Politics Chat, July 16, 2026

Topics covered in today’s Politics Chat: Waltham clockmaking and industrial time, U.S.–Iran war, Strait of Hormuz control and rising fuel prices, U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding, Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdown, threatened strikes on Iranian infrastructure, immigration sweeps and enforcement shootings, foodborne illness outbreak, CDC tracking cuts, wildfire smoke and air quality, climate policy reversals, White House reflecting pool damage, defense supplemental spending package, SAVE Act funding, Senate Judiciary Committee vacancy, Senate Republican leadership absences, director of national intelligence nomination, attorney general confirmation, Epstein files, presidential approval decline, prime-time election speech and network coverage, Maine Senate race.Politics Chat is recorded live on YouTube and Facebook every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 pm Maine time (3 PM PT / 6 PM ET).Watch today's recording here: https://youtube.com/live/CEa2Rj6fV58?feature=shareGet full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe