Winning just nine more House seats than Democrats in the 2022 midterms means the Republican caucus has very little room for error.
Site Navigation
Search
Latest Stories
Join a growing community committed to civic renewal.
Subscribe to The Fulcrum and be part of the conversation.
Top Stories
Latest news
Read More
A NASA logo is displayed at the entrance to the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building on May 30, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
America's New and Dangerous Gilded Age
Jul 11, 2026
As part of a collaboration between The Fulcrum's NextGen initiative and Made By Us, The Fulcrum is publishing Letters to America, a series created through the Youth250 project that invites Gen Z to reflect on the nation’s past, present, and future as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
On June 4, 1876, on the eve of our Nation’s centennial, the Transcontinental Express completed its inaugural voyage across America’s newly constructed coast-to-coast railroad, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific in just 83 hours. This milestone marked the end of the Railroad Race and the beginning of the Gilded Age, epitomized by its rail barons and drastic wealth disparity.
On June 12, 2026, as America approached its 250th anniversary, it gained the world’s first trillionaire. This milestone marks the latest phase in a Billionaire Space Race, the driving force behind a New Gilded Age, epitomized by “space barons” and previously unimaginable wealth.
Like the race to build transcontinental rail, the commercial space race is a rush to establish cheap infrastructure for a new frontier. Just as the railroads dramatically reduced the cost of shipping, commercial space services similarly promise to reduce the cost of putting payloads into orbit.
The commercial space race echoes its steam-powered predecessor in more than just exploration. The private space industry is likewise subject to the whims of its billionaire owners and supported by monopolistic, eye-popping, and ever-growing government contracts.
If America fails to institute common-sense regulation of this commercial space cartel, we are on track to relearn the hard lessons of the Gilded Age, with its questionable business dealings, dodgy practices, and relentless pursuit of profit.
The rail barons were empowered by government contracts and laws, effectively giving them carte blanche in the West. Their monopoly on railroad construction meant they could charge taxpayers as much as they wanted, cutting corners and inflating costs wherever they could, making the transcontinental railroad construction process ruinously dangerous, expensive, and inefficient.
After killing NASA's Space Shuttle program in 2012, the United States became dependent, overnight, on Russia for launch capabilities. Since 2020, this liability has shifted to our private sector, with SpaceX providing launch services, alongside other emerging companies like Blue Origin—and just like the railroad race, the corporate space race is administered through lucrative government contracts.
The key tenets of international space law—establishing outer space as the “domain of all mankind,” preserving it, and preventing land claims—apply to state actors, not private ones. While nations are theoretically responsible for addressing violations by private companies under their jurisdiction, a country dependent on private companies for launch services has little incentive to hold them accountable.
For-profit companies are not beholden to the international community or even to our Nation; they are responsible only to their owners, the space barons who hold monopolies on American space travel.
In the race to build a transcontinental railroad, the lack of meaningful regulation led to lengthy detours, needless worker deaths, and wasted taxpayer money. The commercial space race ups the ante exponentially. A brief glance at recent history demonstrates these risks.
On January 16, 2025, a SpaceX Starship launch exploded over the Caribbean, showering flaming wreckage and toxic chemicals over an area roughly three times the size of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, endangering life below, and putting at risk dozens of passenger airlines flying through the debris field.
The following year, on May 28, the failure of a Blue Origin rocket test resulted in the second-largest explosion in space-launch history, destroying a historic NASA launchpad and again putting lives at risk on the ground.
These tragedies, which underscore real-life dangers posed by a poorly regulated commercial space industry, are only two examples; the list goes on.
The United States space program has yet to return to its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s. That it has taken us over half a century to get back to the Moon is simultaneously a testament to the ineffectiveness of our current model and to the benefits of the previous model, with its publicly owned infrastructure.
Contractors always have been, and always will be, a necessary component of space travel; but the only way to guarantee safety and accountability to the taxpayer is through a combination of NASA ownership/operation of launch infrastructure and better regulation of the private space industry.
There remains a place—indeed, an imperative—for private launch services, but they must play by the same rules as their public counterparts and uphold the same standards of safety, transparency, and accountability. Only in this way can our public/private space partnership avoid repeating the mistakes of the Railroad Race at our Nation’s centennial, and successfully navigate America's final frontier in our 250th year and beyond.Ira Parsons, 17, Scottsdale, AZ
Ira Parsons, 17, Scottsdale, AZ
Keep ReadingShow less
Recommended
President Darryl Morin of Forward Latino speaks at a press conference about anti-immigration posters found around Kenosha, WI, on June 3, 2026.
Angeles Ponpa
Community leaders condemn anti-immigrant posters in Kenosha as investigation remains open
Jul 11, 2026
KENOSHA, Wis. —Community leaders, faith leaders and civil rights advocates gathered this month to condemn anti-immigrant posters that appeared across Kenosha, as police continue investigating who is responsible.
The posters, which depicted a green alien inside of a firearm target alongside the acronym “MAGA,” were first reported in early June after residents discovered them posted on telephone poles throughout the city, according to Racine County Eye. WISN 12 reported the Kenosha Police Department opened an investigation after receiving reports of the signs.
During a press conference hosted by Forward Latino, a national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization based in Wisconsin, President Darryl Morin called the posters an attempt to intimidate immigrant communities.
“This messaging, these posters, is unacceptable. It’s wrong, and it’s un-American,” Morin said. “Regardless of whom these posters are intended to target, they promote intimidation, discrimination, and violence.”
Morin said the organization has documented an increase in hate incidents across the country in recent years and encouraged anyone who experiences threats or harassment to report them to law enforcement and advocacy organizations, such as theirs.
Community member Angeles Arzate said she discovered one of the posters while driving her children to school and immediately reported it after finding additional signs throughout the city.
“To see something like this in the city of Kenosha, it’s really hurtful,” Arzate said during the press conference.
According to Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, community organizations said similar posters have also been reported in Waukegan and North Chicago, Illinois.
According to WISN 12, Waukegan police said the same posters have been appearing there for weeks, only half an hour away.
Faith leaders joined the coalition in condemning the displays, giving their own remarks during press conference.
“These anti-immigrant posters are a symptom of a much deeper issue,” said the Rev. Wesley Isberner of Congregations United to Serve Humanity. “A rampant hatred of our immigrant and asylum-seeking neighbors has taken root in our country, including here in Kenosha, and this is dangerous.”
Residents who encounter one of the posters should report it to the Kenosha mayor’s office so city officials can document and remove it as part of the investigation, speakers said during the news conference.
As of late June, no arrests or suspects had been publicly announced. WISN 12 reported the investigation remains ongoing.
Community leaders condemn anti-immigrant posters in Kenosha as investigation remains open was first published on WI Latino News and was republished with permission.
Angeles Ponpa is the Managing Editor of Latino News Network Midwest, overseeing Illinois Latino News, Wisconsin Latino News, and Michigan Latino News. She is based in Illinois.
Keep ReadingShow less
A group of Bus youth pose for a photo with Senator Noel Frame at the Millionaires Tax signing. (2026)
Credit Washington Bus Facebook
Two Washington nonprofit organizations are shaping the state’s future
Jul 10, 2026
Washington is a politically active state where, through protests, parades, nonprofit organizations, and community groups, people have proven they will advocate for the causes and issues they care about.
Seattle, a major hub for nonprofits, boasts nearly 25,000 nonprofit organizations focusing on a wide range of local, national, and international issues. These groups reflect activism efforts across major issues impacting the United States, such as advocacy for police accountability initiatives, rights for the LGBTQ+ community, and demands for action against crime, violence, and drug trafficking.
The Seattle government has also taken steps to protect citizens’ right to protest. It has enacted policies and initiatives like the City Policy on Immigration Enforcement, the Stand Together Initiative, and Know Your Rights resources, which provide information on how to recognize Seattle Police officers and vehicles.
Beyond city government initiatives, organized groups with missions to advocate for or with targeted populations continue to work toward building a better state.
Two organizations in particular are making a difference in Washington through their own initiatives, reflecting the broader work being done to elevate voices and communities across the state.
Washington Bus
The Washington Bus is the largest youth-led organization working to harness and empower the political power of Washington’s youth, especially those who have been historically disenfranchised.
Despite the name, there is no bus involved in their work; rather, the name represents the organization’s mobility across the state as it sponsors leadership development, advocacy efforts, and voter mobilization for Washington youth.
“We consider ourselves the political home for young organizers in Washington state, advocating for progressive change in a multiracial democracy,” Bailey Medilo, the communications manager for Washington Bus, said. “We are the ones who are constantly in collaboration with community leaders, especially government institutions, elected officials, and grassroots organizations, to build capacity and access for young people in political spaces.”
The Bus acts as a stepping stone for young activists to learn to become better leaders and advocate for the issues they care about. By providing a space for youth leaders to grow, Medilo said these leaders are likely to engage their peers and encourage more youth to get involved in activism, organizing, and voting.
The Bus acts as a stepping stone for Washington youth who are activists in their communities and can learn to become better leaders and advocate for the issues they care about. By providing a space for youth leaders to grow as activists, Medilo said their leaders are likely to engage their peers and more youth to get involved in activism, organizing, and voting.
“[We] ensure that youth organizations can persist in a healthy, expansive way in Washington state and build on existing infrastructure,” Medilo said. “But we also explore ways that we can reimagine how political spaces for young people can be developed and created.”
To get involved with the Washington Bus, there are some paid positions available, as well as several ways to participate through events, cohorts, and councils. The Bus Underground is a youth-led organizer clinic that offers leadership development to help youth build connections with a community of like-minded activists and organizers.
One of their most successful initiatives has been their summer fellowship, where 12 people from across the state are selected from communities in need of intensive youth leadership training. The Bus helps them gain skills that can lead to professional positions, including campaign managers and political activists.
“We have a philosophy of believing in the best intentions of our youth population and our youth voters,” Medilo said. “We believe that if young people are given the tools and the resources to engage in change-making, they will engage in change-making.”
Civic Commons
Civic Commons has the overarching goal of uniting people across Washington state to achieve greater racial and economic equity.
The organization uses three core programs—Belonging, Scorecard, and Network Weaving—to provide training, relationship-building, and a network to empower communities to achieve equitable outcomes, such as homeownership.
“We’re bridging the fragmentation across sectors and communities to build the trust and relational muscle that’s necessary to tackle the issues to get to outcomes,” Michael Brown, the founder and Chief Architect of Civic Commons, said.
The Belonging programs offer programming to build a sense of belonging in neighborhoods, towns, cities, and campuses across Washington state. They aim to build trust and a sense of community before helping groups reach shared goals. The Scorecard for Shared Prosperity serves as a data resource to measure change across the Puget Sound region and help provide insight into how communities are evolving.
The Network Weaving program builds relationships across two major initiatives: the Black Home Initiative, which works to increase the rate of Black homeownership in Western Washington, and Starter Home Plan WA, which works to make homeownership more accessible for low- and moderate-income households.
Through Starter Home Plan WA, Civic Commons provides the resources and tools necessary to help lower-income households in Washington begin their homeownership journey with confidence and knowledge.
Brown identifies the Black Home Initiative as one of their most successful and impactful programs. The organization developed a plan to help 1,500 low-to-moderate-income Black individuals become homeowners between South Seattle and Thurston County by 2028, with a long-term goal of reaching 3,000 homeowners over 10 years.
Brown said the initiative’s progress so far has been possible as a result of “A network bridging sectors and a community working together to achieve something none of them could do on their own.”
Brown added that many other cities and states have begun modeling their own initiatives after the Black Home Initiative to increase homeownership rates among low- to moderate-income Black individuals.
“The essence of our work is the foundational pieces around belonging, but once we create that, it’s really then appealing to the leaders across those various sectors and communities,” Brown said.
Civic Commons has made an impact across the state, particularly in Seattle, where it continues to create new programs and products that accelerate the journey toward building a more racially and economically equitable state.
Both the Washington Bus and Civic Commons are driving change in Washington in unique ways. Through their models, they are helping diverse demographics across the state not only improve their lives and build a better society, but also advocate for their own futures and aspirations.
Daniela Mattson is a student at the University of Southern California and a Fulcrum Fellowship cohort member.
The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists. To learn about the many NextGen initiatives we are leading, click HERE.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
McConnell and Platner both feel entitled
The two men could not be more different. One, a Republican, octogenarian, seven-term Southern senator, the other a progressive, millennial Maine oysterman who’s never spent a day in elected office.
But Mitch McConnell, the senior senator from Kentucky who’s been MIA for the past few weeks and Graham Platner, the Maine Senate candidate who’s facing calls to drop out of his race against Sen. Susan Collins, apparently do have something in common: an outsized sense of entitlement.
McConnell, who is 84 and not running for reelection, has been hospitalized for three weeks, and yet we still don’t fully know what he was admitted for or what his condition is. Per CNN, “his office has not disclosed a medical reason for the hospitalization or provided specifics on his health status beyond saying last week that he ‘continues to improve’ and ‘is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters.’ ”
While several legislators have said they’ve talked to him and insist he sounds strong, others have said they are completely in the dark. One MAGA influencer, Laura Loomer, posted ”High level source close to the White House tells me ‘Mitch McConnell is officially brain dead. He’s not coming back.’ ”
Meanwhile, up in Maine, Platner has been artfully dodging calls from his own party to drop out of his race after several allegations of misconduct from women, including a sexual assault allegation from a former girlfriend, came to light. While Platner, who has managed to survive a Nazi-tattoo scandal, a sexting scandal, and several old tweets scandals, denies the allegations, he has not quit.
High-profile Democrats including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer, the latter of whom had unsuccessfully hand-selected Maine Gov. Janet Mills to face Collins instead of Platner, have urged Platner to drop out, while other Dems have accused him of trying to influence the picking of his replacement.
Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a statement Tuesday, which said in part:
“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like. We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate nor in determining what this process looks like.”
Both incidents show a deep lack of accountability to voters, who in one case deserve to know whether their senator is capable of performing his duties, and in another deserve a candidate who isn’t being accused of crimes, bigotry and deception.
The offensive and odious entitlement of both McConnell and Platner stands out not because it is particularly unique among today’s political class. Tom Kean, the New Jersey GOP congressman, missed more than 100 votes, only sharing after a three-month mystery absence that he was dealing with depression.
Former President Joe Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed to disclose a hospitalization for prostate cancer surgery, flouting the established rules for Cabinet members and senior U.S. officials.
From Biden’s insistence on running for reelection despite his obvious cognitive and political weaknesses to Trump’s brazen flouting of laws and norms, few politicians seem to appreciate that their public service job comes with responsibilities to constituents, including transparency and honesty.
But both parties increasingly justify the chicanery, because the stakes of winning elections and keeping power are simply too high. But that’s no excuse. If we’ve learned anything over the past decade, it’s that character and accountability do, in fact, matter. And when we, the voters, stop caring about it, well, so do they.
S.E. Cupp is the host of "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered" on CNN.