Desk Notes | The Shutdown Where Republicans Want Clean Funding
Federal workers suffer while Dems fight to save an ACA that enriches insurers and inflates costs
Okay, I’m going to do something I don’t usually do, make myself vulnerable and put something out there that commits me to actually doing it. Which is terrifying because once it’s in print, there’s no pretending it didn’t happen.
Monday morning, early (like, offensively early), I’m going back to CrossFit.
Yes, that CrossFit. The one where everything hurts and you question your life choices mid-workout. Before COVID, before everything went sideways, I did CrossFit regularly for about 3-4 years. And you know what? After the initial few months of absolute misery, I actually felt significantly better. Physically, mentally, the whole deal.
But here’s the thing, I was younger then. This could go really well, or I could deeply, deeply regret this decision by Tuesday.
The reality is that other physical activities just don’t stick for me. I need the structure, the class format, the “you’re doing this whether you like it or not” energy. And here’s my secret weapon: my husband is joining me. Which means I have a workout buddy who’s really good at making me feel guilty for not getting my butt out of bed.
Look, we all receive encouragement differently. And if I’m being totally honest? Shame works on me. It’s not pretty, but it’s effective.
So here’s my warning: if I’m a little quieter next week, if I’m struggling to keep up with the workload, it’s not because I’m slacking. It’s because everything hurts and I’m exhausted.
Pray for me that I can still walk by Friday. And feel free to ask me how it’s going in the comments, because putting this out there publicly is probably the only thing that’ll actually force me to show up. Otherwise, I’ll just pretend this conversation never happened.
Accountability is a trap I’m willingly walking into. Wish me luck.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
In Desk Notes
Feature:
The Shutdown Stalemate: Why Democrats’ “Leverage” Play Is Backfiring on Everyday Americans (And Why It’s Not About Trump This Time) - A deep dive into how Democrats are blocking clean funding bills to prop up the failing ACA, using federal workers as bargaining chips while the media stays conspicuously quiet.
Also Featuring:
The Louvre’s “Approachable” Facelift: How ditching elitism left $118 million in Crown Jewels exposed, and the DEI hire question nobody wants to ask.
Krystal Ball’s Holocaust Blindspot: When hating Israel means excusing actual Nazi symbols on a Democratic candidate.
A UFC Fight on the White House Lawn? Yeah, I’m actually here for it, and here’s why it might be more unifying than you think.
Plus: What I’m reading, the shutdown’s next moves, Trump’s Asia trip, and whether that ballroom construction is really happening.
Ok let’s get into it!
From the Archives
How the Democratic Establishment and Donors Lied to Maintain Control
On Sunday, the political landscape took a shocking turn as President Biden withdrew from the presidential race and shortly thereafter endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
The Shutdown Stalemate: Why Democrats’ “Leverage” Play Is Backfiring on Everyday Americans (And Why It’s Not About Trump This Time)
The Painful Irony Nobody’s Talking About
Federal workers are lining up at food banks. Veterans are delaying VA appointments. SNAP families are scrambling to figure out how they’ll feed their kids next month. It’s the 23rd day of a government shutdown, and the human toll is real, mounting, and deeply felt across the country.
But this time, it’s not the chaos of a Trump tantrum or Republican fiscal brinksmanship driving the dysfunction. It’s Democrats blocking clean funding bills, bills that would reopen the government immediately, because they’re demanding extensions of Affordable Care Act subsidies. The same ACA that Democrats designed. The same subsidies they built with expiration dates. The same system that’s delivered doubled premiums, skyrocketing deductibles, and windfall profits for insurance companies while pricing out middle-class families.