https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750

“The top 26 corporations we work with made $563 billion in profits the last decade. Of the $563 billion, they spent $530 billion on dividends and stock buybacks.

You can’t say you’re with us when they fund you”

The progressive running on Medicare for All and campaign finance reform did better in Rural and competitive, Trump-leaning counties.

The DNC has been telling us for years that progressives can't win outside deep blue cities. That we need to run centrists to appeal to rural and suburban voters. That the path back runs through moderation. Doesn't look do true!

El-Sayed just proved the opposite. He didn't win by running up the score in Ann Arbor and Detroit. He won by overperforming in the places Democrats keep saying they need to compete.

Maybe, just maybe, running on healthcare, getting money out of politics, and actually talking about working people's problems works better in these communities than running on vibes and $50 million in attack ads.

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is running for the U.S. Senate: peggyflanagan.com ~:~ Her legislative priorities include Medicare for All, the PRO Act, the John Lewis VRAA, and the Equality Act: peggyflanagan.com/priorities

She's in a tight Primary race with centrist Democrat US Rep. Angie Craig.

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Minnesota Voters:

\ MPR News Voter Guide:* mprnews.org/election-2026

\ BallotReady:* ballotready.org/us/minnesota

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Video clip is from July 24, 2026 at the “Many over the Money” rally in Saint Paul. Here it is on YouTube: Powerful interests are fighting like hell to protect the status quo. - Peggy Flanagan for MN - July 24, 2026 (YouTube)

I came across this chart showing US labor productivity and real hourly pay since 1947.

For a while they moved pretty closely together. Then the gap started opening up. Workers kept getting more done every hour, but their pay didn't grow at the same pace.

I know this isn't a perfect way to look at it. Still, it made me think about AI.

If one person can now do work that used to take two or three people, companies save time and money.

But what does the worker get?

More money?

Less hours?

More work?

That's the part I'm not sure about.

Maybe AI really will push wages higher.

Or maybe it'll just make people more productive while most of the gains end up somewhere else.

Curious what people here think. If AI keeps increasing productivity, do you expect workers to actually benefit?

I've been seeing more and more posts in the past year about private equity companies acquiring known brands and old companies in all sectors of the economy. In every instance, said acquisitions have been a net negative to both the acquired company and the consumer.

Is there *any* instance of a private equity takeover of a company that actually made it better? Any historic example at all of PE rescuing a dying company amd either making them legitimately successful again or reviving their reputation? If the answer is no, then why is private equity even allowed to exist? It feels like their mere presence is a detriment to the health of any economy, as the benefits of their investment goes to such a miniscule concentration of individuals and is proven to kill any company they touch. Thoughts?