March 10, 2026

Now, on to the news…

Democratic politicians have become increasingly radical in their messaging and policy priorities. But a new Manhattan Institute poll finds that most of their voters are not.

In our survey of nearly 2,600 Democratic voters and 2024 Kamala Harris supporters, 38 percent said that their party should move toward the ideological center. A greater than 2-1 margin said that future leaders should focus on effective governing—not on fighting President Trump. Only about one in ten supports open borders, most want to restrict biological boys from competing in girls’ sports, and two in three still believe that America is a force for good.

“Contrary to broadly held assumption,” Jesse Arm writes, “the Democratic base is not a caricature coalition of socialist revolutionaries and woke militants. The activists are there, but they are a minority—and not a particularly large one.”

Read more about the survey.

In New York last year, state and federal Medicaid spending hit $115 billion. More than 43 percent of residents in the state are enrolled, and per-capita spending is higher than in any other state. Why? Fraud, corporate welfare, political coalitions, and incentives to expand the program as much as possible.

“Most of the growth in spending has come from expansions in patient eligibility and the types of services they can access,” Adam Lehodey writes. “This widespread reliance has real economic consequences. Workers competing in the marketplace grow more willing, perhaps even eager, to accept fewer hours, knowing that Medicaid already covers their health insurance and that earning more could push them above the eligibility threshold and leave them worse off.”

Read more on the program’s continual growth in the state.

Across the U.S., universities are embracing alternative grading strategies, often in the name of “equity.” Grading contracts, for instance, award marks based on students’ effort, not their work. Similarly, specification grading requires students to complete different tasks in order to achieve a particular grade.

“Alternative grading creates incentives for professors to grade leniently. Teachers who adopt contract grading tend to earn high ratings in student reviews,” Neetu Arnold writes. And universities are encouraged to use the method. She notes how one professor observed that “contract grading may be especially common in first-year classes or general education courses because ‘passage rates in general education courses are a major metric by which coordinating boards and legislatures assess institutional effectiveness.’”

Read more about the problem.

From John Milton to Christopher Hitchens, Britain has been home to a long line of outspoken defenders of free speech. The nation itself, however, has occasionally experienced paroxysms of repression—historically, against Catholics, Lollards, and Chartists, and today, against everyday Britons who advance unpopular ideas.

In City Journal’s winter issue, Darran Anderson examines free speech’s precarious position, not only in the U.K. but across the West. Countries increasingly penalize jokes, posts, and even prayers, while showing leniency to serious criminals.

“Freedom of speech is not a lone right,” Anderson argues. “It is the common denominator of all the others.”

This year, 55 members of the House of Representatives say they would rather retire or seek another office than run again. It’s a sign that many of them consider their jobs futile, sending a terrible signal to talented potential lawmakers.

“Watch an hour of C-Span and witness members deliver speeches clearly designed for social media,” Sam Kay writes. “They’re rewarded with likes and clicks, while members who quietly negotiate, build coalitions, and try to improve bills are rarely noticed—and, because of congressional gridlock, often fail to pass meaningful legislation. This environment is demoralizing for lawmakers who joined Congress to legislate.”

Read more about how we got here, and how Congress can restore regular order.

“I don’t know anyone that improved their lives with narcotics or weed. Or even alcohol for that matter. Legalizing and taxing it just amplifies the problems.”

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Duane Brosky, commenting on arguments to legalize and tax drugs 

Photo credits: BRYAN DOZIER / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images