Bucknackt's Sordid Tawdry Blog: MOTHER JONES DAILY: Voters Are Furious About Corruption, Abdul El-Sayed keeps getting questioned by manufactured opposition, Memphis wants to be the “Digital Delta.” Its residents want to breathe., Private contractors are set to cash in as millions of Americans lose healthcare, An artful move to call out Ron DeSantis’ hostility toward climate action, Heather Cox Richardson on the real genius of America & Heather Cox Richardson on the real genius of America 21OKT26

23 October 2026

MOTHER JONES DAILY: Voters Are Furious About Corruption, Abdul El-Sayed keeps getting questioned by manufactured opposition, Memphis wants to be the “Digital Delta.” Its residents want to breathe., Private contractors are set to cash in as millions of Americans lose healthcare, An artful move to call out Ron DeSantis’ hostility toward climate action, Heather Cox Richardson on the real genius of America & Heather Cox Richardson on the real genius of America 21OKT26

October 21, 2026

I can remember a few years back when historian Heather Cox Richardson started showing up in my social media feeds. At the time, the Boston College political historian had started her newsletter, Letters from an American, and it completely blew up. Today, her work regularly attracts millions of loyal readers who look for her musings on the day’s events through a historical lens. And I think I know why: Heather writes with a plainspokenness that delivers a bit of sanity in a sometimes insane world.

So as the midterm elections approach, we wanted to bring back my conversation with Heather. It’s all about the long arc of how this country arrived at this moment. And it was a mini–history lesson in itself, encompassing the founding (and her beef with Thomas Jefferson), the death of Reconstruction, and the second Trump administration—and how it all ties together. She gave me a little sanity when talking to her, and I hope she does the same for you.

—Al Letson

Voters Are Furious About Corruption

Public anger could finally make a difference at the polls.

BY RUSS CHOMA

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