We're Grown, Okay?
What got worse this summer, what surprisingly didn't, why data centers go up in months while bridges take years, and the songs that get us through
It’s always interesting to step back from my normal news routine and see what comes into my awareness. For the past four weeks, I’d summarize the “bubbled up” headlines as “weather and diarrhea.” That sounds like a joke, but it’s dispiriting to not be able to trust the salad or the information about the salad!
Today, Sarah and I work through whether this summer was really the worst. Outside of politics, our songs of the summer, best new album, and new and noteworthy artists.
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Episode Resources
We are in Minneapolis on August 29, and this is truly last call — in-person ticket sales close Wednesday morning. If you can’t get to Minnesota, virtual tickets are buy one, get one free: Pantsuit Politics 2026 Events
The Summer of Cyclospora
Investigation of Multistate Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses: Iceberg Lettuce (FDA)
Cyclospora Outbreak 2026: Map, Foods to Avoid, States Most Impacted as US Hits 22,000 Cases (TODAY)
The Fever Breaking: Polling, Fancy Farm, and the Midterms
Trump Says Voters Are Angry With Republicans—But Not With Him. Here’s What Polls Show (TIME)
Fancy Farm focused on next year’s election, not midterms (Kentucky Lantern)
McConnell discharged from rehab center, Senate return still unclear (Axios)
Was Mitch McConnell’s dead body transported to Kentucky coroner? Here’s the truth (Snopes)
The Primaries and the Party
Michigan Senate primary election results: Abdul El-Sayed defeats Haley Stevens (The Washington Post)
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the left (NBC News)
“This Week” Transcript 8-9-26: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez & Mark Esper (ABC News) — the “woke one was crazy” interview
Graham Platner officially withdraws from the Maine Senate race (NBC News)
Meet ‘Project 2029’ — and its war on the annoyance economy (NPR Planet Money)
#MeToo didn’t go far enough (The Argument) and A look back at #MeToo (Slow Boring) — the Demsas/Yglesias exchange
AI, Data Centers, and the Wrong Prioritization
$100B data center, gas-fired power plant to be developed around Paducah DOE site (Louisville Public Media)
Hyperscale data center, natural gas-fired project planned for Paducah’s former nuclear plant (Kentucky Lantern)
Texas Data Centers Suffer Brutal Collision With Reality (Futurism)
Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to stalking slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (Axios)
Luigi Mangione posed as investor to get information on UnitedHealthcare ahead of shooting (NewsNation)
Outside of Politics: The Pantsuit Politics Music Awards
Why Won’t We Admit Ella Langley Has the Song of the Summer? (Rolling Stone) — “Choosin’ Texas,” Sarah’s song of the summer
Audrey Hobert — “Bowling Alley” (Official Video) — Beth’s song of the summer
Who’s the Clown? by Audrey Hobert — Beth’s album of the summer
The Great Divide by Noah Kahan — Sarah’s album of the summer, opening with “End of August”
You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love by Olivia Rodrigo — a track-by-track breakdown (The Hollywood Reporter)
Kacey Musgraves’ Country Homecoming: The Singer on New Album ‘Middle of Nowhere’ (Variety)
Brandi Carlile’s Raging Cover of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited” Is for All of Us (Rolling Stone)
Brandi Carlile — “Uninvited” at Newport Folk Fest 2026 (YouTube)
Newport Folk Festival — Sarah’s bucket-list grown person festival, guides welcome
Laufey — Beth’s new and noteworthy pick, by way of her daughter Ellen
Episode Transcript
[coming soon]
Show Credits
Pantsuit Politics is hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The show is produced by Studio D Podcast Production.
Our theme music was composed by Xander Singh with inspiration from original work by Dante Lima.
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