Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-10-21 Wednesday

Headlines for October 21, 2026 

Flamingo Revolution: Albania Protests Escalate over Corruption & Kushner/Trump Luxury Resort 

"When the Bubble Bursts": Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor on Reclaiming Democracy from AI Oligarchs

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-10-21-wednesday/id75648468

 

No Prophets: A Chat with Reps. Jared Huffman and Mark Pocan (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

In this discussion, Jared Huffman shares his insights on Christian nationalism, its implications on American politics, and the role of secularism in countering these movements. The conversation delves into the theological underpinnings of Christian nationalism, its factions, and how it influenced events like January 6th.

Interview: 

https://freethought-tv.maz.tv/apps/846/3135159-3236191/f7e90d9405c12540676b2c5b4657399f-3386461-3488138/59877387c271d941cb09635a08420c06-4529874-4648558?

But Wait, There's More! (Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on YouTube)

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision de facto killed climate legislation. Then, they blew up the Clean Power Plan, killing climate regulation. And now, through a new case before the Court, they’re targeting climate litigation.

In this episode, former Governor Jay Inslee joins Senator Whitehouse to discuss the role our nation’s highest court has played in stopping climate action.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/eQP29GlYKZk?si=RhGSGhfSQtw7N10t

Discovery of North Carolina police officers’ alleged racist texts prompts review of arrest records

Five officers resigned recently from a North Carolina police agency – and a sixth remained suspended – after they allegedly exchanged racist texts…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/north-carolina-police-officers-alleged-racist-texts

 

Take Me Home, Country Drones

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIKlPC6JiwQ

 

Nato increases Black Sea deployment amid escalating deadly Russian attacks

Mounting anxiety as Russia’s war on Ukraine reaches Nato’s borders with targeting of vessels transporting agricultural cargo…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/20/nato-black-sea-deployment-escalating-russian-attacks-ships

 

JD Vance falsely blames Biden policy for high gas prices. Iran war is mainly to blame. – PolitiFact

Market forces and global events like pandemics and wars tend to influence refinery production more than presidential policy, and the most obvious cause of today’s high gasoline prices is the Iran war, which was launched by President Donald Trump. California, not the U.S., has lost 20% of its oil refining capacity; the nation’s refining capacity has been largely stable. Climate change and energy policies introduced by former President Joe Biden could play a long-term role in nudging refinery operators to cut back or shut down facilities, experts say…

 https://politifact.com/factchecks/2026/oct/19/jd-vance/biden-gasoline-prices-refineries-cbs-town-hall/

A MAGA-Aligned Pollster Says Trump Faces Disaster in the Midterms

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TWc_4Os6--0

 

United Airlines CEO faces rightwing backlash after calling for US wealth tax

Scott Kirby says wealth inequality is a ‘danger to society’ and calls for inheritance tax in recent interview…

 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/scott-kirby-united-wealth-tax-backlash

 

'The Art of the Deal’ co-author on Donald Trump

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Rr_GIhzPXZY

 

Poll: Voters see Republicans as the party of Big Tech tax breaks - POLITICO

Stripping tax incentives from tech companies rated as one of the top tax priorities in the midterms, according to the POLITICO Poll…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/20/poll-voters-see-republicans-as-the-party-of-big-tech-tax-breaks-01127726 

 

Trump blatantly lies to his supporters on the daily. They're so pathetic they come back for more.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJXrbbWSALI

 

Why Gavin Newsom REALLY Opposes a Billionaire Tax

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aO3NmMAJXXc

 

 

Is JD Vance suggesting that immigrants have brought a culture of revolution and protest to France?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BH5wXOeCGFs

 

Thousands of foster kids under state guardianship not being monitored, audit finds

The report also raised concerns that the agency didn’t consistently review homes after children were placed. Regarding medical care, at times, children underwent nonemergency procedures without MCI consent…

https://www.michiganpublic.org/social-justice/2026-10-19/thousands-of-foster-kids-under-state-guardianship-not-being-monitored-audit-finds 

 

US has resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine about Russian strikes, says Zelenskyy

Advance warnings of missile attacks were seemingly suspended last week by the White House, but Ukraine’s president says: ‘Now it works’…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/20/us-has-resumed-sharing-intelligence-with-ukraine-about-russian-strikes-says-zelenskyy

 

5 things to know about the Michigan Supreme Court race

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/019Fio6QZ2U

 

Abdul El-Sayed responds to Trump's attacks on his name

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jKOetieAyGY

 

Republicans push back on Donald Trump’s wavering support for Ukraine

GOP lawmakers threaten to pull support for president’s agenda after Russia diesel deal and sanctions pause…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/republicans-push-back-trump-ukraine-russia

 

In ruby-red Kansas, Trump contemplates the possibility of a Democratic win in the state

The president came out in support of Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/trump-kansas-rally-us-midterm-election-possibility-state-democratic-win

 

Trump LIES about Iowa Steel Mill

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/47RaI6cp9v0

 

Atheists vs. White Evangelicals on Empathy!

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yOwUslSyfqg

 

Voters Are Furious About Corruption – Mother Jones

Back in May, a Brennan Center poll found 92 percent people, of all political affiliations, believe corruption is a major problem in politics. Those respondents had pretty broad and varying definitions of what “corruption” means. But almost everyone agreed that politicians using their offices for personal gain, or putting the interests of billionaires and big corporations over the interests of voters, qualified. And, just like the participants in the GOP focus group, 79 percent of the Brennan Center respondents felt that corruption was getting in the way of the government’s solving everyday problems… 

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/voters-corruption-donald-trum/ 

 

‘For Panama, it is life or death’: how drought is choking the canal that feeds a nation

Failed rains and a dire El Niño threaten the waterway that sustains the country, with farmers selling cattle to survive…

 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/20/panama-canal-environment-water-drought-el-nino-farming

 

Trump is promising farmers $8B. Republicans are praying it will save their campaigns. - POLITICO

The promise comes two weeks before Election Day — and the payments could still face a fight ahead in Congress…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/20/trump-farmers-payments-gop-midterms-01128165

 

‘It’s the most heartbreaking thing’: the active-duty soldiers who have to visit Texas food banks

Nearly half of enlisted families struggled to afford enough food last year. Congress has known for decades how to solve the problem…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/military-families-food-banks

 

They Wanted Christian Invocations. They Got “Hail Satan” Instead.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiJkfGt8X64

 

Man who heckled El-Sayed is son of Republican adviser who was paid for ‘influencer marketing’

Timmy Teepell’s firm paid $250,000 by America Next, which has been trying to gin up ‘organic’ opposition to El-Sayed

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/abdul-el-sayed-heckler

 

NEW LINCOLN PROJECT AD: Home Office Moscow

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP4xSZ7NaE8

 

The Ilhan Omar Raid, Russ Vought, and the Plan to Refuse to Seat Democrats (w/ Max from UNFTR) (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi is joined by Matthew D. Taylor, author of Defying Tyrants, to discuss the raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home 22 days before the midterms, which came inside the Justice Department’s usual 60-day window for avoiding overt investigative steps. 

They weigh the evidence that the raid is politically motivated, including years of debunked conspiracy theories about her immigration story, pressure from right-wing influencers, and Trump’s rhetoric about the Somali community, while also acknowledging that a warrant was issued and that questions about her immigration paperwork remain open. 

They also consider Andy Craig’s argument that the case threatens Congress’s constitutional power to judge its own members, and what it could signal as a trial balloon for 2028. Max from UNFTR then joins to discuss Russ Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget: his Christian nationalism, his role in Project 2025 and impoundment, and a Center for Renewing America piece outlining how members-elect might be refused the oath of office in the next Congress. 

The conversation closes with thoughts on how citizens and institutions can prepare, including mass action and what Democrats need to do after the midterms.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ilhan-omar-raid-russ-vought-and-the-plan-to/id1441649707?i=1000796236915

Vatican upholds excommunication of US deacon who resigned after son was molested by priest

“While I am disappointed, I am not surprised,” Peyton said in the statement, which also clarified that he had since moved on from the Anglican church to a nondenominational congregation. “Apparently, according to Bishop Deshotel, finding a faith community where my family can worship without reliving the trauma endured is a greater scandal to the Diocese of Lafayette than the sexual abuse of a child. I find that deeply troubling.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/19/catholic-church-excommunication-appeal-louisiana 

 

John’s Jesus Didn’t Pre-Exist. The Word Did. (w/ Dustin Smith) (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

"In the beginning was the Word," but what if the Word wasn't Jesus?

New Testament scholar Dustin Smith (Spartanburg Methodist College, host of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast) joins us to unpack his book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John, showing how John's prologue takes what Jewish tradition said about personified Wisdom (present at creation, tabernacling among humans, offering bread, wine, and life) and applies it to Jesus.

Along the way: why "monotheism" once meant the doctrine of the Unitarians, why the women in John understand Jesus better than the Twelve, and why John's Jesus may be more human than you were taught.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:38 Meet Dustin Smith
1:38 Monotheism once meant Unitarianism
2:59 What is Unitarianism?
4:06 Wisdom Christology in John
5:39 Christology 101
7:00 Lady Wisdom in Proverbs
8:37 Proverbs 31 embodies Wisdom
10:05 Wisdom made flesh in Judaism
12:14 Word, Wisdom, and Spirit
13:46 Wisdom in John's prologue
19:02 Did John read Philo?
20:36 Why "Word," not "Wisdom"?
21:49 Not a conscious Logos
23:06 The Word at the baptism
26:32 Did Jesus pre-exist?
33:34 Wisdom, Torah, and John 10
35:31 John's misunderstanding motif
37:47 "You are gods"
39:02 Why is Wisdom a woman?
44:24 Women as ideal disciples
47:32 The Samaritan woman
49:21 John vs. the Synoptics
51:09 John's very human Jesus
53:44 Can disciples share divinity?
57:20 Why this matters today
1:00:52 Wrap-up and new website

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/YYjWcwsPZtM?si=krhS4-K3X5m9BQUe

Michael Bloomberg spends $80m on Democrats as Trump moves $400m to Republican candidates

Billionaire ex-mayor of New York City is focusing funds on House races to help Democrats retake majority in midterms…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/michael-bloomberg-donation-democrats-midterms

 

Tamara Keith and Carrie Dann on Trump's approval rating hitting a record low | PBS News

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Carrie Dann of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including a new poll putting President Trump's approval rating at a record low, the amount of money being spent on Senate races, Trump escalating his feud with Ukraine's president and Trump's attempts to remake Washington…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tamara-keith-and-carrie-dann-on-trumps-approval-rating-hitting-a-record-low

 

When Religion Owns Your Mind

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCw2np-WprU3

 

7 Arguments for God - SHREDDED Part 4 of 8

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MfrsaZRKvXw

 

Kansas Senate race on a knife edge as Democrats aim to end 94 years of Republican dominance

Some recent polls even put Democrat Adam Hamilton on course for a historic victory. Kansans have not sent a representative of the party to the US Senate since 1932…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/kansas-senate-race-democrat-adam-hamilton 

How the Global Climate Fiasco Fueled France’s Student Revolt – Mother Jones

Sweltering school conditions—and government’s failure to adapt—helped spawn a political crisis…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/france-student-revolt-riots-school-conditions-extreme-heat-climate-crisis/

 

Donald Trump Asked Texas for Five More Republicans. Voters Might Have Other Plans. – Mother Jones

“I’m meeting more fed-up Republicans than I ever have.”…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/texas-midterms-bobby-garcia-greg-casar-bobby-pulido-gerrymandering/

 

Alberta voters reject plan for referendum to leave Canada

Result is a victory for prime minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unity…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/20/canada-alberta-rejects-independence-succession-referendum 

Not a single piece of evidence for evolution? (Is evolution true? Part 6)

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/58bh_agsTTU

 

DoJ’s suspected non-citizens list includes ‘high percentage’ of those born in US, LA officials say

The statement revealed in court papers raises questions about the reliability of the list of 20,000 people in California…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/doj-non-citizens-la

White Christian Nationalists Will Gather In Texas To Lay Out 'Battle Plans to seize power.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjKQdQU8SEs

 

The Fine-Tuning Argument for Atheism

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxgeHHJ1zNE

 

You Fired Her for Lying, Donald? 🎤 | Paula Poundstone #shorts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gnRvtm2Y6pg