The Democrats’ Affordability Trap

Source: The Atlantic
by David A Graham

“Across the country, Democratic candidates campaigned and won by railing against Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. When they take control of Congress in January, however, they’ll find themselves with few direct levers to bring down prices. We don’t need to guess what happens to politicians who campaign on affordability and don’t deliver. We saw it last night.” (11/04/26)

https://archive.is/c5uPU

Thomas L. Knapp

The Progressive Agenda: End Iran War, Rein in AI, Get Dems to Actually Do Something

Source: The Intercept
by Akela Lacy

“Now that Democrats have secured earth-shattering wins in both chambers of Congress, the party’s progressives are sending a message to their more moderate leaders: It’s time to deliver for voters who are demanding meaningful action.” (11/04/26)

https://theintercept.com/2026/11/04/midterms-democrats-agenda-congress-iran-ai/

Thomas L. Knapp

Vatican: Pope Leo XIV meets with Bob Dylan

Source: United Press International

“American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan visited Pope Leo XIV at the pontiff’s residence on Wednesday as part of the Vatican’s wider effort to create a bridge between the Catholic Church and popular culture. The Vatican News said the visit between the two men was brief and included a few lighthearted exchanges. Pope Leo gave Dylan a rosary and the singer gifted the pontiff a copy of his book Chronicles: Volume One. … Pope Leo quoted Dylan’s 1963 song ‘Go Away You Bomb’ in the preface of a printed collection of his speeches and reflections released in July.” (11/04/26)

https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2026/11/04/vatican-city-bob-dylan-pope-leo/8351793826241/

Thomas L. Knapp

The GOP’s Teen Boy Problem is Bigger Than Lindsey Graham.

Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris

“In the summer of 2003, at the age of 18, I found myself sitting in the gallery of the US House of Representatives refusing the advances of a 61-year-old congressman. It’s all come to the front of my mind lately, a place from which I am wont to arduously push it, in the wake of three men, one of them only 17 at the time, coming forward to share their experiences being paid for sex by Lindsey Graham.” (11/04/26)

https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/the-gops-teen-boy-problem-is-bigger

Thomas L. Knapp

Taxation Without Representation at the Special School District

Source: Show-Me Institute
by David Stokes

“The Special School District (SSD) of St. Louis County provides public education for children with special needs throughout St. Louis County and portions of Jefferson County. It is one of two special school districts in Missouri, with the other one being Pemiscot County. (Why Pemiscot County has its own countywide special school district is a topic for another blog post.) Some St. Louis and Jefferson County residents who may not have been that familiar with the district are about to become more familiar, as it just raised its tax rates substantially without a vote of the people.” (11/04/26)

https://showmeinstitute.org/article/economy/taxation-without-representation-at-the-special-school-district/

Thomas L. Knapp

Alaska, Mississippi Senate races separated by razor-thin vote margins

Source: Fox News

“Races between the candidates for U.S. Senate in Alaska and Mississippi are separated by razor-thin margins days after polls closed in the crucial midterm elections. In Mississippi, where 95.6% of the votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press, Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith [R-MS], 464,926 votes to 463,788, as of Thursday morning. In Alaska, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, leads incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan [R-AK] by less than 700 votes. While Alaska still has a quarter of its votes to count, according to the AP, if the gap between Peltola and Sullivan remains this slim, the introduction of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan will loom large in post-election analyses.” (11/05/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/alaska-mississippi-senate-races-separate-razor-thin-vote-margins

Steve Trinward

CA: Connie Chan concedes to Scott Wiener in San Francisco congressional race

Source: SFGate

“San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan conceded her race for Congress on Wednesday evening, as state Sen. Scott Wiener continued to pull ahead in vote totals after voting concluded Tuesday. That puts Wiener on track to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi despite her endorsement for his opponent. Chan posted a message to X and shared a statement with CNN, writing: ‘While we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory. I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election and wish him success in serving San Francisco.’ The latest vote totals released Wednesday afternoon by the San Francisco Department of Elections had Wiener ahead with more than 55% of the vote. The New York Times estimated that 57% of votes have been counted.” (11/04/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/scott-wiener-sf-congress-22513116.php

Steve Trinward