MICROBYTE: NOVEMBER 3, 2026, THE DAY OF RECKONING.

Midterm elections can often be more important than more glamorous, more media-focused than the Presidentials. You have to hand it to our canny founders and their diabolical system of checks and balances. The midterms are the voters' opportunity to express how they feel about the accomplishments, or lack thereof, of the President’s previous two years.

The history books record that voters in the United States frequently vote against the party in office. In fact, there have been only a handful of exceptions where the President’s party gained seats. (Roosevelt in 1934, Clinton in 1998, and G.W. Bush in 2002, in 2022, Biden’s party gained one Senate seat. Only Roosevelt and Bush saw their party gain seats in both houses.)

Loss of the House or the Senate, or both, puts a gigantic check on a President’s power. 

Given the importance of the midterms, it’s puzzling that they are the elections Americans choose to sit out the most. 

Millennials and Gen Z combined (ages 18-44): Data specifically grouping Millennials and Gen Z together is limited, but the best available estimates show that 34% of registered Gen Z and Millennial voters cast a ballot nationwide. In highly contested states, this turnout rate was higher, at 39%.

‼️ Here’s what’s at stake next year: 

33 of the 100 Senate seats will be up for election in 2026. (Senate seats are contested every six years.)

MICROBYTE: GUESS WHO’LL BE PAYING OUR $37 TRILLION FEDERAL DEBT?

Think about it, there’s only one place the government gets its money, We The People. Simple economics: we pay taxes, and the government spends the money. When, during one fiscal year, it spends more money than it takes in, that is called the Federal Deficit.  And when you add up all the accumulated deficits, the total is called the National Debt. That adds up to a whopping $37 billion. Now, in fairness, most of the ways they spend our money make sense, and we need a lot of the services the government provides. And, no, a government should not be run like a business. However, while I’m certainly not a fan of Chain-Saw Elon and his merry band of unqualified, fire-breathing tech-bros, I do believe that a healthy percentage of what the government spends is wasted in various ways, really too many to chronicle here. And, I’m afraid the only way to end the deficit, balance the Federal Budget, and keep the things We The People want and need is by electing people who are qualified to deal with something this complex, and determined to do it thoughtfully and carefully.

Until that happens, at least you should know what an out-of-control and growing budget deficit will cost you. It has a domino effect.

Slower income growth (not just for companies, you too), higher interest rates on loans, increased risk of inflation, still, higher taxes and service cut-backs,  less ability to respond to crisis, and, of course, your kids will not thank you for passing the Debt onto them.

Now, who’s gonna turn this train around? As usual, We The People. We are the final check and balance in the check and balance system. And just how are we gonna do that? 

I suggest you get on the phone with the people you sent to Washington. Call the Capital Switchboard (see number below in How To Take Action), and a very pleasant operator will connect you immediately. 

And, I’d go one step further, email the Commander in Chief of Budget Proposals, his email address is [email protected] 

This is no time for polite conversation; tell the whole gang what you expect them to do. And remind them that the mid-terms are just around the corner.

😆 Steven Colbert: “Big road trip weekend, Memorial Day is the kick-off to summer, of course. And this year, road travel is expected to break all records, with 45 million Americans expected to hit the road––and they will all be in line ahead of you for the bathroom at the James Fennimore Cooper service area.”

(Nice to take a rest from politics occasionally, right?)

AGE OF REVOLUTIONS. Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the present. (Fareed Zakaria, CNN Host and best-selling author.) 

In this new release, Fareed Zakaria chronicles the eras, events, and movements that have shaken norms and shaped the modern world. First, the series of transformations in the 17th Century, which made tiny Netherlands the richest nation in the world. Second, the French Revolution and the bloody aftermath that haunts us to this day. And, third, the “mother of all revolutions,” the Industrial Revolution that catapulted Great Britain and the US to global dominance. And alongside those, Zakaria explores four present world-shaping revolutions: globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics.

(Definitely not a 🏖️ beach book, but well worth the effort.)As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases.