Ahead: @NinaTotenberg on what’s ahead for US courts after the mid-terms. Nina’s is the voice we all want to hear. And @DAcemogluMIT on what’s ahead a new congress might do that might lower prices.

The historic Democratic victory in the midterms is a lifeline for US democracy. It would be a mistake to minimize the importance of Democrats taking control of the House and the Senate and doing so resoundingly. Yet it would also be a huge mistake to fail to recognize that the toughest part starts now. Senator Jon Ossoff stated in his victory speech: “we must acknowledge that the underlying crisis gripping our republic remains and that therefore our most vital work lies ahead.” But even this frank assessment understates the severity of the challenge facing the party. Tuesday’s outcome was an anti-Trump vote. But it was delivered by the same frustrated voters that brought Trump to power and gave both houses to Republicans in 2024 in an anti-Biden vote. If Democrats cannot grapple with the obscene levels of inequality in this country, with the real affordability crisis and with the vexing problem of creating good jobs for Americans of all skills, the pendulum could swing back in 2028. Democrats need a platform that is at once realistic andradical to tackle the tremendous economic challenges for workers. Neither progressive Democrats’ reliance on taxes, transfers and traditional regulations, nor centrists’ attachment to the status quo, nor the wishful thinking of those banking on AI-driven “abundance” is radical enough. The inequality, affordability and jobs problems facing Americans will only get worse in the coming AI economy. Democrats need to articulate new aspirations and a new governing philosophy, as I have argued in my book What Happened to Liberal Democracy. These have to be centered on creating well-paid, career-building jobs for all workers, and especially those without a college degree, who have been left behind in the postindustrial economy of the last half century. This agenda must start with a workable plan for redirecting AI, so that this promising technology isn’t shaped by the dreams of a small cadre intent on artificial superintelligence and automation of most of what humans do. We must instead articulate why it is feasible and desirable to build pro-worker AI and how this can create jobs and decent incomes for workers. We must also propose policies to help a new pro-worker AI economy (and some of the elements of such a policy are outlined in this piece: more details can be found here: This effort must be accompanied by a broad enough Democratic tent that recognizes the cultural as well as economic discontent of working-class communities. The worst response to Tuesday’s results would be for Democrats to rest on their laurels. The hard work starts now.

And Brazil defeated extremism, guns, environmental destruction, militarization, democratic threat, and organized crime ruling politics. It’s not going to be easy for Lula, he will need to do a very different government, but what a beautiful mobilization of civil society

Dear followers, please see this Substack from @MITshapingwork about my research with Andrea Manera and Pascual Retrepo on the US tax code's bias toward automation. How the US tax code incentivizes companies to replace workers with AI

Hi @elonmusk , we’ve conducted the most comprehensive study to date on tax unfairness in the United States. We found that you, like your fellow billionaires, pay a lower effective tax rate than the average American. So if you really want to help the American people, I have a better suggestion than charity: pay more taxes. 🧵

Team Erdoğan’s corruption has become unsustainable. In a normal country, the leader would hit reset. Erdoğan may no longer be able to. Too many of his cronies now have vested interests in the status quo. A real cleanup would jeopardize the arrangements that keep them loyal.

Over 400 researchers and I have signed this open letter calling for the AI and security communities to come together to improve alignment and containment approaches in order to protect our critical infrastructure and digital systems.

Are you also worried about the future of democracy? Come and join us for this conversation with @DAcemogluMIT on Tuesday October 13! Prof. Acemoglu is asking the right question: Can ‘working-class liberalism’ heal liberal democracy?