November 5—The Republican controlled House of Representatives passed legislation on Friday designed to cut the Environmental Protection Agency's budget to its lowest level in 30 years.

November 5—Former president Donal Trump, whom Republican renegade Lynn Cheney recently named the "single most dangerous threat" to the United States (Guardian article) referred, at a November 2 campaign rally, to those serving prison terms for the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 as "hostages" (Reuters story). Trump is running neck and neck, and in some polls leading Joe Biden in a hypothetical electoral match-up in 2024. Democrats must learn to craft messages designed to appeal to a solild mass of the American public.

November 5—Gun policy is in the news this week, with a federal appeals court upholding an Illinois assault weapon ban and the Supreme Court set to rule on a federal ban on bump stocks.

November 5—Divisions over Israel's invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attack of October 7, in which 1,350 Israelis were killed, are roiling the Democratic Party, threatening coordinated action toward social democratic goals (AP News stories). Former president Barack Obama spoke out on the conflict at the Obama Foundation "Democracy Forum" on November 3, calling for recognition of Israel's right to exist, an end to the occupation of Palestinian terriotories and a two-state solution (The Hill story).

November 3—A record total of $80.8 million has been raised to fund 140 Virginia General Assembly races as of the end of October, or $577,000 per candidate. The ever higher costs of political campaigns can only increase the influence of money, and those who have the most of it, on political outcomes, protecting the interests not of the general public but of its wealthiest members. The Social Democrat supports public funding of political campaigns.

November 3—New Republican House speaker Mike Johnson has countered President Biden's gambit to tie aid to Israel to further Ukraine aid and U.S. border security with a proposal that addresses only aid to Israel, a Republican priority, while cutting the IRS budget. Johnson's bill will be D.O.A. in the Senate, says Senate leader Chuck Shumer.

November 3—The Biden administration has announced $653 million in grants to 41 ports across the U.S., the latest announcements growing out of Biden's successful championing of infrastructure legislation since 2021. The improvement will help alleviate the kind of port bottlenecks experienced during the recent pandemic .

November 3—Congressperson Dean Phillips will loan his fledging run for the Democratic presidential nomination $2 million from his personal funds as he struggles to raise money for his campaign. Phillips, heir to the Phillips Distillery Company, has a net worth of over $70 million. The Social Democrat supports public funding of campaigns

November 3—Desmond Mills, one of five Memphis police officers who participated in the beating death of Fed Ex driver Tyre Nichols on January 6 of this year, has pleaded guity in exchange for a reduction of a possible life sentence to 15 years. He has also agreed to cooperate with prosecutors' case against the remaining four defendants.

November 3—The historic settlement reached by the United Auto Workers and the "Big Three" American automakers earlier this week is already having knock-on effects: Toyota has announced wage increases of 9% for workers in its American plants.

November 3—New York attorney general Letitia James has announced a $328 million settlement in her multi-year investigation of unfair labor practices by ride-share giants Uber and Lyft.

November 1—Recent agreements between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three American auto companies will bring top assembly work pay to $42 per hour by 2028; Ford says this will add between $850 and $900 to the cost of producing a new car. Will these costs be passed on to consumers (AP News article), or will the big auto makers, whose profits rose 92% between 2013 and 2022, absorb the costs (Economic Policy article)?

November 1—President Biden heads to Minnesota as part of a coordinated effort to woo rural voters into the Democrat fold. In spite of unprecedented investments through the Biden-sponsored Inflation Reduction Act of 2023, and in spite of wide support for kitchen table issues like health care and social security, culturally tradional rural Americans remain a hard sell for Democrats. 

November 1—Friends of social democracy are closely watching governors' races in two southern states next Tuesday: Democrat Andy Beshear is defending his office in Kentucky, and in Mississippi Brandon Presley is challenging incumbent Republican Tate Reeves. The contests may give some indication as to whether Democrats can win locally in spite of President Biden's low approval ratings.

November 1—Israel's ground invasion of Gaza is underway; the death toll now stands at 8,525 in Gaza and 1,400 in Israel, with 25,531 injured in Gaza and 5,431 Israeli injured. The war is having serious repercussions in the U.S., with parties identifying with either side in the conflict expressing their feelings in protests across the country.