For the past several days, I’ve found it remarkable how natural it has become, when checking the weather forecast before going running, to note it, yes, but to remember to let intuition govern instead when deciding when to actually head out. This has taken faith because, as occurred several days ago when rain was forecast practically all day long, I felt confident about proceeding anyway. And I was glad I did as it turned out meteorological predictions had been wrong and conditions were practically perfect.

There seem to be so many dire political predictions dominating news today but a paradoxical reticence to change course from a communications infrastructure predicated on heightening polarization and division. Increasingly, though, I’m not inclined to feel depressed about it as, regardless of the degree to which it is suppressed, the truth is still powerful and, more encouragingly, accessible in a sense to everyone as each person listens to his or her own heart.

Still, it does still feel important to articulate an observation that so-called new independent media, or, what may more accurately be termed the podcast punditry establishment, has not proven to be the cure it promised. Increasingly, it seems, the loudest voices in this tout the influence they hold over populations always boldly referred to as “my followers” in ways that feel absurd as, generally speaking, each has gained an audience by promising to provide listeners the very sort of news and information this new class of aspiring demagogues, like their legacy broadcast counterparts, are actually withholding even as they amass more and more money and power on false pretenses. For a new media oligarch to claim credit for such a feat is not unlike a big game hunter seeking applause for the trophies on his wall after agreeing to work as a zookeeper on the premise his intention was to protect endangered species.

This cannot continue as resolutions to problems have to do more than just appear to solve them.

I appreciate how journalist Whitney Webb this week says “as far as subbing out alternative media for mainstream media, I think the most problematic aspect of that is that people didn’t change their relationship with media when they made that switch from mainstream media to alternative media … what do I mean by that … whatever the talking head that you’re watching says, you just believe them and don’t think critically and you just … take what they say and believe it … because this person that you trust said it … and that’s … what got us in a lot of trouble as a country with mainstream media … and now … a lot of these people have gone to alternative media or are people that are seemingly independent … but that same relationship with media continues.” But I disagree with her also-shared contention that the outcome of the current presidential election is necessarily set.

I still feel that there is a need to include RFK, Jr. in at least one national-level debate even if only to allow for the topic of the merger of corporate power (and I would argue that the prevailing corporate news business model is at the crux of this) and governance to be raised. (I was remembering recently the period some years ago now when Simon and Garfunkel’s classic “Only Living Boy in New York” became popular again and sometimes still wonder whether RFK, Jr. may be the only living journalist in America.) Is it really possible there is no outlet really willing to address any of these topics meaningfully?

I wrote earlier about noting that a popular podcast happened to produce a negative program focused partly on RFK, Jr. the day after I wrote to them about his exclusion from last month’s national debate; and I, of course, realize there may have been no connection whatsoever. But I then reached out to popular writer Matt Taibbi to learn whether he may be willing to help explore some of my questions about the means by which so many high-profile media outlets seem to have tried to suppress discussion of corporate journalism business models and, while I am not even entirely sure my outreach was received, it still felt disheartening to see that he almost immediately appeared on the aforementioned podcast as these sometimes do feel a bit like a cabal.

I do not believe people generally transition from mainstream to so-called new independent media for wrong reasons, but the new one-way communications establishment is arguably no better than the old, both feeling like more and more obvious attempts to become a sort of ministry of truth free from any form of accountability.

Particularly after Saturday’s assassination attempt, it feels more clear than ever that there is energy and heartfelt enthusiasm for change in America, even though few people seem able (or willing) to articulate in broad strokes what this should involve. It still feels to me that both political parties are equally infested by unaccountable corporate influence and that at least the voice of an independent in public debate is sorely needed.

I do realize this is not up to me alone, however, and, to cope, I’ve been thinking more about ways in which the practice of listening to my heart throughout the day offers reason to believe things can work out regardless of intimidating circumstances or even forecasts. Sometimes, of course, these turn out to be true. We’ve enjoyed several long-anticipated 95 degree-plus days lately but, provided I was wise about obeying the feeling I should go out relatively early in the morning, I found they were still comfortable. And after all the worrying I’d done about the possibility of missing a few days out on the trail, these ended up being good encouragements that thing can still work out despite what appear to be intimidating circumstances. (I’m still working up to living by my dad’s rule of always running outside so long as it’s between 0 and 99 degrees fahrenheit, though.)

I actually consider the philosophy Simon and Garfunkel sang about kind of refreshing. While I don’t think most of can exactly gather all the news we need on the weather report yet, I do think that as we connect on the heart level, we can be optimistic no matter what.