By now, you’ve probably seen The Onion headline from years ago that gets re-published and shared widely every time there’s a mass shooting in America:n “‘No Way to Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”

That about sums it up. 

Remember the summer of 2016? Feels like forever ago. But that summer, in the midst of election brouhaha, Obama signed the controversial PROMESA law, which provided a way for Puerto Rico to restructure it’s debut but also created a financial control board to oversea the island’s financial affairs. 

Desmond Tutu famously said, “Hope is being able to see the light despite all of the darkness.” 

And it sure has been dark lately. But this month, as historic hurricanes and earthquakes added a new level of panic to an already frightening political landscape, the announcement of Bernie Sander’s Medicare for All bill was a much needed bright spot. 

If you didn’t know it already, you have a legal right to know about and weigh in on federal government projects before any action is taken. Those rights are protected by the first bedrock piece of environmental legislation - a law called the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.

Our nightmares are coming true. Beyond the threat of nuclear war, unmasked white supremacists and Nazis waving their flags in broad daylight and murdering counter protesters is the worst-case-scenario America we all feared under Trump.

There is vast consensus that Trump’s commission on voter fraud is a fraud all its own, created entirely out of Trump’s inferiority complex after soundly losing the popular vote, and to add a whole new federal level to voter suppression tactics. 

The clips in today’s show couldn’t be more clear: we are living in the death throws of capitalism. And while technology has been able to let us limp along by solving some of capitalisms more dire problems, while exacerbating others, the issues that are left have no quick fix. So, it’s time…probably past time…to ask the question: What’s next? 

You hear about Title IX a lot when it comes to athletics, but this 45 year old amendment covers so much more. It states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” So, it’s kind of a big deal.

As our country marks its 241st birthday, this year of all years is especially ripe for reflection. Where we’ve been heading and where we are right now - politically and socially - is disturbing to say the least, but we can still change course. If nothing else, as Americans we can be proud of our track record of change and progress. It may be made with two steps forward and one step back, but eventually we get there. 

Just because it feels like everyone knows how utterly awful this dressed-up bill of tax cuts for the wealthy is, doesn’t mean it won’t become law. The pure fact that it is a reconciliation bill was a strategic way to get this through the Senate with only 50 Republican votes.