By Colby Etherton Lord, what a year 2021 was in the world of politics.  West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has effectively killed Biden’s Build Back Better plan, publicly announcing that he’s a “no” on the sweeping legislation that Democrats have been negotiating with each other on for months. It’s felt never-ending; a slow crawl toward

By Colby Etherton The last few weeks of November were a mixed bag for Democrats, who have been struggling to make their case to voters ahead of next year’s mid-term elections. It would appear on paper that some things are going in the right direction: Over 500,000 jobs were added in the month of October,

By Colby Etherton Throughout October, negotiations were going on regarding President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, originally a $3.5 trillion package meant to reshape the role of government in public life, and arguably the biggest social safety net expansion since FDR’s New Deal. The bill included 12 weeks of paid medical leave, free community

By Colby Etherton Pressure is ramping up for Biden to enact his agenda. Thus far, he’s had little luck when it comes to his party being on the same page on legislation. Democrats are still in disagreement on the size and scope of his infrastructure proposals. It seems likely that the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package

By Colby Etherton In the early stages of a new administration, most presidents tend to enjoy high public approval ratings. Known as a “honeymoon period,” those initial high marks tend to fade as an administration progresses. That period may be ending sooner than anticipated for Biden as we are experiencing a new wave of pandemic

By Colby Etherton It’s been a frustrating time for congressional Democrats, who are becoming increasingly pressured to deliver on a major part of President Joe Biden’s agenda: a sweeping infrastructure package that ranges from Medicaid expansion to aggressive measures meant to combat climate change. What “infrastructure” entails is a debate in and of itself. Democrats

By Colby Etherton Much of President Joe Biden’s agenda faces an uphill battle due to the narrow 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate. Biden’s $1.9 trillion dollar COVID relief plan eked through Congress entirely on party lines, due to a process known as budget reconciliation, which is typically only allowed once per fiscal year. Biden

By Colby Etherton As extremely cold temperatures hit Texas in February, Texans all around the state experienced blackouts and a water crisis. Being privy to other parts of the country facing worse temperatures year-round than we do, many were left wondering how this could have happened. There was a multitude of reasons, and sadly, many

By Colby Etherton As soon as early voting started on October 13, Texas saw record numbers of people coming out to vote. By October 30, Texas had exceeded 100 percent of its total 2016 turnout with more than nine million Texans casting their ballots before Election Day. Those incredible numbers hopefully point to a shift

By Colby Etherton On Sept. 29, the first of three presidential debates took place between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. The debate was largely deemed a shit show, as Trump flew off the rails and constantly (literally, constantly) interrupted Biden. It appeared to be a deliberate strategy to throw off Biden and