Nepo-baby oligarch Elon Musk made headlines this week by formally announcing the launch of his own political party—after a messy public breakup with his former co-president, Donald Trump.

ZOOM OUT: But his instinct may not be entirely wrong. Political scientists have proven that our country’s government—as it’s structured now—responds only to the wants of the monied elites.

SOME BACKGROUND: By any global standard, the Democratic Party is not a progressive party.

Necessary, yes. But in most of the world, that’s the bare minimum.

BIG PICTURE: In countries across Europe and Latin America, truly progressive parties are going further—calling for an end to neoliberalism, challenging capitalist ownership of basic resources, and building alternatives grounded in solidarity and economic democracy.

In a progressive third party, Bernie and AOC wouldn’t be “fringe” radicals agitating for change—they would be driving the party altogether. They would be leading it.

BUT BUT BUT: Is it even possible? That’s the big question. Polling shows massive dissatisfaction with both major parties—and growing support for policies that neither Democrats nor Republicans are willing to touch.

Still, moments of deep public frustration—like this one—are often when real political realignments begin.

GO DEEPER: Meet the progressive party that’s been shaking up some state races recently.

Now it’s your turn: Is it time for a third, progressive party? Tell us why or why not after you vote!

Yesterday we asked, do you think Congress should have term limits? It wasn’t even close.

Cadi voted yes and said, “Without term limits, members of Congress are more focused on maintaining their seats than serving their constituents. Nothing makes that more clear than passage of the recent budget bill which serves no one that I know well. Our Congressmen seem to have forgotten who they work for.”

KP had an interesting idea: “Not only terms should be limited, but prerequisite requirements (i.e., knowledge of constitution, declaration of independence, willingness to vow to an ethical oath, etc.) should be met before being allowed to run.” (This reminds me of an old Andy Rooney segment, where he said leaders should take a P.A.T. → a political aptitude test!)

Still, others were skeptical. JHM voted no and pointed out that “term limits failed miserably in Ohio. State reps and senators swap positions when their terms expire. We need an informed electorate, not term limits.” Maybe… both?

At least 100 Texans are dead after catastrophic floods—and while rescue crews searched for missing children, Senator Ted Cruz was sightseeing at the Parthenon in Greece. This marks the second time Cruz has gone on vacation during a deadly disaster, after his infamous Cancun trip during the 2021 blackout. Critics say it’s another reminder that Cruz serves himself—not the people he was elected to represent. Full story from The Daily Beast.

Republicans quietly delayed the most devastating effects of Trump’s new healthcare bill until after the 2026 midterms—including cuts that could drop millions from Medicaid and hike Obamacare premiums by 75%. It’s a strategic move to dodge voter backlash while gutting care for working families. The worst part? The full damage won’t be felt for nearly a decade—long after they’ve banked the political wins. Full story from Axios.

The stock market took a sharp dive after Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on countries from Japan to South Africa, with rates up to 40% starting August 1. The announcements—shared via Truth Social in bizarre, copy-paste letters—spooked investors and reignited fears of another global trade war. Once again, economic chaos is a byproduct of Trump’s unpredictability. Full story from The New Republic.

Top medical groups are suing the Trump administration after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ended CDC recommendations for COVID shots for most children and pregnant women. They say Kennedy is spreading vaccine misinformation and bypassing long-standing scientific review processes. With measles and flu deaths rising, doctors warn his policies are already fueling fear, confusion—and risk. Full story from AP.

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As the death toll from last week’s catastrophic flooding in Central Texas continues to rise, two things are clear:

DRIVING THE NEWS: As of this morning, officials say at least 103 people have died after torrential rains triggered flash flooding across the Texas Hill Country late last week. Dozens more remain missing.

ZOOM OUT: Sadly, these floods prove what climate scientists have been saying for years: rising global temperatures will supercharge storms.

These kinds of “1-in-1000-year” events are now happening regularly—and they’re hitting places that were never built to withstand them.

The climate crisis isn’t just making the weather worse. It’s rewriting the rules of what’s possible.

YES, AND: That’s making it harder and harder to predict and forecast these deadly storms.

Even the best technology struggles to predict how a storm will interact with complex terrain like Texas’s Hill Country. And Trump’s cuts at NOAA and the National Weather Service have only made it worse.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Disasters like this are no longer rare. They’re the future. And unless we radically rethink how we prepare for them, they’ll keep catching us off guard—with deadly consequences.

Here are some stories the algorithms may be keeping out of your feed.