Loved the previous 2025 wrap-up conversation, and this one looking ahead. Whatever is in store, I’m very happy to be with you all again for another year.
My word of the year for 2026 is “student” since I find myself enrolled in literary seminars, writing workshops and pilgrimages that are going to cover the entire year. Just thinking about soaking up and reveling in words for a whole year is filling me with such anticipatory delight.
(Not to mention all the brand new empty notebooks waiting to be filled ☺️).
And I’m sure that Taylor’s wedding will be lovely and all, but my youngest son is also getting married in June 2026 and I only have eyes for that one 😍😍
I so wish Sarah gets invited to that wedding or to one of the events of that wedding.
For 2026, I want to see my country of former nationality free from the 25+ years disaster of the Bolivarian Revolution without an invasion. There are not army or militias just hungry, desperate people.
Sarah, I thought your word of the year was initially Less but then you changed it to something else because you didn't like the negative connotation? I can't remember what you changed it to but Prayer doesn't sound familiar.
I have also been thinking I want my word of the year to be Analog. I was an early adopter of social media because it was such a great way to connect with people on a global scale. I made so many friends in education in the early years of Twitter who are still my dear friends over a decade later. But... social media is no longer social media. It is bots and trolls and manipulative algorithms. What once was a place for connection has turned into full-on psychological warfare.
All that to say, I am finding ways to try to disconnect more and more...
In January I started taking a figure skating class. Because after the horror of the 2024 election, I decided I needed some joy in my life and needed to find something to get me moving that I wouldn't hate. I've also started writing in a journal more. These are my two very intentional ways of going analog. I definitely need more suggestions though.
Needless to say, I am here for all the ways Pantsuit Politics listeners are going more analog in 2026.
The food-borne illness or some other viral outbreak possibility also seems highly likely to me. And I feel quite anxious about it. And when I am not anxious I just get so angry at the anti-government, anti-establishment sentiment that has enabled this. Who else do you think inspects food, roads, buildings, etc. to make sure that they are safe? That is what a government is for!
The tariffs have gone back and forth so much this year that I have no idea where they are at (which maybe is their goal?)
I have noticed as a piano teacher that I continue to get more and more adult students which I hope is indicative of a larger trend of looking for more analog activities.
Beth's point about civic literacy and supporting schools reminded me that I was going to post these opportunities from iCivics. The deadline was extended to 12/22, which I know is soon, and not the most opportune time, but I wanted to spread the word anyway!
Civic Leadership Academy- This program is for master teachers and district leaders who have a strong foundation of content knowledge in social studies/civics. This Academy focuses on teaching facilitation skills for adult learners so they can facilitate Professional Learning Sessions in their Districts/Communities. We are looking for 20 educators to join the cohort. There is a $1000 stipend. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BytDol5o6wwdW4Nl6RYZ9JwPrBJJd-yR/view?usp=sharing
iCivics Educator Institute- This program is open to any K-12 Educator in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut and New Hampshire. It is also open to preservice social studies educators. The iCivics Educator Institute offers a unique and dynamic experience for dedicated classroom teachers to join a vibrant community of practice where you will collaborate with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and gain invaluable knowledge, skills, and resources to integrate and teach civic knowledge and skills to your students preparing the next generation of informed and engaged citizens. We are looking for 170 educators. There is a $300 dollar stipend. There are specific flyers for each state for this program because we will have a midwest cohort and an east coast cohort.
You mentioned AI in the healthcare space, and I just want to say it’s coming fast - it’s really already here. I work for a large healthcare system and just attended an event that brought in collaborators from a local university who are all interested in AI. Everyone is chomping at the bit over this! A huge focus of the annual conference I attend was on AI in research. I see a couple of big things with this. 1) In the research space, FDA and OHRP have no real guidance on this (not surprising since federal research offices have been decimated). FDA does have some guidance on software as “medical devices” which might include AI. 2) In research we’re talking about both using AI to conduct research and conducting research on AI. So on one hand you might use AI to build protocols and consents or develop treatments or analyze data, or even review the study to determine whether it meets criteria for approval. And then on the other hand, using patient data to teach these AI platforms how to better diagnosis disease. All that to say that it’s fascinating and scary and we’re all out here figuring it out together.
I don’t know how all of the publishing/posting works, but for the free episodes that we don’t listen to in Substack, is there a way to post this comment space earlier? I listen to most episodes around 6:30am 😬 and then forget what I wanted to say by the time there’s a place to comment. Today I had 2 comments and now forget my 2nd. 🤦🏻♀️ This is probably just a me problem.
On the Supreme Court, I think the most palatable step to get a minority consensus would be a term limit. I would make it 14 year limits with someone up every two years. That means a president gets two nominations per term, and 14 years is short enough that I don't think it'll get muddled too much with deaths in office. I like the idea from other courts where after 14 years they can stay on as "senior" justices. Maybe the senior justices take over the appeal regions that are currently assigned to justices so that A) the primary justices could have more time to work their actual cases, and B) it keeps the primary justices neutral going into the cases they adopt.
On the Taylor/Travis wedding, I agree that I it will be incredibly private. We recently attended a wedding for my best friend from high school that achieved celebrity status on YouTube... and they were VERY careful with the guest list to select people that were closest to them AND would honor their wishes to maintain the utmost privacy for safety concerns. They hired off duty cops for security, and we had to check and hand over our phones when we came in almost like a coat check. That was really weird at first when all those moments would come up when you wanted to take a picture, but it also was so freeing and led to more people interacting and more of their genuine selves
Loved the previous 2025 wrap-up conversation, and this one looking ahead. Whatever is in store, I’m very happy to be with you all again for another year.
My word of the year for 2026 is “student” since I find myself enrolled in literary seminars, writing workshops and pilgrimages that are going to cover the entire year. Just thinking about soaking up and reveling in words for a whole year is filling me with such anticipatory delight.
(Not to mention all the brand new empty notebooks waiting to be filled ☺️).
And I’m sure that Taylor’s wedding will be lovely and all, but my youngest son is also getting married in June 2026 and I only have eyes for that one 😍😍
I so wish Sarah gets invited to that wedding or to one of the events of that wedding.
For 2026, I want to see my country of former nationality free from the 25+ years disaster of the Bolivarian Revolution without an invasion. There are not army or militias just hungry, desperate people.
Finally, my word for 2026 is “No”
Thanks for making this year bearable, PP an SC.
Sarah's parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift makes me feel so much better for thinking of Sarah and Beth as my wise older sisters 😂
Sarah, I thought your word of the year was initially Less but then you changed it to something else because you didn't like the negative connotation? I can't remember what you changed it to but Prayer doesn't sound familiar.
I have also been thinking I want my word of the year to be Analog. I was an early adopter of social media because it was such a great way to connect with people on a global scale. I made so many friends in education in the early years of Twitter who are still my dear friends over a decade later. But... social media is no longer social media. It is bots and trolls and manipulative algorithms. What once was a place for connection has turned into full-on psychological warfare.
All that to say, I am finding ways to try to disconnect more and more...
In January I started taking a figure skating class. Because after the horror of the 2024 election, I decided I needed some joy in my life and needed to find something to get me moving that I wouldn't hate. I've also started writing in a journal more. These are my two very intentional ways of going analog. I definitely need more suggestions though.
Needless to say, I am here for all the ways Pantsuit Politics listeners are going more analog in 2026.
Now that you say that I remember a conversation about the word citrus?
I am traveling to Taiwan in the spring with my husband and in-laws (my mother in law is Taiwanese) and Sarah’s comment made me nervous! 😬
The food-borne illness or some other viral outbreak possibility also seems highly likely to me. And I feel quite anxious about it. And when I am not anxious I just get so angry at the anti-government, anti-establishment sentiment that has enabled this. Who else do you think inspects food, roads, buildings, etc. to make sure that they are safe? That is what a government is for!
The tariffs have gone back and forth so much this year that I have no idea where they are at (which maybe is their goal?)
I have noticed as a piano teacher that I continue to get more and more adult students which I hope is indicative of a larger trend of looking for more analog activities.
Beth's point about civic literacy and supporting schools reminded me that I was going to post these opportunities from iCivics. The deadline was extended to 12/22, which I know is soon, and not the most opportune time, but I wanted to spread the word anyway!
Civic Leadership Academy- This program is for master teachers and district leaders who have a strong foundation of content knowledge in social studies/civics. This Academy focuses on teaching facilitation skills for adult learners so they can facilitate Professional Learning Sessions in their Districts/Communities. We are looking for 20 educators to join the cohort. There is a $1000 stipend. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BytDol5o6wwdW4Nl6RYZ9JwPrBJJd-yR/view?usp=sharing
iCivics Educator Institute- This program is open to any K-12 Educator in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut and New Hampshire. It is also open to preservice social studies educators. The iCivics Educator Institute offers a unique and dynamic experience for dedicated classroom teachers to join a vibrant community of practice where you will collaborate with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and gain invaluable knowledge, skills, and resources to integrate and teach civic knowledge and skills to your students preparing the next generation of informed and engaged citizens. We are looking for 170 educators. There is a $300 dollar stipend. There are specific flyers for each state for this program because we will have a midwest cohort and an east coast cohort.
MD: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F6B3MRgAo_jAuqbF7ywjUDDrukv01zQD/view?usp=sharing
OH: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EYWg-jy3xtOupPiHZB1jycG0kOtB6xfN/view?usp=drive_link
MI: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZDk_tuMUDP84Qccclya1WzUJwFD3tkiP/view?usp=sharing
WI: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EP2vkOU3i34JKz-9jVbZ7BzZA1aDYcF9/view?usp=drive_link
IN: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1trIiHQRF_odty-O392sapnL0WnQwv2Ag/view?usp=drive_link
CT: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bUDHcKVBpn74YejdpS9JT8pCsHw8ibQh/view?usp=sharing
NH: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EE414HHYccH0TodFL3Zn9PxUuCcR4QjM/view?usp=drive_link
You mentioned AI in the healthcare space, and I just want to say it’s coming fast - it’s really already here. I work for a large healthcare system and just attended an event that brought in collaborators from a local university who are all interested in AI. Everyone is chomping at the bit over this! A huge focus of the annual conference I attend was on AI in research. I see a couple of big things with this. 1) In the research space, FDA and OHRP have no real guidance on this (not surprising since federal research offices have been decimated). FDA does have some guidance on software as “medical devices” which might include AI. 2) In research we’re talking about both using AI to conduct research and conducting research on AI. So on one hand you might use AI to build protocols and consents or develop treatments or analyze data, or even review the study to determine whether it meets criteria for approval. And then on the other hand, using patient data to teach these AI platforms how to better diagnosis disease. All that to say that it’s fascinating and scary and we’re all out here figuring it out together.
I don’t know how all of the publishing/posting works, but for the free episodes that we don’t listen to in Substack, is there a way to post this comment space earlier? I listen to most episodes around 6:30am 😬 and then forget what I wanted to say by the time there’s a place to comment. Today I had 2 comments and now forget my 2nd. 🤦🏻♀️ This is probably just a me problem.
I could update our publishing time to 6 am instead of 7.
On the Supreme Court, I think the most palatable step to get a minority consensus would be a term limit. I would make it 14 year limits with someone up every two years. That means a president gets two nominations per term, and 14 years is short enough that I don't think it'll get muddled too much with deaths in office. I like the idea from other courts where after 14 years they can stay on as "senior" justices. Maybe the senior justices take over the appeal regions that are currently assigned to justices so that A) the primary justices could have more time to work their actual cases, and B) it keeps the primary justices neutral going into the cases they adopt.
On the Taylor/Travis wedding, I agree that I it will be incredibly private. We recently attended a wedding for my best friend from high school that achieved celebrity status on YouTube... and they were VERY careful with the guest list to select people that were closest to them AND would honor their wishes to maintain the utmost privacy for safety concerns. They hired off duty cops for security, and we had to check and hand over our phones when we came in almost like a coat check. That was really weird at first when all those moments would come up when you wanted to take a picture, but it also was so freeing and led to more people interacting and more of their genuine selves
I miss events without everyone taking photos all the way through. Put down your damn phones and be present!