This week in OtherWords, I unpack this year’s stunning midterm election results.
“For years, Americans have been viciously divided according to race, religion, immigration status, and gender identity by politicians dead set on making us fight each other rather than them. In a year where real people’s struggles were impossible to ignore, that effort fell short,” I write.
Candidates won up and down the ballot promising to address voter concerns about rising costs, billionaire influence on politics, our fraying social safety net, the data center explosion, ICE, and more. “But to sustain these gains, these winners — and the leaders of their party — will need to follow through on the promises voters entrusted them with.” Otherwise, I warn, “the politics of scapegoating will come roaring back.”
Also this week, looking ahead to Veterans Day, Ron Carver, David Cortright, and Barbara Doherty argue that the nation’s growing population of veterans in crisis deserve more than a “thank you.” They deserve an end to the unnecessary wars they’ve been asked to fight — and real investments for their care and transitions to civilian life.
New This Week…
The Midterms Were a Populist Blowout | Peter Certo
Voters rejected Trump’s billionaire-backed politics and attacks on working people. The winners need to show that a different kind of politics can deliver.
Veterans in Crisis Need More Than a ‘Thank You’ | Ron Carver, David Cortright, and Barbara Doherty
This Veterans Day, we must stop military adventures that harm our own soldiers as much as our perceived enemies.
In Case You Missed It…
My Town Passed a Data Center Moratorium. Yours Can, Too. | Jamie Jeffrey
In an already water-stressed part of the country, the last thing we need are hyperscale data centers overburdening our supply.
Want to Keep Marijuana Away from Teens? Legalize It | Paul Armentano
Licensed retailers check IDs and deny service to underage patrons. Drug dealers don’t.
Trump’s Invasion of Iran Could Cost You Thousands | Amy Hanauer
Higher fuel and food prices are on track to cost the average household over $1,300 by the end of the year.
How the “Big Beautiful Bill” Is Harming People — And How They’re Responding | Kristen Crowell
Over 15 months and 22 states, I met families struggling with cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — and the people refusing to let their neighbors face those struggles alone.
