November 10, 2026
📋 Weekly Review and Announcements
Our focus remains steady: we refuse to exhaust our energy reacting to the daily, intentional distractions engineered by this regime to overwhelm and confuse us, choosing instead to analyze the deeper structural trends that map out our path forward. The long-term purpose of this blog is to fiercely advocate for our young people by confronting the two most critical crises threatening their generation today: the demise of democracy and the unchecked growth of AI.
The Guardrail is Gone: Trump's appointment of the ultra-right-wing Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff following Susie Wiles' sudden resignation signals a dangerous shift toward absolute fealty over policy expertise, presenting a combative executive branch determined to operate entirely without traditional guardrails.
This Won’t Be Easy for Democrats: While the midterm election results offer immense reason to celebrate, political analysts remind us that this victory was heavily driven by a structural backlash against the current regime's economic failures and war, leaving a razor-thin window before January 3rd for Democrats to permanently redefine their identity and deliver real, consumer-focused affordability.
Too Big to Rig: Historic voter turnout across the nation fueled a massive blue tsunami that successfully dismantled gerrymandered state districts and flipped Congress, triggering a historic political shift so definitive that even key loyalists are scrambling to distance themselves from Donald J. Trump's fractured narrative control.
Resistance is Phase II of this Election: Trapped by 34 state-level felony convictions and the looming threat of post-midterm impeachment, a desperate administration appears to be quietly preparing tactical military pretexts and emergency base-reliance strategies to provoke conflict, seize ballots, and delay the seating of the newly elected democratic majority on January 3rd.
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Visual Stories
Re-Featuring: "It's Time"
This week, we are re-featuring the powerful visual story for our anthem, "It's Time." This track serves as an urgent wake-up call to push back against the rise of tech oligarchy, reject systemic corporate distractions, and collectively declare that the people—not the billionaire class—rule our global future.
🎥 Watch the full visual story on our YouTube Channel: youtu.be/Y7MMD3oTy7w
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🖋️ Articles and Commentary
Source | The Atlantic
A Chief of Staff Who ‘Will Crack Skulls’
The Guardrail is Gone
This collaborative article by stellar authors at The Atlantic; Jonathon Lemire, Michael Scherer, Ashley Parker, Sarah Fitzpatrick, and Vivian Salama, points us to the symbolism behind Trump’s appointment of Stephen Miller to the top consulting job of his regime, that of Chief of Staff. Here’s how they put it: “Where Wiles served as something of a guardrail—making sure Trump was fully briefed and that he understood the risks and pitfalls of any decision—Miller has played the role of an accelerant for a president who already has rash tendencies.”
The primary point of the article is to warn us, this president does not want to be reined in. It is a sign that rather than accepting his responsibility in the massive losses during the midterms, this president is looking for placing blame. In their analysis, these writers point to Miller’s hard-core desire to arrest and punish “leakers,” whereas the former chief of staff, Suzie Wiles, suggested a more lenient, patient path.
Some suggest that Wiles was ready to leave following a breast cancer diagnosis shortly after the beginning of Trump’s Iran War. She said she was exhausted trying to balance chemotherapy sessions with the demands of her office. Trump was also apparently livid with her because some of her staff had seemingly made light of Republican losses regarding the blue election tsunami. In fact, she submitted a letter of resignation on Wednesday, the fourth of November.
What can we expect from the new Chief of Staff?
Miller is known for his ultra-white, ultra-right viewpoints on… well, just about everything. He was the architect of Trump’s much-hated immigration policy, was responsible for separating families in Trump’s first term, and many blame him for the policies that led to the development of concentration camps on U.S. soil, sending immigrants abroad to torture centers in other countries, and ultimately the murder of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.
Miller is known for defensively doubling down on his viewpoints when challenged and, no doubt, he will feed the president’s worst narcissistic instincts. These authors point to Miller’s statement, made at Mar-A-Lago, when Trump announced his new appointment: “I pledge to you, Mr. President, my absolute loyalty, my unwavering commitment, and my total devotion to your success and the success of this country.”
I’m sure we’re all interested to see how Miller interprets, “…the success of this country.”
Once again, the president has picked fealty over competence. This is how Trump (who recently called himself, “Mr. Veto”) will shape the tenor of his presidency over the next two years with a democratically controlled Congress. Look for a narcissistic president, fed information from a blindly sycophantic white, racist, nationalist chief of staff. In other words, the worst of Trump with no guardrails around him.
Source | The Atlantic
This Won’t Be Easy for Democrats
Red Undertow or Blue Tsunami?
We (Never-Trumpers) are rightfully celebrating at this time, and yes, there’s a but…
Many political experts are asking, “Was this a Democratic win or a Trump loss?”
Most are agreeing it was a mix of both, but leaning towards the Trump loss theory. Democrats now have a brief window to capture the hearts of voters before Republicans find their voice again. If well-led, Democrats might even have a chance to influence that Republican voice; but now I might be getting Pollyannish.
In this article, Mark Leibovich reflects on the short window Democrats have to make this win more of a tsunami than an undertow.
He quotes James Talorico telling him a year ago, “There is an opportunity to redefine the Democratic Party.”
Chuck Schumer (in a hotly contested line to become the next leader of the Senate) said he had, “…five words for the American people: Relief is on the way.”
Certainly, a number of Democrats are jostling for the right to lead the party into 2028, will it be a coalition of Social Democrats or the more moderate branch? Who will deliver more on the primary question that seemed to turn out this vote? That of “affordability.”
Sadly (to me), Americans didn’t turn out for human rights issues. Were it not for the Iran War and diesel prices, Trump might well have not experienced the “thumpin’” he received (a George W. Bush term). But, with the One Big Beautiful Bill set in stone, there won’t be many malleable paths of relief for Democrats to redirect the existing economy.
Yesterday, I quoted Senator Ralph Warnock on whether Democrats would focus on “Costs or Corruption.” He responded that Democrats could, “Walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Let’s hope so. The win was huge, but there’s only a short window, beginning January 3rd, for Dems to show their seriousness and create a platform that U.S. voters will embrace.
Whether this is a Red Undertow or a Blue Tsunami is yet to be seen, but starting January 3rd, the ball will be in the Democrats’ court to set the stage.
Source | Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson (November, 4, 2026)
Too big to rig.
I’ve been reading a lot of articles about the results of the midterm elections. This is the one of the most in-depth I’ve seen so far. Heather Cox Richardson is a historian, a professor of history at Boston College, and a well-loved commentator (at least for blue followers). In her analysis, we are historically (for the United States) changing an era. Democrats flipped the House, the Senate, and many governor races, not just in a wave; but in a tsunami. This blue tsunami continued up and down the line into state legislators (those wonderful elected people who brought us gerrymandering in states like Texas and Tennessee).
Here’s how Cox Richardson puts it: “The 2026 midterm elections marked a revolution in American politics. Election scholar Michael McDonald estimates that about 124.3 million people, or just under 50% of those eligible, turned out to vote. That rate is just under the voting rate in the 2018 midterms, which itself was the highest midterm turnout rate since 1914.”
A revolution! Yes folks, a tsunami and a revolution!
Many people are wondering why Trump has been so quiet, so almost accommodating. Experts say it is because the results were “Too big to rig.”
At this point, even loyal lapdog Republicans like J.D. Vance and Ron DeSantis are doing all they can to distance themselves from these results, and their primary cause… Donald J. Trump.
Cox Richardson speaks further about the consequences of the Blue Tsunami. Here is what she articulates: “Asked if the Democrats would focus on costs or corruption, Senator Rafael Warnock of Georgia told CNN that the Democrats could ‘walk and chew gum at the same time.’ Today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, reelected for a third term yesterday with almost 60% of the vote, released a 75-page road map for the congressional majority, asking it to end the war in Iran, raise the minimum wage, pass comprehensive immigration reform, provide universal healthcare and childcare, put guardrails around AI, and codify abortion rights into law.
Some of my favorite post-election quotes are from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat and the U.S. Senator-elect from Michigan, who said, “And so to all the kids who watched this last month, to all the parents who struggled to explain why the President openly mocked someone for their name or how they pray, let them know tomorrow that the bad guys lost! Let them know that we, together, fighting for something bigger, we won.”
Ms. Cox Richardson goes on to say, “the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, Robert Garcia of California, had one comment for administration loyalists. On social media, he wrote: ‘LAWYER UP.’”
I think it is a good time to congratulate and thank the voters who turned out in such amazing numbers to accomplish such historic ends. Of course, we’ll keep an eye on this regime and whether they honor the election. This includes the Republican’s close plutocrat, Elon Musk, who spent almost a half billion dollars on this election. Musk, true to style, has already threatened Democratic congressmen and women if they attempt to tamper with his fortune. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Musk said, “Live by the sword, die by the sword. Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets.”
Perhaps Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon (and head of the Senate Finance Committee) will include Mr. Musk when he acts on the simple word he posted on Election night: “Subpoenas”.
This election was a tsunami or, as Heather Cox Richardson quotes, “Too Big to Rig.”
Source | Daily Kos
Is Trump Preparing to Sacrifice American Lives to Save His Presidency?
Resistance is Phase II of this election.
Trump has signalled his resistance to change or to putting together a coalition to rebuild the United States after naming Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff. Journalist, Thom Hartmann of the Daily Kos, suggests what we must prepare for as Trump faces certain impeachment—and probable imprisonment. Hartmann reminds us that Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies by a jury in New York State, and the Supreme Court and federal government cannot offer him a federal pardon or clemency for felony convictions in a state court.
We have already seen the extent to which this president will go to prevent the review of the Epstein files (and the extent to which Republicans and the White House staff have gone to protect him in exchange for appointments, wealth, and protection).
Hartmann points to many signs that show there are dark musings occurring in the swamp mists surrounding this president, his new chief of staff, and his reprobate Secretary of War, “Pretty Pete” Hegseth.
We must always keep in mind what motivates this president: The image that he is never wrong, and that he never backs down. As Roy Cohn taught him; “Attack, Attack, Attack!”
Miller has obvious motivations: Fealty to his master, Donald Trump, and protecting his own decades-long struggle for absolute power; having just achieved that, he is unlikely to give it away.
Trump’s minion, Pete Hegseth, has a very similar motivation but more personal: appearing masculine. It is not a good combination for deciding what happens next in Trump’s war-of-choice. A war of choice—a war that he is losing.
As Hartmann reminds us, this is a president who encouraged the execution of previous Vice President Mike Pence during an insurrection that Trump himself initiated.
The writer then points to recent warning signs that should concern all of us about Trump’s plans to end this waron his own terms:
Trump has already ordered the Pentagon to develop strike packages, including the use of the GBU-43/B, known by many as MOAB (the Mother of All Bombs). It is not a nuclear device, but, as pointed out by the author, it is: “the largest conventional weapon in the American arsenal.”
Hartmann points out that this bomb—generally used as a “Bunker Buster”— would have no major impact on the underground nuclear operations of Iran, but… as one military expert has said, such a bomb used with an in-air explosion; “…could cause a smaller version of Hiroshima-like destruction if used against an Iranian city or military complex.”
This is the kind of shock Donald Trump thinks makes him look strong, and that Pete Hegseth believes makes him look masculine.
The consequence of such a detonation might lead to the war that Trump wants to escalate; remember, he has already offered two California cities as “small-potato” offerings.
Pete’s Pentagon has recently ordered that all U.S. military bases to stock up enough supplies to last 90 days without fuel, food, communications, or power. That would take them past the January 3rd deadline for seating the new Congress.
Then, there was the October 28th firing of Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia. Sylvia was the person responsible for approving any war plans that would include the detonation of the GBU-43/B. It is very unlikely, given Sylvia’s history, that he would approve of such lunacy.
Add to that, Hartmann points out, that Netanyahu (Trump’s partner in declaring this war) has lost his majority government and may also order an attack to maintain his hold on Israel.
If Trump is able to escalate the war before January 3rd, he could declare the State of Emergency, he has been long-seeking to seize, voting ballots, embed troops in more U.S. cities, and label Democrats as treasonous.
We know that Trump is not going to grasp the meaning of an election that is a complete repudiation of everything he has stood for; indeed, that castigation was so deep it brought down an entire political party in a massive blue tsunami. That is what makes resistance an expected Phase II of this election. But—as many of you indicated this week—democracy is worth it.
