. My own forecast is ‘don’t get your hopes up for substantial change no matter how the midterms turn out.’ That’s just not how American government works. Or at least that’s not how American government USUALLY works.” (09/24/26)
“Fewer people applied for US unemployment benefits last week, as US jobless claims remain at historically low levels as most Americans enjoy job security. The Labour Department said Thursday, September 24, that 197,000 applied for unemployment checks last week, the fewest since mid-July and down from a revised 198,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell to 202,250 last week from 204,000. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. So far this year, claims have mostly stayed below 220,000 — historically low.” (09/24/26)
“What, exactly, counts as an insult? For Montrealers, this is not just a hypothetical question about the limits of civility and good taste. In Canada’s second-most populous metropolis, the city council just banned insults to municipal employees — police officers included — and offending parties could now pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for saying the wrong thing to the wrong city worker. If that wasn’t bad enough, the new rules don’t even bother to define what is an ‘insult’ or what speech is ‘offensive.'” (09/24/26)
“The governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, a major agricultural producer, has declared a state of emergency over Ukrainian drone attacks that have inhibited the export of grain, a move which allows those affected to receive compensation. Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on the other side’s grain vessels in the Black Sea in recent months, sending global prices higher. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, announcing the state of emergency on Wednesday, said that ‘massive attacks’ on logistics infrastructure had caused the suspension of port operations and disruptions to shipping in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday. Agricultural producers, he said, were unable to sell much of their yields, leading to an oversupply on the domestic grain market.” (09/24/26)
“Democrats often complain about infighting on the left and argue the party must widen its tent, but figures like Chevalier and organizations like the DSA actually shrink it: they turn off mainstream voters, undermine the anti-Trump coalition’s claim to uphold liberal values, and shift the conversation away from Trump’s disastrous approval ratings toward a movement that legitimately strikes many Americans as weird and menacing. The Democratic Party is the anti-Trump coalition’s single largest vehicle for beating Trump, and handing MAGA ammunition against it is a huge mistake.” (09/24/26)
“Starbucks announced it will close about 250 underperforming stores in North America, about 1% of its 18,000 locations. The announcement, revealed in a letter to employees from chief operating officer Mike Grams, heralds the second major wave of Starbucks closures since Brian Niccol became CEO two years ago. … The locations to be closed have not yet been specified by the company, but a regulatory filing from the company indicates most of the stores will be shuttered before the end of fiscal 2026.” (09/24/26)
