Three to Get Ready for March 18, 2026

Bad News First

The news can be disheartening, but it can also keep us motivated to participate in democracy. Let’s take a quick peek at what's happening.

1. Oil prices are volatile and on the rise. Perhaps not coincidentally, DOGE ensured there’d be no one around to fix it. Luckily, this is the least of our concerns, as the administration sees it.
2. The U.S. Postal Service may run out of money next year.
3. A federal appeals court paused a lower court’s order halting deportations to unrelated third countries without due process. (P.S. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear emergency petitions on termination of temporary protected status for migrants from Haiti and Syria, allowing those individuals to retain legal status while the case proceeds.)

But Here’s the Good News

Across the country, there are public servants showing up and doing the hard work of implementing the nation's laws. Go federal district courts, go!

1. In a suit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a federal judge blocked the Department of Health and Human Services from revising the childhood vaccine schedule.
2. Another judge ruled that the administration must continue funding the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
3. Yet another judge blocked administration efforts to make it more difficult for people in Colorado to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

And Here’s What You Can Do

Curate your news sources, so you're receiving a reasonable amount of trusted information (as opposed to a firehose of BS).

1. For encouraging news about up-and-coming progressive candidates, sign up for Run for Something Good News updates.
2. To stay on top of threats to free and fair elections, check out Democracy Docket.
3. Stay informed with The Status Kuo, which provides political news and context, minus the rage-bait.