Here at the tail end of the dog days of summer 2026 the feeling of uneasy calmness that has accompanied us since spring continues to stick around as we begin to transition into fall, the same way the humid air defies the setting sun and disempowers any cool breeze. I'm fortunate that I was able to take a few weeks off from reading the daily headlines, but I couldn't completely escape the noise.
Now that I'm back a quick glance at the headlines shows that I haven't missed much at all, the war that I predicted would become a forever war all the way back in June continues to grind on. Today's headlines are about how the US Navy is breaking records for time at sea, sailors jumping 60ft off the sides of their ships attempting to self harm.
There is a cyclospora outbreak sweeping the country, it's been generally linked to lettuce but no one has gotten to the source, other basic food items are being recalled, meat packaging facilities are shutting down because there aren't enough cows. I'm not cherry picking headlines at all, it seems no matter where you look the news is bad and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
I'm past all of this stuff enraging me, rage has it's place but being constantly enraged and doing nothing just leads to burnout. I have to dial back the rage and settle into a deep dissatisfaction while also pushing back against the way that Trumps constant firehose of lawbreaking is becoming normalized and calcified in the presidency.
Trump and his team do not move like people who are worried about being prosecuted after they lose power and I think it is because they never expect to lose power. As this continues to play out what I feel the most is a sort of sadness mixed with fear, sad for what we've already lost and also afraid that they might be right.