Darrell

I have no issue with Project 2029 and similar plan-generating initiatives. But as I write today, what I think Democrats really need is a Project 2050: a concerted effort to decide what we think America should look like in 2050 if we regain political power in DC. 1/

We have cities and cultures but the midwest is home to millions of people with no identity at all. Literally none. Entire childhood spent developing no roots or foothold in a community. Go more than 10 miles out of a city limit and youll see it immediately

Columbia University is reversing its test-optional admissions policy and will once again require SAT or ACT scores from applicants. Beginning in fall 2027, first-year and transfer students must submit standardized test scores. The university will keep the policy test-optional for the 2026–27 cycle. Officials cited a multiyear faculty review that found test scores, along with coursework and curriculum rigor, help predict student success. Columbia had been the first Ivy League school to suspend testing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the last to require it again. Princeton reinstated testing in October 2025. Other schools like MIT reported that scores improve predictions of academic performance. Critics argue the change may disadvantage low-income and underrepresented students lacking test prep resources. The decision comes as the Trump administration pushes for testing to reduce reliance on subjective factors in admissions. Despite these shifts, more than 90 percent of ranked four-year U.S. colleges will remain test-optional for fall 2026, according to FairTest.

Oklahoma hates fun (Min Wage Question)

In 2022 I kept expecting a GOP breakout given Biden’s JA and it never materialized. I can special plead that election (J6, Dobbs, candidate quality) but it might just be that we are too polarized for huge breakouts.