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Sunday, August 23, 2026

TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS AUGUST 23, 2026

 

TODAY’S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY’S BEST BLOG POSTS
 AUGUST 23, 2026
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER


U.S. NEWS

POLITICS

  • U.S.-Canada Trade Escalation Enters New Phase: Following the breakdown of bilateral talks, the U.S. implemented a 50% tariff on $20 billion of Canadian imports under Depression-era trade authorities, prompting retaliatory tariff announcements from Ottawa.

  • Justice Department Presses Ahead on Voting Restrictions: The Department of Justice filed additional motions urging the Supreme Court to intervene and uphold federal oversight requirements on state mail-in voting procedures ahead of the midterms.

  • Congressional Pushback Over Department of Government Efficiency Cuts: Lawmakers are raising concerns after health oversight reports tied recent widespread food safety recalls to federal budget and staffing reductions under DOGE initiatives.

  • Legal Shield Strategy in Presidential Subpoena Disputes: Legal counsel for the executive branch filed motions seeking to block subpoenas directed at family members in international broadcaster inquiries, calling the requests politically motivated.

WORLD AFFAIRS

  • Canada Enacts Retaliatory Tariff Package: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced targeted counter-tariffs on U.S. goods taking effect September 8 in direct response to broad U.S. duties.

  • Iran Issues Warning on Economic Sanctions: Iranian security officials publicly warned neighboring nations against participating in U.S.-led economic isolation measures, stating such co-belligerency would trigger direct economic countermeasures.

  • Diplomatic Strains Over Unannounced Middle East Airstrikes: U.S. diplomatic envoys clarified that regional allies did not provide advance notice prior to recent military strikes on bases in Syria.

  • Deportation Policies Spark Governance Friction in Liberia: A recent U.S. deportation flight to Liberia triggered domestic political debate in Monrovia over lack of advance government consultation and reintegration logistics.

EDUCATION

  • Schools Adjust Protocols Following Shock Glove Controversy: A Nebraska school district requested local police cease using shock-conductive compliance gloves on students during campus incidents.

  • School Districts Face Operational Challenges from Food Outbreaks: K-12 and university dining services are altering supply chains following a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak linked to bulk fresh produce distributors.

  • State Voter Registration Rules Impact Campus Voting Initiatives: Public universities in multiple states are revising campus voter registration drives to comply with strict state-level database compliance requirements under new federal guidelines.

  • Midterm Election Spending Reaches Campus Advocacy Groups: Campaign finance disclosures show increased spending by political action committees targeting young voter turnout and education policies ahead of November.

ECONOMY

  • Supply Chains Bracing for Cross-Border Tariff Impact: U.S. and Canadian importers are re-evaluating logistics strategies as retaliatory 50% tariffs target consumer goods, dairy, timber, and manufacturing materials.

  • USMCA Renewal Talks Stagnate: Joint discussions to revise the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement faced major setbacks as trade disputes with Canada stall negotiations while bilateral talks with Mexico proceed.

  • Food Industry Recalls Mount Amid Oversight Adjustments: Federal food safety metrics revealed over 160 major recalls year-to-date, putting financial pressure on agricultural producers and grocery supply networks.

  • Global Energy Security Concerns in Persian Gulf: Oil markets monitored warnings from Iranian officials regarding transit in the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining high volatility in global energy futures.

TECHNOLOGY

  • Meta Federal Antitrust Trial Completes First Week: Landmark litigation against Meta proceeded in federal court, focusing on internal documents regarding user engagement strategies and platform acquisition practices.

  • Social Media Challenges Spark Regional Policy Reviews: Public safety agencies and international regulators are reviewing enforcement protocols against viral online dangerous driving trends.

  • Postal Automation Systems Shift for Balloting: Federal logistics agencies are updating voter verification software tools to implement new digital tracking requirements for state mail-in ballot packaging.

  • Cybersecurity Reviews Following Defense Strains: Security analysts issued updates regarding critical infrastructure protection amid ongoing cyber activity targeting international trade routing platforms.

HEALTH

  • Kindergarten Immunization Metrics Hit Historic Low: Health officials warned of increasing public health risks as routine childhood vaccination coverage dropped nationwide, driven by record-high exemption filings.

  • Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak Exceeds 10,000 Cases: Federal health monitoring confirmed nearly 11,000 cases linked to a widespread produce contamination outbreak across multiple states.

  • FDA and Food Safety Protocols Face Regulatory Scrutiny: Public health groups are challenging recent operational cuts in food inspection units, citing the surge in agricultural recalls and slow containment times.

  • Tropical Storm Response Units Deploy Medical Supplies: Disaster response teams deployed medical stockpiles to Hawaii in anticipation of infrastructure disruptions from Tropical Storm Moke.

SPORTS

  • Cincinnati Open Delivers Major Tennis Upsets: Top seeds fell in the Cincinnati Open rounds as Brandon Nakashima defeated Taylor Fritz, and Linda Bejlek knocked out Madison Keys.

  • All-American Semifinal Matchups Set: Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima advanced to face each other in a high-profile, all-American men's semifinal.

  • CONCACAF Requests FIFA Leadership Absence: Regional football governing body CONCACAF reportedly asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to skip an upcoming youth tournament amid broader governance discussions.

  • NCAA Women's Soccer Season Underway: Early non-conference action saw top-ranked programs navigating weather delays and shutout victories, including Texas Tech's rain-delayed opening road trip in Hawaii.






Diane Ravitch's Substack   1  Why Trump is Obsessed with the Kennedy Center He was shunned by NYC's cultural elite DIANE RAVITCH https://dianeravitch.substack.com/p/why-trump-is-obsessed-with-the-kennedy 








Big Education Ape: A SOCIALIST BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD STILL BE… ARGUING ABOUT THE NAME https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/a-socialist-by-any-other-name-would.html 

Big Education Ape: THE HOUSE THAT AI BUILT: GRADING ITS OWN HOMEWORK https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-house-that-ai-built-grading-its-own.html 





Big Education Ape: THE TOP NEWS STORIES THIS WEEK 8-16-26 TO 8-22-26 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-top-news-stories-this-week-8-16-26.html 






Big Education Ape: TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS AUGUST 22 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/todays-top-news-yesterdays-best-blog_0773876313.html 





Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 22, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/morning-news-update-august-22-2026.html 






What can the Brits teach Democrats about the ultra-left? Not much. Centrist Dems claim that socialists and progressives can’t win in November. MICHAEL KLONSKY https://michaelklonsky.substack.com/p/what-can-the-brits-teach-democrats 





"American Values" Can't Corrode Because They Never Truly Existed https://phillys7thward.org/2026/08/american-values-cant-corrode-because-they-never-truly-existed/ via @selmekki 





Tons Of Parent Engagement Resources!    Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/






glen brown: 29 US States vs Meta https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2026/08/29-us-states-vs-meta.html 






We Love Billionaires! https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2026/08/22/we-love-billionaires/ via @nancyflanagan 






Curmudgucation     AZ: A Setback for Accountability PETER GREENE https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/az-a-setback-for-accountability 






Nancy’s Substack     We Love Billionaires! It’s an American thing... NANCY FLANAGAN https://flanagann.substack.com/p/we-love-billionaires 






Monday in Memphis: Parents to Speak Out on Lawsuit Against State Takeover of Schools – Tennessee Education Report https://tnedreport.com/2026/08/monday-in-memphis-parents-to-speak-out-on-lawsuit-against-state-takeover-of-schools/ 






TRUMP IN THE NEWS TODAY
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER


Trade War with Canada Escalates

  • 50% Tariffs Imposed: The Trump administration announced a 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods following a breakdown in trade negotiations.

  • Canadian Retaliation: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada will enact retaliatory tariffs starting September 8, matching the U.S. levies "dollar for dollar".

Middle East & Strait of Hormuz Standoff

  • Territory Claims: Donald Trump shared media on Truth Social declaring the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW US Territory".

  • Iran Counter-Threats: Iran's Supreme National Security Council rejected the U.S. claim, reiterating that the waterway remains closed and threatening nearby nations against supporting U.S. economic pressure campaigns.

  • Gaza Ceasefire Proposal: The administration pushed a 20-point ceasefire proposal for Gaza that envisions Hamas surrendering weapons alongside a structured Israeli withdrawal.

Immigration & Legal Rulings

White House Projects & Legal Disputes

  • White House Ballroom: The Supreme Court permitted construction to continue temporarily on a $400 million White House ballroom project after the administration cited national security requirements.

  • BBC Subpoenas: Trump's legal team is seeking to block attempts by the BBC to subpoena Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. in an ongoing legal matter.


Trump’s trade deal with Canada collapses - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/22/canada-us-trade-deal-tariffs-01046723 

“I wish I had never supported him”: MTG fires back after Trump's attack on "MAGA losers" - Salon.com https://www.salon.com/2026/08/22/i-wish-i-had-never-supported-him-mtg-fires-back-after-trumps-attack-on-maga-losers/ 

Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump’s 75-Country Visa Ban – Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/federal-judge-strikes-down-trumps-75-country-visa-ban/ 

Democrats see political gain in Ohio’s health care pain - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/22/democrats-see-political-gain-ohio-health-care-pain-01045704 

Alex Jones owed Sandy Hook parents nearly $50 million. A court just cut it to $5.6 million - Salon.com https://www.salon.com/2026/08/22/alex-jones-owed-sandy-hook-parents-nearly-50-million-a-court-just-cut-it-to-5-6-million/ 

Carney bucks Trump as trade war escalates - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/22/carney-trump-trade-war-canada-01046743 

Inside the 72 hours that cratered the US-Canada trade deal - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/22/us-canada-trade-deal-01046788 

Trump offered state Medicaid programs lower prices on weight-loss drugs. Most are rejecting the deal. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/22/states-reject-trump-medicaid-weight-loss-drug-price-deal-01045776 



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Saturday, August 22, 2026

A SOCIALIST BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD STILL BE… ARGUING ABOUT THE NAME

 

A SOCIALIST BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD STILL BE… ARGUING ABOUT THE NAME

America has a favorite political parlor game: point at a government program someone likes, call it “common sense,” then point at a program someone else likes and call it “socialism.” The trick works best when nobody pauses to define the word.

The United States is not a socialist country in the classical sense. It is also not a pure capitalist one. It is a mixed-market democracy: a mostly private-enterprise economy with public programs, rules, subsidies, insurance systems, government contracting, and the occasional giant federal check arriving when the market has stepped on a rake.

That is not a scandal. It is how virtually every advanced economy works.

The more useful question for voters is not, “Is this socialism?” It is: What does this policy do, who controls it, who pays for it, who benefits, and how democratically accountable is it?

The Great Label Swap

In the strict, traditional sense, socialism means collective, worker, or state ownership and democratic control of major productive assets: factories, energy systems, banks, land, and large enterprises.

By that definition, America is overwhelmingly capitalist. Most businesses are privately owned. Prices are generally set through markets. People start companies, buy property, invest capital, hire workers, and compete—sometimes elegantly, sometimes by selling a subscription service nobody can cancel.

But in everyday American political language, “socialism” often means almost any government program that:

  • Collects taxes and redistributes benefits
  • Provides a public service
  • Regulates a private market
  • Subsidizes an industry
  • Insures people against risk
  • Prevents corporations from turning every human need into a billing opportunity

That broader definition captures real government activity—but it also makes the word so elastic that it can cover everything from public libraries to Soviet central planning. Those are not remotely the same thing.

A more accurate description of the American system is regulated capitalism with a welfare state. Or, if one prefers less textbook language: capitalism with guardrails, seatbelts, fire departments, and a federal government that occasionally arrives carrying a very large clipboard.

America’s “Socialist” Programs—Or, More Precisely, Its Public Programs

No list can capture every federal, state, and local policy with a social-welfare or state-intervention element. Government is a sprawling organism with more appendages than a congressional omnibus bill. But here are the major categories commonly labeled “socialist” in political rhetoric.

Social insurance and income support

These programs pool risk. People contribute through taxes, payroll deductions, or both; eligible people receive benefits when they retire, become disabled, lose work, or face hardship.

  • Social Security — retirement, survivors’, and disability insurance
  • Medicare — public health insurance primarily for older adults and some people with disabilities
  • Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program — public health coverage for eligible low-income people and families
  • Unemployment insurance
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Supplemental Security Income
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
  • Women, Infants, and Children nutrition assistance
  • Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
  • Housing Choice Vouchers and other housing assistance
  • Federal student aid, income-based repayment, and public-service loan forgiveness

These are not generally “socialism” in the ownership sense. They are forms of social insurance, public assistance, and redistribution inside a capitalist economy.

Public goods and public services

Some things work poorly when every household must purchase them individually from competing vendors: roads, drinking water systems, emergency response, basic education, disease control, and national defense. A private toll booth in every elementary-school hallway would be memorable, but perhaps not an improvement.

Major public services include:

  • Public K–12 schools
  • Community colleges and public universities
  • Public libraries
  • Roads, bridges, airports, ports, and transit
  • Municipal water, sewage, and sanitation systems
  • Police, fire, emergency medical, and disaster-response services
  • Public parks and recreation
  • The Postal Service
  • Public health departments
  • The military and veterans’ services
  • VA health care, which is among the clearest examples of government-owned and government-delivered health care in the country

Subsidies, industrial policy, and protectionism

Here is where the ideological costume changes get especially entertaining. A subsidy is often called “investment” when it helps a favored industry and “socialism” when it helps someone else.

The United States frequently uses government power to shape markets through:

  • Farm subsidies, crop insurance support, conservation payments, and disaster relief
  • Tariffs intended to protect domestic producers
  • Manufacturing incentives for semiconductor plants and strategic industries
  • Tax credits and grants for energy, infrastructure, and domestic production
  • Small-business loans and loan guarantees
  • Federal procurement, especially for defense, technology, construction, and health care
  • FEMA disaster relief
  • Rural electrification, water, and broadband grants
  • Export financing and development programs

None of these automatically constitute socialism. They are forms of industrial policy and market intervention—tools used by governments of the left, right, and center across the world.

MAGA, Democrats, DSA: Different Recipes, Same Government Kitchen

The American political argument is often not about whether government should intervene. It is about where, for whom, how much, and under what conditions.

A MAGA voter may oppose “socialism” while strongly supporting Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ health care, farm assistance, border enforcement, tariffs, infrastructure spending, fossil-fuel subsidies, disaster relief, and protection for domestic manufacturing.

A mainstream Democrat may support the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, public schools, climate incentives, child tax credits, union protections, and public infrastructure—while defending private enterprise, private property, and regulated markets.

A democratic socialist may support those programs too, but go further: public ownership of utilities, social housing, single-payer health care, worker cooperatives, and more democratic control over major industries.

The distinction is real.

Political tendencyTypical economic approachCentral disagreement
MAGA / nationalist rightMarkets plus tariffs, subsidies, entitlements, domestic-industry protectionWhich groups and industries receive public support; distrust of expansive welfare and regulatory systems
Mainstream RepublicanMarket-oriented capitalism with targeted public programs and lower taxesSize of government, regulation, taxation, and eligibility for benefits
Mainstream DemocratRegulated capitalism with broader social insurance and public investmentExpanding access to health care, education, climate investment, and labor protections
Democratic SocialistDemocratic control or public ownership in more sectorsMoving beyond a primarily capitalist economy toward social or worker ownership

The table’s lesson is not that all camps are interchangeable. They are not. It is that every major American coalition supports some public provision, regulation, subsidy, protection, or redistribution. The argument is over the recipe—not whether government belongs in the kitchen at all.

The Crucial Divide Is Not Just Economics. It Is Democracy.

It is tempting to place countries on a single line running from “capitalist” to “socialist.” Reality refuses to cooperate.

A country can have extensive public services and strong democracy. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, and many other advanced economies combine private markets with substantial public spending, universal or broad health coverage, labor protections, pensions, and education systems.

They are generally better described as social democracies or mixed-market economies, not command economies.

The more consequential divide is often this:

  • Are leaders chosen in competitive elections?
  • Can citizens organize, protest, publish criticism, and replace those in power?
  • Are courts independent?
  • Is the press free?
  • Can government power be challenged?
  • Does the public have meaningful control over institutions that affect daily life?

A large welfare state under democratic accountability is one thing. A one-party state controlling politics, speech, courts, media, and strategic industries is another.

The United States and China: Similar Tools, Vastly Different Systems

The United States and China both use markets, private firms, subsidies, industrial policy, infrastructure spending, and state regulation. That overlap is real.

But treating the two systems as roughly equivalent because both have government programs is like saying a bicycle and a bulldozer are the same because both have wheels.

The United States

The United States remains a predominantly capitalist economy:

  • Most productive assets are privately owned.
  • Private firms dominate employment and production.
  • Markets set most prices and investment decisions.
  • Federal, state, and local governments tax, spend, regulate, subsidize, and provide services.
  • Elections are competitive, courts possess meaningful independence, and civil society can organize against the government—even if American democracy is imperfect, polarized, and permanently one cable-news segment away from indigestion.

China

China combines significant market activity with deep political and state control:

  • The Chinese Communist Party holds a constitutional monopoly on national political power.
  • Major sectors—finance, energy, telecommunications, transportation, land, and strategic industry—are shaped or dominated by the state.
  • Private firms operate and generate major economic activity, but they do so within a system where party authority can override independent commercial or political decision-making.
  • Independent opposition parties, a free press, and unrestricted political organizing do not exist in the way they do in pluralist democracies.
  • Surveillance, censorship, and restrictions on dissent are extensive.

China’s system is commonly described as a one-party authoritarian state with a socialist-market or state-capitalist economy. The exact label is debatable. The absence of democratic political competition is not.

Why the Labels Matter Less Than the Policies

Calling Social Security “socialism” may be rhetorically satisfying, but it does not answer the important questions:

  • Does it reduce poverty among older Americans?
  • Is it financially sustainable?
  • Are benefits adequate?
  • Is it fairly funded?
  • Should it be expanded, preserved, reformed, or privatized?

Likewise, calling tariffs “patriotism” does not settle whether they lower prices, protect jobs, provoke retaliation, or enrich politically connected industries. Calling a climate subsidy “a Green New Deal” does not tell us whether it reduces emissions efficiently. Calling health reform “government takeover” does not tell us whether patients can afford insulin.

Political language is often designed to make the voter feel they have already reached a conclusion. Policy analysis begins when we refuse the shortcut.

What to Ask Before Voting on November 3

For the 2026 midterm elections, voters will hear plenty about labels: socialist, fascist, capitalist, communist, globalist, elitist, radical, patriot. The national supply is inexhaustible.

A sturdier voting guide starts with the issues affecting the most people.

Health care

  • Should Medicare benefits expand or be trimmed?
  • Should Medicaid eligibility expand?
  • Should government negotiate drug prices?
  • Should health insurance remain employer-centered, become more public, or move toward a single-payer model?

Wages, work, and economic security

  • Should the minimum wage rise?
  • Should unions have stronger bargaining rights?
  • Should families receive child benefits, paid leave, or affordable child care?
  • Should retirement benefits be expanded, protected, or partly privatized?

Housing

  • Should government build or finance more affordable housing?
  • Should rent rules be strengthened?
  • Should zoning rules change to allow more homes?
  • Should homelessness be addressed primarily through services, policing, housing construction, or some combination?

Education

  • How much should taxpayers invest in public schools?
  • Should college be more heavily subsidized?
  • Should student debt relief continue?
  • What is the proper role of private and charter schools?

Infrastructure, energy, and industry

  • Should government subsidize domestic manufacturing?
  • Should it protect industries with tariffs?
  • Should energy policy favor fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear power, or an all-of-the-above strategy?
  • Who should own and manage essential utilities?

Democracy and power

  • Are elections accessible, secure, and competitive?
  • Are public institutions accountable?
  • Can citizens criticize leaders without fear?
  • Does government power have meaningful limits?

The Bottom Line

We are all participants in a mixed economy. Conservatives use public roads, Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ care, farm supports, FEMA aid, police and fire protection, public schools, and taxpayer-backed infrastructure. Liberals use private businesses, private property, markets, investment, entrepreneurship, and consumer choice. Democratic socialists seek to move more of the economy into democratic or public ownership. Libertarians still benefit from a court system, national defense, and the miracle of municipal sewage.

Nobody gets to live in ideological purity. The garbage truck does not check your party registration.

So forget the panic-button labels long enough to inspect the policy underneath. Decide what services should be public, what industries should remain private, what risks should be shared, what rules markets need, and—above all—how much democratic control citizens should have over the institutions that shape their lives.

That is the real argument. Everything else is campaign signage.




SOURCES AND LINKS

U.S. Public Programs and Social Insurance

Public Spending, Social Policy, and Mixed Economies

U.S. Subsidies, Industrial Policy, and Infrastructure

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture — Farm Programs and Services
    https://www.farmers.gov/
    Official portal for farm loans, conservation programs, crop insurance, disaster aid, and other agricultural support.

  • USDA Risk Management Agency — Federal Crop Insurance Program
    https://www.rma.usda.gov/
    Source on federally supported crop-insurance programs.

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency — Disaster Assistance
    https://www.fema.gov/assistance
    Information on disaster relief for households, communities, and state and local governments.

  • U.S. Department of Commerce — CHIPS for America
    https://www.nist.gov/chips
    Primary source for semiconductor manufacturing incentives and industrial-policy programs.

  • U.S. Department of Energy — Clean Energy Tax Credits and Programs
    https://www.energy.gov/
    Federal information on energy incentives, grants, infrastructure investment, and clean-energy policy.

  • Federal Transit Administration — Public Transportation Programs
    https://www.transit.dot.gov/
    Federal grants and policies related to buses, rail, and public transit. , , , , ,

Democracy, Civil Liberties, and Governance Comparisons

China: Economy, State Ownership, and Political System

Definitions: Socialism, Social Democracy, Capitalism, and Political Economy



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