Watching the White House

The enhanced ACA premium tax credits expired on January 1, 2026: subsidized enrollees now pay 114% more on average — from about $888 to $1,904 a year — and marketplace enrollment has dropped by about 3 million. Democrats forced a 43-day government shutdown (October 1 – November 12, 2025, the longest in U.S. history) over extending them.

Sources: KFF; Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker; USAFacts; NPR

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 4, 2025) cuts Medicaid by more than $900 billion — the largest cut in the program's history. CBO projects its health provisions will leave 10 million more Americans uninsured by 2034, at least 14 million together with the expired ACA credits. New eligibility limits for lawfully present immigrants took effect on October 1, 2026.

Sources: CBO via CBPP, KFF, FactCheck.org; KFF Health News

Prices rose 3.4% in the 12 months to August 2026 (BLS), driven by energy costs; core inflation eased to 2.4%. Treasury yields hit 24-year highs at the start of October as a global bond selloff deepened — pushing up mortgage, car-loan and credit-card rates for working families.

Sources: BLS CPI 11.09.2026; Quartz 01.10.2026

Working people keep organizing: nearly 1,000 Duquesne Light union workers went on strike in Western Pennsylvania on October 1, 2026, and graduate workers at Saint Louis University ratified a new union contract — while layoffs hit factories and corporate headquarters.

Sources: WPXI; The Labor Tribune; The Business Journals

Abortion is on the ballot on November 3, 2026: constitutional amendments to protect abortion rights in Nevada (Question 6) and Virginia (Question 1), a statute guaranteeing access in Idaho — and a legislature-backed attempt in Missouri (Amendment 3) to repeal the protections voters approved in 2024.

Sources: KFF; KFF Health News; Ballotpedia

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act ends the wind and solar tax credits for projects placed in service after 2027 (unless construction began before July 4, 2026) and ended the 30% residential clean-energy credit on December 31, 2025. Storage, geothermal and other technologies keep their credits until 2032.

Sources: National Law Review; Pillsbury; Canary Media

Five weeks before the midterms Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 53% to 42% (Emerson College, September 2026); Nate Silver's likely-voter average shows Democrats ahead by 9.6 points. Independent and Hispanic voters now favor Democrats by wide margins. Election Day: November 3, 2026.

Sources: Emerson College Polling; Silver Bulletin

U.S.-led peace talks resumed in September 2026, but the plan carried by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner reflected long-standing Russian terms and was rejected by President Zelensky. Democrats insist that any peace must be negotiated with Ukraine, not over its head.

Sources: NBC News; CSMonitor; House of Commons Library

Operation Epic Fury against Iran began on February 28, 2026 without authorization from Congress. Seven months later the war continues: attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz go on and talks run through Qatari mediators.

Sources: war.gov fact sheet; CFR; CBS News

Allies are carrying more of the load — every NATO member except Slovenia now spends at least 2% of GDP on defense. The Arctic security agreement signed with Denmark and Greenland on September 22, 2026 keeps Greenland part of the Kingdom of Denmark after months of threats to acquire it.

Sources: NATO Annual Report 03/2026; CNBC; Al Jazeera

The courts remain a check on executive power: the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs 6–3 on February 20, 2026 and upheld birthright citizenship 6–3 against the President's executive order on June 30, 2026 (Trump v. Barbara).

Sources: Tax Foundation; NPR; Washington Post