The Equally Passionate But Less Fraught Graham Platner July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 But first . . . Does Trump’s not releasing the Epstein files as required by law make the 38,000 times his name appears any less concerning? He’s accused of abusing a 13-year-old! How about his starting a disastrous war? Or alienating all our allies? Or starving children, the elderly, veterans, and the disabled? Is that a concern? Heather Cox Richardson: The front page of yesterday’s New York Times featured some of the 440,000 Americans from Arizona alone who have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits . . . Those Arizona residents include Dee McDonald, a 65-year-old cancer survivor who weighs 69 pounds and skips meals to feed her three teenaged grandsons. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins celebrates the cuts, claiming the program is rife with fraud. Like other Republicans, she cites error rates. But error rates usually reflect mistakes in classification numbers by caseworkers, not fraudulent use of services. . . . I was on a zoom with Troy Jackson yesterday, the presumptive Democratic nominee to defeat Susan Collins and help flip the Senate 102 days from now. He’s Graham Platner without the tattoo or the sexting — former President of the Maine Senate, yet about as plain-spoken and worker-friendly as you can imagine. I maxed out on the spot. Help if you can. And join today’s 3pm Indivisible call. BONUS The DNC Is Building a Democratic Party That Can Win. Lend your support.