by Robert Reich | Nov 4, 2026 | Article, Democrats, Economy, Economy and Inequality, elections, midterms, Opinion, Politics and Movements: US, Reprint, Trump
This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Nov. 04, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.
The great sleeping giant of America has awakened, taken a hard look at what’s become of the nation, and roared a thunderous “NO!”
What occurred yesterday was not—as some are saying—the inevitable mid-term swing of the pendulum against the party in power. Texas hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988. The last time Kansas elected a Democratic senator was 1932.
Nor was it just the economy. Americans are unhappy with inflation, but the country is not in a depression or recession. Unemployment remains quite low.
Nor, finally, was it all due to Trump. Despite Trump’s repeated efforts to get voters to “pretend” he was on the ballot, he was not. Most Republican candidates barely mentioned him and many Democratic candidates stressed local or statewide issues rather than fixate on him.
Something much larger is responsible for what occurred: anti-establishment populism. It’s burst forth against the mammoth corporations that have scored record profits while most Americans have had to pay more. Against the mega donors and super PACs that have flooded American politics with more campaign money—legalized bribes—than ever before. And against the Big Tech billionaires who have become the most powerful force in the American economy and society—as well as Trump’s and the Republican Party’s most visible backers.
The irony is that anti-establishment anger propelled Trump into the presidency in 2016 and again in 2024. Many Americans had found his politically-incorrect rants and “America first” nativism to reflect their own anger at being disrespected or left behind. “I am your warrior,” he told supporters when
by Jake Johnson | Nov 4, 2026 | Article, Economy, Economy and Inequality, elections, midterms, Politics and Movements: US, Reprint, Texas
by Taya Graham and Stephen Janis | Nov 3, 2026 | Economy and Inequality, Inequality Watch, Pennsylvania, Politics and Movements: US, US Elections, video
Pennsylvania’s 7th District, the Lehigh Valley region that includes Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, is one of the most competitive House races in the country. Democrat Bob Brooks, a firefighters union president, is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, and how voters here feel could help decide who controls the House. Taya Graham and Stephen Janis spent several days in the district talking to the people who will determine the outcome.
Voters say high prices, a lack of affordable housing, and a Washington disconnected from working people are driving their vote. Two more specific issues are also shaping the race: proposed data centers, which residents say are being imposed on their communities without adequate review, and the Epstein files, which arrived in Bethlehem aboard the “Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Bookmobile,” a traveling archive of the documents released to date. Underneath it all is a darker worry: that their votes won’t be counted.
Credits
Producers: Taya Graham and Stephen JanisWriter: Stephen JanisEditing/Post-Production: Stephen Janis
Transcript
Taya Graham: Pennsylvania’s 7th District is a diverse community stretching across the Lehigh Valley, but just before the midterm election, there is a common theme from residents that we spoke to.
Kathy: We are not liking what we see in our country.
Taya Graham: Anger and the desire for change.
Kathy: We’re not liking the effects of the things that are taking place in Washington, and therefore people are out trying to make a change.
Taya Graham: And how voters feel here could be critical to who controls the House. It is one of more than a dozen battleground districts, which is why we spent several days speaking to the people who will
by Mansa Musa | Nov 2, 2026 | cuba, Economy and Inequality, Latin America, Politics and Movements: International, Politics and Movements: US, Rattling the Bars, video
In this episode of Rattling the Bars, Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Kimberly Dawn Miller, Co-Coordinator of the Haiti/Americas Team for the Black Alliance for Peace. They examine geopolitical relations and the unfiltered history of U.S. imperialism in the Caribbean—including economic warfare against Cuba, the state of Florida’s recent arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, Trump and JD Vance’s racist criminalization of Haitians, and over a century of capitalist resource extraction and regime change in Haiti.
The Black Alliance for Peace in Miami, organizing alongside the Miami Coalition, seeks to end the blockade against Cuba. October 24–31 marks the Cuba Week of Action against the U.S. chokehold on Cuba, leading up to the International and National Day of Action on October 28. This aligns with the United Nations’ annual vote, where the international community will once again vote on the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
Credits:
Production/Post-production: Cameron Granadino
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Mansa Musa:
Welcome to Rattling the Bars. I’m your host, Mansa Musa. At Rattling the Bars, we examine the prison industrial complex, both domestically and internationally. Miami floor sits at the direct intersection of US imperialism across the Caribbean and Latin America. Joining me today is Dr. Kim Miller, an organizer in Miami fighting to end sanctions and the embargo on Cuba opposing termination of TPS for Haiti and building solidarity with nations targeted for their socialist or abolitionist revolutions. Welcome, Kim.
Dr. Kimberly Dawn Miller:
Thank you. I’m really excited to be here for this conversation.
Mansa Musa:
All right, so first introduce yourself to our audience and tell them about your work with Black
by Julia Conley | Nov 2, 2026 | Article, Economy and Inequality, labor, Politics and Movements: US, Reprint
This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Oct. 28, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.
Labor advocates and Democratic lawmakers called on Americans to honor the legacy of the legendary union organizer Dolores Huerta, who died Wednesday at age 96, by “continuing to fight for her dream” of justice for all.
A spokesperson for Huerta’s family said she died of cancer, and her family members said they would share plans “to recognize and celebrate her incredible life and legacy” at a later date.
“We know that many of you around the world share in our mourning,” said her family, including her 13 children who survive her.
Huerta became a hero to workers across the world in the 1960s when she joined Cesar Chavez to establish the National Farm Workers Association, which became known as the United Farm Workers in 1972.
She helped lead a strike by Filipino workers in the grape-growing industry in Southern California, as well as boycotts of companies that paid migrant workers low wages, while exposing them to toxic chemicals and providing no job security.
Huerta faced violence by strikebreakers and police, 22 arrests for her nonviolent protests, and surveillance by the FBI, which suspected her and Chavez of Communist ties—but nevertheless organized one of the most successful produce boycotts in US history in 1968, garnering support from 17 million households and thousands of grocery stores that pledged not to purchase California table grapes due to growers’ abuse of workers.
Dolores Huerta has passed away from cancer at 96. She was a founder of what became the United Farm Workers and an inspiration for generations of organizers.Her courageous
by Taya Graham and Stephen Janis | Nov 2, 2026 | AI, Economy, Economy and Inequality, Inequality Watch, Politics and Movements: US, video
Is the AI bubble finally showing signs of popping? As technology companies pour ENORMOUS sums into artificial intelligence, troubling financial indicators are raising questions about whether the industry can generate enough revenue to justify its investments.Economist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), joins Taya Graham and Stephen Janis on Inequality Watch to examine the growing financial risks behind the AI boom and what could happen if the money stops flowing.From rising borrowing costs at AI infrastructure company CoreWeave to concerns about massive data-center investments, Baker examines the growing divide between the extraordinary promises of artificial intelligence and the economic realities of financing it.But the biggest question may not be whether the AI bubble bursts. It’s who will pay if it does.Could a financial collapse threaten workers, retirement savings, and the broader economy? Could struggling AI companies seek taxpayer-funded bailouts after years of extraordinary private investment? And why should ordinary Americans bear the consequences of financial decisions they had no role in making? And what about the power grid and our limited potable water?!In this episode, Taya Graham, Stephen Janis, and Dean Baker explore the economics of the AI industry, the risks of speculative investment, and the consequences for working people if the boom fails to deliver its promised returns.As the debate over AI increasingly focuses on the technology’s potential dangers, Inequality Watch asks another question: What happens when an industry promising to transform humanity can’t make the numbers add up? And what if humanity doesn’t want the promised transformation?
Credits:
Producers: Taya Graham and Stephen Janis
Writer: Stephen Janis
Editing/Post-Production: Stephen Janis/Cameron Granadino
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript
