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Virginia state senator accused of shielding marijuana business
Fox News chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel reports on the federal indictment against state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, D-Va., on ‘Special Report.’
What Dueling Visits by Ocasio-Cortez and Manchin Say About Maine’s Senate Race
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican in a tight race, is keying her closing pitch to the middle, while her progressive challenger, Troy Jackson, is seeking to excite the left.
Democratic Virginia state Sen. Lucas accused of leading marijuana criminal conspiracy
U.S Attorney General Todd Blanche says a powerful Democratic Virginia state senator was charged with leading a criminal marijuana enterprise.
Democratic Virginia state Sen. Lucas accused of leading marijuana criminal conspiracy
U.S Attorney General Todd Blanche says a powerful Democratic Virginia state senator was charged with leading a criminal marijuana enterprise.
Slotkin's viral 'threat' to conservatives takes new twist as student moves to hold her accountable: 'Shocking'
Michael Bicksell, the University of Chicago student who broke the story, filed the ethics complaint arguing Elissa Slotkin's remarks targeted students.
The Politics Hour: On the road in Prince George's County with U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Council Chair Krystal Oriadha
U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks on what's at stake in the upcoming midterm elections and Prince George's County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha on the widening controversy over county grant money.
Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas charged in public corruption case
The 82-year-old surrendered to authorities to face charges Thursday, the Justice Department said. She was charged along with a half-dozen others.
NFIB honors Sen. Arthur Orr for small business support
The National Federation of Independent Business honored Senator Arthur Orr for his legislative voting record and recently endorsed his reelection campaign.
Manchin calls Schumer 'crazy' for trying to oust GOP senator in crucial Senate showdown
Joe Manchin called Chuck Schumer "crazy" for trying to unseat Susan Collins as he joined the Maine senator on the campaign trail in Lewiston.
I On Politics
HUNDREDS ATTEND ADDABBO’S AUTUMN E-WASTE EVENT: State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. hosted his free bi-annual electronic waste recycling event on October 4, 2026, at the Forest Park Bandshell Parking Lot. The Lower East Side Ecology Center collected electronic waste including new, outdated, and broken devices. A partnership with PaintCare allowed Addabbo’s Office to
Soft-spoken David Pocock has big ambitions – but first he wants politicians to ‘double down’ on kindness
Independent senator’s goals ‘much bigger’ than prime ministership, he reveals in first speech to national press club
Sen. Banks among politicians receiving ‘potentially hazardous’ letters under investigation by FBI
Indiana Senator Jim Banks (R) reportedly received suspicious mail as federal authorities investigate a string of such instances involving politicians nationwide.
Trump uses antisemitic slur to defend GOP Kansas senator
GOP Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall Marshall is locked in an unexpectedly tight reelection battle against Democrat Adam Hamilton in what might be the biggest surprise of the midterms.
The Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on how Susan Collins could transcend Trump in Maine
Seeking re-election in a blue state, the longtime Republican senator is relying on her personal brand to defy political gravity — again.
Democrats Demand Tougher Standards for Companies Running Medicaid Systems
A year after launching an inquiry into companies, including Deloitte, that receive billions in taxpayer dollars to build complex computer systems determining Medicaid eligibility, senators are urging the federal government to impose stricter rules.
Senator urges FCC to reject conservative group's bid to use political AI-generated robocalls
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday urged the Federal Communications Commission not to approve a petition to allow political AI-
Senator Urges FCC to Reject Conservative Group's Bid to Use Political AI-Generated Robocalls
WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday urged the Federal Communications Commission not to approve a petition to allow political AI-generated robocalls from conservative political group Club for Growth ahead of the November congressional ...
Bridges, Colorado Dems have embraced every tax hike
Kevin Grantham, the Republican nominee for state treasurer, exposed the single most important issue that defines Colorado Democrats during a debate with his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Jeff Bridges. Grantham is a Fremont County commissioner and former state senator from Cañon City who served as president of the Colorado state Senate when Republicans controlled the […]
Opinion: Ohio manufacturing needs permitting reform
Momentum on reform is building in Congress, with Ohio’s U.S. senators helping advance the conversation.
Trump to head to Kansas to show support for embattled Marshall
Incumbent Republican senator is facing strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton in state that has been red for almost a century
The 10 colleges with the most current US senators among graduates
US senators have attended a variety of schools, from Harvard and Yale to BYU. See which schools are represented the most in the current Senate.
Jordon Steele-John: Australian senator denies claims of misconduct against women
Jordon Steele-John says the timing of the claims motivated by "nasty political games" within the Greens.
‘I will not comment on his anatomy’: Ohio Republicans buzz about Trump’s analysis of a senator’s body
A day after President Donald Trump offered his latest appraisal of Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s physique, it had already become a running joke — if not explicitly stated — during a GOP gathering in rural western Ohio.
‘This is disgusting’: Nebraska’s independent Senate candidate rips dark money in politics
Democrats are hoping to whittle away at the Republican Senate majority in unexpectedly vulnerable red states like Nebraska. Incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts, a multimillionaire former governor, is defending his seat against independent challenger Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran and industrial mechanic. Osborn says he wants Congress to take back its power, end the war in Iran, lower fuel costs, so we “can worry about little league and bake sales.”
Jackson doesn't regret telling Collins to 'shut up' after protester interrupted Maine Senate debate
Maine Democrat Troy Jackson says he doesn't regret telling Susan Collins that she should “shut up” after the Republican senator suggested that a protester who interrupted their recent debate was one of his campaign’s backers.
Campaign advancements: UTC professor weighs in on use of AI for political purposes
The Tennessee gubernatorial race heats up as candidates make their final election pushes with Senator Marsha Blackburn’s AI-generated video sparking widespread online attention and debate about AI’s role in political campaigns.
Inside California Politics
(Inside California Politics) — This week on Inside California Politics, host Nikki Laurenzo speaks with State Senator Catherine Blakespear about Proposition 45, which would amend the California Env…
Opinion - John Schickel: Public service, not politics — why I’m running for Boone County Commissioner
Editor’s Note: The NKyTribune is offering one free op-ed postings from NKY candidates in major races in which there is opposition for the November 3 General Election. All candidates may send op-ed’s…
Bernie Sanders Visits Florida to Campaign With Angie Nixon
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has made a point of investing in Republican-leaning states. He rallied in Tampa for Ms. Nixon, the underdog Democratic nominee for Florida Senate.
Graham breaks with Trump over Russia sanctions law her brother championed
Darline Graham has only been a senator for a few months, but she has cited her role in passing the sanctions package, a major part of her brother’s legacy, as a top achievement.
Graham Breaks With Trump Over Russia Sanctions Law Her Brother Championed
Senator Darline Graham, appointed to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Lindsey, gently disagreed with the president’s decision to exempt Russia from the sanctions legislation.
Proposed AI Governance Framework: Risk-Mitigation Recommendations for Health Plans
Senator Maria Cantwell has outlined a comprehensive AI governance framework intended to drive legislative and executive actions addressing potential AI risks — and for health plans, this framework could determine how AI can be used in prior authorization and other consequential clinical and administrative decisions. The framework explicitly calls out AI-assisted prior authorization — including CMS's WISeR model — as an area where meaningful human oversight is required. Read our alert for six risk-mitigation recommendations health plans should take now.
Commentary: Mainers are tired of dark money and the rigged horse race
Allegations that U.S. Sen. Susan Collins was being investigated by the FBI for a potential connection to a pay-for-play scheme until President Donald Trump purged the bureau’s anti-corruption unit, to some observers, seemed like a political bombshell destined to crater the senator’s re-election efforts. But based on conversations with several Maine voters, the ProPublica investigation […]
5 Takeaways From the Senate Debate in Maine
The race’s fourth and final debate centered around whether Senator Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent, was as independent as she claimed to be from President Trump.
Senators Demand Investigation Into Ukraine Satellite Disruption
Republicans joined Democrats in calling on the Pentagon’s inspector general to look into whether the Trump administration was responsible for the interruption.
Alsobrooks calls for crypto regulations as industry money flows into Maryland politics
Senator Angela Alsobrooks says the crypto industry needs federal regulation. So does the industry, which has spent millions in Maryland politics this year. What exactly do they want?
A paycheck for lawmakers is on the ballot
New York state legislators make $142,000 a year. New Hampshire state representatives and senators make $100. Legislators in 47 other states are paid a yearly salary in between those two
State lawmakers react to IDHS decision to preserve some beds at Choate Mental Health Center
Illinois State Senators Terri Bryant (R-Murpysboro) and Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) say a new plan for Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna does not go far enough.
US lawmakers unveil bill to hold Wall Street’s ‘Epstein-connected’ bosses to account
Move comes as Senator Elizabeth Warren condemns Barclays response to questions over ex-boss’s ties to sex offender
Senator Murray launches working group to shield US public health from political influence
‘Good versus evil’: How La Derecha Diario portrays politics in the United States and Latin America
By Samedi AguirreWhat do former Colombian senator Iván Cepeda and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have in common? According…
At WSU in Pullman, Murray Launches Public Health for America Working Group, Delivers Address to Chart What Comes Next After Trump & RFK Jr., and Discusses Key Public Health Challenges with Local Leaders and Experts
READ MORE: Senator Murray announces members of new public health initiative NYT: A Public Health-Minded Senator Asks: What Comes After Trump and Kennedy? ***LIVESTREAM OF DISCUSSION FROM KHQ HERE*** Pullman, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate […]
Senators Urge Trump to Reverse Diesel Deal With Putin
A bipartisan group of 12 senators called on the president to drop his decision to ease sanctions on Russia’s exports of diesel fuel, saying the deal would help Moscow continue the war in Ukraine.
Trump campaigns for ‘the real’ Dan Sullivan in Alaska
President Donald Trump traveled to Alaska to campaign for incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, whose race for reelection pits him against another man named Dan Sullivan. CNN’s Kristen Holmes reports.
THE POPPY PROJECT POP-UP LIVING GARDEN LAUNCHES AT GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE TO BENEFIT HENDERSON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Galleria Fort Lauderdale GM Angel Cordero, Mayor Dean Trantalis, Senator Rosalind Osgood, Steven Ronik, Ed.D., Representative Chip LaMarca, and David Cooley at the ribbon at the grand opening of The Poppy […]
Bipartisan senators ask national security officials to address AI threats
They said recent AI security threats should serve as a warning
Bipartisan senators ask national security officials to address AI threats
They said recent AI security threats should serve as a warning
Bipartisan group of senators call on Trump to rescind Russian diesel deal
Six Democratic and six Republican senators wrote a letter calling on President Trump to withdraw from his recent deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Murray, Kaptur: As Families Pay More & More for Energy, Reports Show Trump Energy Department Withholding Billions and Playing Politics
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, released the following statement on the Trump administration holding back or cutting […]
Senator Liz Boldon Denounces Health Insurance Plans, Speaker Demuth, Governor Walz and Minnesota Department of Commerce for Failure to Protect Home Care Nursing Coverage
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — In late 2025, several insurance companies informed Minnesota families that they would be imposing coverage limits on home care nursing services – in-home care for children with complex medical needs and disabilities. Despite a 2010 state law mandating that these services “shall be covered” by health plans for families also enrolled
Georgia Sen. Ben Watson highlights health care, affordability and public safety ahead of midterms
By day, Ben Watson is a medical doctor. For more than a decade, he has also served as a Republican state senator representing Georgia’s District 1.
WATCH LIVE: Trump campaigns for Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska
President Donald Trump on Tuesday will devote a big chunk of his dwindling time ahead of crucial midterm elections to head all the way to Alaska — attempting to bolster a Republican incumbent senator in another sign of GOP fears about retaining control of Congress after Election Day on Nov. 3.
'We don't do business with Russia' - Heinrich denounces Trump's Russian diesel deal
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich is denouncing President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to lower fuel prices.
Trump stands by Russia diesel plan despite backlash: 'I made the right choice'
A group of senators, including some Republicans, have pushed back on the agreement.
Chuck Schumer has broad support from his caucus. But the midterms could decide his future as leader
Chuck Schumer has won and lost Senate majorities since becoming Democratic leader a decade ago. But this year’s midterm elections could be the New York senator's most important yet as some in the party have said he needs to step down
Senator Baldwin is urging federal officials to dismantle a newly introduced 25 percent matching funds requirement that targets regional Dairy Business Innovation Initiative centers.
A major policy shift by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is creating friction for local agriculture, prompting quick action from lawmakers.
John Kennedy has a quip for every occasion. Is that enough to beat the ‘goobers’ in the 2028 GOP field?
The Louisiana senator is using his wit for fellow Republicans in tough races, as he weighs his own future.
South Carolina Senate rivals spar over Iran war, AI and Trump in fiery debate
Darline Graham and Annie Andrews are running to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and the winner will make history as the first female senator elected from South Carolina.
Bipartisan group of senators calls on Trump to 'reverse course' on Russian diesel plan
Four Republican senators and two Democratic senators signed onto the statement released Sunday in protesting the deal. They said the administration failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute.
Six senators call for Trump administration to 'immediately reverse course' on Russian diesel plan
A bipartisan group of six senators are calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to “immediately reverse course” on a plan to purchase diesel from Russia as part of an effort to lower high fuel prices.
Six senators call for Trump administration to 'immediately reverse course' on Russian diesel plan
A bipartisan group of six senators are calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to “immediately reverse course” on a plan to purchase diesel from Russia as part of an effort to lower high fuel prices.
Contests for Florida governor, senator offer different strategies for handling race
It’s a reflection of a difficult reality for Black candidates like Byron Donalds and Angie Nixon, especially in a Southern state, experts say: Progressives may motivate their base by engaging on race, but conservatives risk alienating…
Pols & Politics: Fox News’ Martha MacCallum to host speaker series in Boston
Fox News’ Martha MacCallum will headline a speaker series featuring two U.S. Senators in Boston this month, as this weekend marked ten years since Trump-Clinton debate attendee Ken Bone went viral.
How John Fetterman spends his time comes under more scrutiny as he weighs future in the Senate
The Pennsylvania Democrat has been labeled an absentee senator for years. As he floats the possibility of running again, what has he actually done?
Opinion: Kansas may surprise the nation and elect a Democrat to the US Senate. MAGA politics reshaped state.
Opinion from H. Edward Flentje: In 1932, Kansas voters elected Democrat George McGill to the U.S Senate. In the 32 senate elections since then, voters have consistently elected Republicans to represent them.This historic streak makes Democrat Adam Hamilton’s bid to prevail in his challenge to the reelection of U.S. Senator Roger Marshall an uphill climb. However, Marshall’s embrace of MAGA politics has changed the dynamics of the race and given Hamilton a credible shot at a dramatic upset.
Blues Recall Dylan Peterson From Springfield
2020 third-round pick brought up with injuries to Toroipchenko, Dube; could make NHL debut Tuesday against Senators
O’Mara Named 2026 ‘Guardian of Small Business’
Big Flats Senator Tom O'Mara earned the 2026 'Guardian of Small Business' award. He's one of five senators with a 100% NFIB voting record.
A Senator Facing Re-Election Settles a Bakery Bill, 6 Years Later
Senator Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican in a difficult race, paid an old campaign debt for cookies, muffins and brownies after a baker’s story went viral online.
Darline Graham opposes Chinese manufacturing. Her husband’s employers rely on it.
The senator and sister of the late Lindsey Graham has said the U.S. must “stop depending on Communist China for things America can make ourselves.”
Deepfake ad of Colorado state senator prompts first-of-its-kind court case
Rising costs put pressure on local small businesses
Senator Cortez Masto meets with local restaurant owners to discuss economic strain on their business and the community.
Space Bill to Promote Local Business Development Advances
Senator Parker Space’s (R-Sussex, Morris, Warren) bill establishing an economic growth program to promote business development in less-populated municipalities was advanced by the Senate Economi
Singleton’s ‘Downtown Economic Growth Program’ Would Stimulate Business Development in Small Towns
TRENTON – The Senate Economic Growth Committee advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton and Senator Parker Space that would establish the “Downtown Economic
Political Blogger Accused of Sending State Senator Lewd Photo of Shrek is Headed to Trial Over the Incident
A political blogger in Ohio is headed to trial after allegedly sending a state senator a lewd picture of the animated children’s character, Shrek. According to a report from People, D.J. Byrnes is the...
‘He wants me to lose’: Paxton complains about lack of support from Cornyn in leaked audio
Ken Paxton has publicly said he would “love to have” John Cornyn’s support after their bruising Republican primary runoff in the Texas Senate race. But privately, Paxton has grown frustrated with the outgoing senator’s distance from his campaign.
A public health-minded senator asks: What comes after Trump and Kennedy?
Sen. Patty Murray, a former chair of the Senate health committee, is forming a group of experts to examine how to insulate the C.D.C. from political interference.
RWJBarnabas Health and Local Elected Officials Partner for Food Distribution Event
In September at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Essex County Branch Brook Park, RWJBarnabas Health and Clara Maass Medical Center joined Senator Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, Assemblywoman Shanique Speight, Assemblywoman Carmen Morales and Assemblyman Michael Venezia to distribute 180 boxes filled with healthy produce, eggs, bread and more to community members.
A Public Health-Minded Senator Asks: What Comes After Trump and Kennedy?
Senator Patty Murray, a former chair of the Senate health committee, is forming a group of experts to examine how to insulate the C.D.C. from political interference.
A Public Health-Minded Senator Asks: What Comes After Trump and Kennedy?
Senator Patty Murray, a former chair of the Senate health committee, is forming a group of experts to examine how to insulate the C.D.C. from political interference.
Government Watchdog: Trump Illegally Blocked Health Research Funding
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on a Government Accountability Office (GAO) decision issued today, which concludes that President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. illegally impounded fiscal year 2025 funding for health research conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research […]
Senator Yaw leads push to stay skill games seizure into 2027
Harrisburg, Pa. — Skill game machines in bars, clubs, and shops across the state could stay safe from police seizure until February if four state lawmakers, primarily Sen. Gene Yaw,
What happened in the first Maine Senate debate between Collins and Jackson
Republican Sen. Susan Collins distanced herself from President Donald Trump during her first Maine Senate debate with Democrat Troy Jackson, arguing she has maintained her political independence by repeatedly voting against Trump's agenda and saying that she's “not exactly his favorite senator.”
Susan Collins touts independence from Trump in first Maine Senate debate
Sen. Collins said she's "not exactly" Trump's favorite senator while fending off Democratic attacks in a closely watched Maine debate.
In Maine Senate debate, Collins says she's "not exactly" Trump's "favorite senator"
Red Wings Fans React to Dylan Larkin Being Named No. 1 Star vs. Senators
Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist and was named the No. 1 star as the Red Wings beat Ottawa 5-3 for their first win of the season.
Thom Tillis takes jabs at Trump’s cabinet
Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis says he stands by his book’s blunt criticism of Trump’s cabinet. ‘They didn’t pass their annual reviews,’ he says to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. He also urges the president to repay $10 million for taxpayer-funded ads.
‘Going to do everything we can’: Wyden visits Portland school to talk mental health in wake of hazmat incident at Benson
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Senator Ron Wyden spoke with students at Portland’s McDaniel High School Tuesday to hear ideas for how Congress can improve youth mental health. Ron Wyden speaks on me…
Brazil: Lessons from a Disaster
By Antonio Martins (Outras Palavras) Defeats become deeper and more prolonged when we misunderstand what caused them, avoid correcting course, and embrace “solutions” that only compound our mistakes. Lula’s government and the Brazilian left suffered a disaster in Sunday’s election. Contrary to every poll, the president finished the first round 2.2 million votes behind Flávio Bolsonaro—and, more significantly, 3.4 million votes below his total four years ago, when the machinery of the state was working against him and in favor of his opponent. His vote share declined in 98 percent of Brazil’s municipalities. The PL, the main party of the far right, elected 121 deputies and 28 senators, becoming the largest caucus in both houses of Congress. The parties aligned with the Centrão—Brazil’s bloc of transactional center-right parties—were somewhat diminished, but will still hold roughly 250 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate. That will make it easier to assemble the majorities needed to amend the Constitution or impeach Supreme Federal Court justices. If elected, Flávio Bolsonaro could appoint four members of the Court, substantially altering its internal balance of power. What produced these results? How can the far right be prevented from consolidating them into a prolonged political hegemony? And what is the essential change of direction the left now needs? Explaining the Disaster Across the commercial media and the exuberant chaos of digital platforms, interpretations are multiplying. Some focus on specific episodes: Lula’s absence from the Globo debate, his very close relationship with Alexandre de Moraes, or his emphasis on issues supposedly remote from most people’s everyday concerns, such as rare earth minerals. Among the more systemic interpretations, three seem especially questionable. One argues that the principal defeat was not the left’s, since its congressional representation declined only slightly. The decisive movement captured at the ballot box, according to this view, was a shift within the right itself—from the more moderate and transactional forces of the Centrão toward the more ideological and radicalized forces of the PL and Novo. A second interpretation holds that the nature of electoral and political processes has changed. The material interests and aspirations of society, it argues, no longer play the central role they once did; they have given way to forms of subjective self-identification that the left has yet to understand. And a third concludes that, because of these two developments, we should expect a political winter: a prolonged period in which the far right and the broader right dominate Brazilian political life. There are important elements in all three interpretations. The problem lies in what they deny or leave out: Lula’s third government was a small-bore government. It offered the majorities that elected it neither a clearly better life nor reasons to believe again in politics and its power to transform society. These failures flowed from two fatal accommodations, which I will examine below. As a result, the government suffered a slow but steady erosion of support. And, as has happened in so many Western countries, it gave the far right the opportunity to present itself as anti-system and to benefit from popular frustration and distress. The interpretation that emphasizes the migration of votes from the center-right and traditional right toward the far right has been advanced, among others, by the courageous journalist Leonardo Sakamoto. In his UOL column on Monday, October 5, he highlights the miserable behavior of the traditional conservative parties. Over the past four years, they repeatedly joined forces with the “neo”-fascists, helping to “normalize” them—a criticism that could equally be directed at almost the entire corporate media. Believing they could use the far right as a stepping stone, they instead ended up partly devoured by it. This was especially true in the Senate, where the PL’s gain of 13 senators and Novo’s gain of two came at the expense of the PSD, which lost nine; the MDB, which lost two; the PSDB, which lost two; and the PP, which lost one. Sakamoto’s observation is accurate and necessary, but it leaves uncomfortable questions unanswered. Why did the erosion of the Centrão benefit the far right rather than, for example, producing growth for the left—as has happened so many times before, both in Brazil and elsewhere? The answer is not difficult. Throughout its four years in office, Lula’s third government was almost invariably associated with the Centrão. Here lies its first accommodation: accepting the limits imposed by conservative institutions; avoiding, as much as possible, any attempt to strain those limits through popular pressure; and believing only in the modest changes that could be squeezed through openings in Congress. The failure of the campaign to end the six-day workweek is emblematic. Lula could have electrified the presidential race by pairing it with a popular campaign for passage of the measure. Instead, he chose to place his hopes in the hands of Senate president Rodrigo Alcolumbre. He generated no mass mobilization, did not force his opponents onto an uncomfortable defensive, and won no victory. In September 2025, the government squandered the greatest of its many opportunities to shake up conservative power in Congress. Popular opposition to the so-called Shielding Amendment—which, if approved, would have restricted criminal proceedings against members of Congress—brought crowds into the streets, mobilized primarily by artists and social movements. This opened the possibility for a broader political education: a campaign that could begin exposing the limits and dysfunctions of Brazil’s political system while putting Bolsonaro’s movement on the defensive for its predictable support of political privilege. The amendment was defeated. But the executive branch then backed away from the fight. It remained associated with an institutional world widely seen as corrupt, elitist, and indifferent to ordinary people’s struggles. In doing so, it forfeited its credibility as a vehicle for the protest vote. On Sunday, it reaped the bitter fruits. Are We Doomed? Taking a different approach from Sakamoto, the philosopher Moysés Pinto Neto and other writers have drawn attention, in their first analyses of October 4, to the fragmentation of the public sphere produced by Big Tech platforms. Through their algorithms, these platforms present each person with a different view of social reality. As a consequence, it becomes much harder to identify common material problems and demands—for example, the fight for labor rights or for a properly funded public health system. Voters no longer embrace such demands, these authors argue, because they no longer see themselves as part of a collective. Instead, they tend to value the identities assigned to them by neoliberal subjectivity—the role of the entrepreneur, for example. On this interpretation, the left’s possible error lies in clinging to outdated illusions. Moysés’s warning is highly relevant and resonates with arguments such as Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s “Apocalyptic Fascism and the Billionaires’ Bet.” Unlike a century ago, the far right no longer promises a radiant future. It concentrates instead on resentment—especially that of young men. “They belong to a generation that fears it may never own a home, but compensates with the pleasure it gets from constantly provoking progressives online. Convinced their future has been stolen, they share memes romanticizing historical authoritarian regimes,” the authors write. But Moysés seems to confuse this danger with inevitability. He fails to see that the left’s answer cannot be adaptation. On the contrary, it must strengthen the possibility of politics as collective action. Nor does he recognize that precisely such a reversal is already becoming possible in some of the most promising mobilizations of the twenty-first century: the election, at the end of 2025, of the young Muslim Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, on a platform centered on the intensely material fight for an affordable city; the Left Party’s victory in Berlin two weeks ago, built around the demand to expropriate private real-estate corporations; and the very recent wave of demonstrations in Spain—including an occupation of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol—in which tens of thousands of young people mobilized by the Tenants’ Union have demanded limits on rents. By putting itself in the straitjacket of the “fiscal framework” in the first months of 2022, Lula’s third government adopted the second fatal accommodation of its term. Faced with conservative institutions and a country devastated by four years of Bolsonaro, increased public investment was the government’s remaining weapon for offering a more dignified life to the majority and forging an anti-conservative pact with them. The same state that disburses 1 trillion reais a year to enrich a small class of rentiers could instead spend money to extend the Family Health Strategy to every Brazilian, at a cost of 30 billion reais; provide full-day public schooling and childcare to all adolescents and children—and, especially, relief to their mothers; achieve universal sanitation while cleaning up polluted urban rivers; multiply metro systems; begin transforming the urban peripheries; and undertake many other urgently needed projects. In April 2023, an article in Outras Palavras warned that the fiscal framework could “shrink the Lula government and preserve the forces that condemn the country to inequality and regression.” A year later, another article showed that restraints on public spending were strangling policies vital to ordinary people and undermining the president’s popularity. In November 2024 came a reality check, in the form of the government’s humiliating defeat in the municipal elections. Even then, the fiscal lock was neither removed nor loosened. On the contrary: throughout the government’s four years, fiscal restraint remained central to its political narrative. The administration proudly proclaimed that it had “put the state’s accounts in order,” without grasping either how misleading that phrase was—given the payment of 1 trillion reais in interest—or how badly the message was hurting it politically. Lula finally woke up in September 2026. The increase in Bolsa Família benefits, after four years of being frozen; the announcement that anti-obesity drugs would be offered through Brazil’s public health system; and the ban on online betting showed that the state has the power to act decisively on behalf of the majority when those in government are willing to confront obstacles. The huge marches that closed the campaign in Fortaleza, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo on the eve of October 4 showed how such initiatives can mobilize activists and the broader public. But it was too late—and too little to change the outcome of the first round. History has not ended The possibility of a turnaround in the three weeks leading up to November 25 cannot be ruled out. It will not be simple or easy. Lula must not only make up a deficit of 2.2 million votes; he must also offset the movement of voters who backed other right-wing candidates in the first round, most of whom are likely to move toward Flávio Bolsonaro. Pulling that off will require a broad, grassroots effort to win over voters, potentially reinforced by new initiatives from Lula. The coming hours and days will be decisive. If Bolsonaro’s movement also wins the presidency, the result will create a high-risk situation for Brazilian sovereignty and democracy. The enormous challenges posed by such an outcome would require the left to reexamine, in depth and with a genuine willingness to engage in self-criticism, its political projects—or its lack of them—and its practices. But would that mean we are condemned to the long winter of far-right hegemony that some analyses are beginning to forecast? It is far too early to say, suggests a recent text by Álvaro García Linera, the thinker who served as vice president of Bolivia under Evo Morales. His central hypothesis is that this political current will prove short-lived. At a moment when the entire world is once again talking about sovereignty and protecting national economies, the far right offers a stale, recolonizing neoliberalism. Its submission to the United States is as blatant and pathetic as Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro’s overtures to Donald Trump. Its project amounts to something like every man for himself: greater inequality, capitalism without limits, devastation, and supremacism. Will it work? In the United States, just two years into his second term, Trump himself is reaching record levels of unpopularity and may be on the verge of losing Republican control of both the House and Senate in November. Every new beginning is difficult. Whatever the outcome of the second round, the defeats of October 4 show how profoundly the Brazilian left will have to rethink and rebuild. But just as it would be foolish to underestimate the seriousness of its mistakes, it would be equally foolish to conclude that rebuilding a political project is no longer possible. History has not ended. The times are moving faster than ever. Originally published in Portuguese by Outras Palavras. English translation by Eric Blanc; I’ve added the subtitles. More We can’t stop the far right at home or abroad without a revitalized labor movement, which is yet another reason why you should become a sustaining supporter of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) — one of US labor’s pivotal bright spots. Relatedly, Jacobin published a short piece of mine reflecting on a decade of Bernie Sanders inspiring a whole new generation of young worker organizers.
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