For the umpteenth time in recent months, Trump has announced a big peace deal—this one between Israel and Hamas. The terms, however, seem completely unacceptable to Hamas: under the proposal, they would disarm first before Israel would begin to withdraw from Gaza.
If the trillions spent on wars and the military were divvied up among Americans, no one would have any trouble getting by. But that’s not our system.
Half of Americans say they’re having trouble paying for gas and groceries. Their president and the ruling Republicans don’t seem to care much, much less be willing to do anything about it.
As the US-Israeli war against Iran expands throughout the Middle East, involving the Houthis and resulting in the closure of the Red Sea as well as the Persian Gulf, oil and gas prices are rising.–oil prices have hit a six-week high amid the conflict.
Employers frequently complain they cannot find qualified Americans to fill job openings, yet the ranks of the long-term unemployed continue to swell. Over 1.8 million Americans were long-term jobless in 2026—up sharply since 2019—according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This paradox highlights a persistent skills gap. Many companies hesitate to invest in training, preferring to wait for perfectly matched candidates amid economic uncertainty, automation shifts, and demographic changes. Yet experts note that upskilling existing or available workers could quickly close mismatches in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and trades.
ICE agents have been involved in multiple shootings during vehicle stops and operations, with some incidents resulting in the deaths of bystanders or individuals who were legally present in the U.S. Recent high-profile cases include fatal shootings in Houston, Texas, and Biddeford, Maine, prompting ICE to suspend most vehicle stops. While agents often cite threats from vehicles, witness accounts and videos in several cases have raised questions about the use of deadly force, including against U.S. citizens and non-targets.
In the age of deepfakes, AI, and shameless political spin, it has become nearly impossible for Americans to trust that anything they see or hear is real. Politicians and other bad actors exploit these tools to twist narratives, while viral videos spread unchecked. The prudent response is to consume news with healthy skepticism—assuming every clip or quote may or may not be true until verified. The result? Widespread cynicism where outrage feels pointless, discourse stalls, and society grows numb to genuine issues.
As President Trump and the Right respond to the rising influence of Democratic Socialists by broadly labeling all Democrats as “communists,” a national conversation about socialism and communism has intensified. Conservatives often argue that “socialism never works,” pointing to economic struggles in various leftist-led nations. Critics counter that countries like Cuba and Venezuela, when pursuing socialist policies, have faced U.S.-backed invasions, bombings, coups, and severe economic sanctions that exacerbated their challenges—raising the question of what aspects of these systems truly threaten capitalist interests.
Even as President Trump’s unpopular wars and perceived disregard for a flagging economy weigh on the GOP’s 2026 midterm prospects, critics argue that the risk-averse, corporatist-dominated Democratic Party has been slow to propose bold, transformative changes on key voter issues.
Democrats’ early policy blueprint group, Project 2029, recently unveiled its first major proposal—”Kids Over Clicks”—which calls for banning social media for children under 16, stronger privacy protections, and addressing mental health impacts of tech and AI on youth. While this aligns with bipartisan efforts on kids’ online safety, skeptics note the relative absence of equally prominent, detailed plans so far on major economic pain points like healthcare affordability or broad job growth amid ongoing inflation and war-related pressures.
This approach reflects a cautious strategy that prioritizes achievable, consensus issues while larger structural reforms remain underdeveloped heading into the post-2026 cycle.
The Democratic Party, including even its progressive left wing in recent years, has become fixated on recruiting hypermasculine candidates—particularly military veterans—to counter Republican narratives portraying Democrats as effete coastal elites. This strategy aims to project strength, patriotism, and relatability to working-class and swing voters. A stark illustration of the risks of this strategy emerged with Graham Platner, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, oyster farmer, and progressive-backed candidate who won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary with 72% of the vote. Platner, who emphasized his combat tours and working-class background, suspended his campaign in July 2026 after facing sexual assault allegations.
Ted Rall’s Latest Books:
