WASHINGTON, D.C. - Here in Washington, just after Thanksgiving, the newly elected members of Congress will begin week two of orientation to learn how to hire staff, where the bathrooms are located, and the basic infrastructure involved in operating as a legislator.

And as the nation heads into a holding pattern over the holiday season, the debate rages over the current power structure on Capitol Hill and whether the parties' successful stifling of the debate will continue as 90 new members of Congress take their seats.

Prescription costs continue to rise with every passing year. Every month, patients find themselves paying higher on their out-of-cost medical care obligations. And to top it all off, some people outright refuse medical care when they most need it to avoid digging themselves deeper into a financial hole they know they’ll remain stuck in if they schedule a visit with a doctor.

There were two elections on November 6.

The first was a national referendum on President Trump that saw Democrats win a majority in the House of Representatives after nearly a decade out of power, while Republicans added seats in the Senate.

LOUISIANA - Louisiana Republican Party Chair Louis Gurvich laments the use of the nonpartisan, "jungle primary" system in the state's elections, and is calling on "that hallowed day when the return of closed primaries dawns in Louisiana."

Why? Put simply, too many Republicans are running for office. Ironic, no?

The race for secretary of state is headed for a December runoff, a race that could have ended with two candidates in the same party advancing to the runoff ballot. It didn't, but Gurvich dreads the scenario in which this means two Democrats.

ATHENS, Ga. - Libertarian candidate J. Smythe DuVal, who ran for secretary of state in the 2018 midterms, announced Monday his endorsement for one of his general election rivals,  Democrat John Barrow, in the December runoff election.

DuVal came in third in the race, but since neither Barrow nor Republican Brad Raffensperger were able to get over 50% of the vote, a runoff election is required under state law.

DENVER, Colo. - If Denver For Psilocybin canvassers can gather 4,726 signatures in the Mile High City by January 7th, a voter initiated ballot measure to legalize "magic mushrooms" as they're colloquially called will be put to a citywide vote in May of 2019.

MIAMI, FLA. - The Miami Heard published an editorial Sunday, stating that Florida should adopt open primary reform as the closed primary "contributes to the deep partisan divide we see in Florida and throughout the nation."

Not only that, the Miami Herald understands how crucial the primary process is, as most races end up being decided in the primaries; particularly, in areas that heavily favor one party or another:

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The biggest story in the 2018 election cycle was not what color of wave we saw. It was not President Donald Trump using the Ecuadorian immigrant caravan as a campaign issue. It was not the Democrats’ focus on the president’s behavior while holding the Oval Office. 

The biggest story in 2018 was the voter revolt against the political status quo. Political and election reform had its most groundbreaking year in half a century, and most media outlets didn’t pay attention.  

BROWARD COUNTY, FLA. - Brenda Snipes, who found herself at the heart of the 2018 midterm recount controversy, has resigned her post as Broward Count Supervisor of Elections. This ends a career marred in election mishaps, legal challenges, and illegal administration actions.

IVN Author Wes Messamore and I take the Friday before Thanksgiving to talk about civility in the US, and the ability to forgive and lend a hand to those in distress, exemplified by Republican representative-elect and  Lt. Commander Dan Crenshaw's response to a widely criticized SNL joke, as well as our broad response to help those who have been affected by the California wildfires.