Coming up from the deep waters of academia to notice the growing alarm around the world…. Paris was on fire from economic protesters. Ukraine was betrayed by a U.S. president waiving Russia sanctions that were just signed into law. And the West Bank is unsafe even to diplomats and journalists because masked Israelis made it so.

Stateside, in a society with more guns than people, an Oregonian child kills children even younger than he, along with a teacher. Ivy League Cornell University appears to stand on its head the concept of zero tolerance, as if the “Me Too” movement never occurred. And a nation with an enviable Constitution stands two weeks out from a chance at restoring its principles sooner rather than later.

Since QC began with the second Trump administration there has always been more to talk about than time to do so, and this first semester of the 2026-2027 school year provides no exception. It is a point on which former NBC News Political Director and Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and I commiserated. He is also lecturing in a classroom this term but carved out time for a recorded catch up, excerpted in Clips for subscribers.

Apologies and thanks to continued readers, as QC content remains thinner than the news suggests it should. Rest assured with Election Day fast upon us, I will be quipping as I grade papers. Until then, the election according to Chuck Todd: