Morning all. The government will shut down Tuesday night. There is no Republican budget, there are no negotiations happening - nor have there been any negotiations - as Rs have told Dems to shove it and Trump is having a big golfing weekend. Again the reason the government is going to shut down this week is that the Trump and the Republican majority have failed to produce and pass a fiscal year 2026 budget that they are required by law to pass by September 30th. So the government is just going to run out of money. It’s mindboggling levels of recklessness and dysfunction, though perhaps on brand for this terrible era of Trump.
As I discuss in a timely, informative conversation with Allison Gill (above), we are in the fight we all wanted to have with Trump now and we simply must put our heads down and go win it, together.
Allison is the author and creator behind the Mueller, She Wrote Substack and Daily Beans podcast. She has been an important voice in our fight against Trump and it was a real pleasure to join her yesterday for this talk. Get to it when you can. It’s a great conversation.
Additional morning notes from the battle……
Nexstar and Sinclair have have now both folded and Jimmy Kimmel aired on all their stations last night. Congrats everyone - the return of Kimmel and the push back against Trump and the odious Brendan Carr has been a big and important win for us this week:
Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group will resume broadcasting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on their ABC affiliate stations Friday night, ending a boycott that began more than a week ago following the late-night host’s comments about the right-wing reaction to the Charlie Kirk shooting.
The decision affects viewers in dozens of markets — including D.C.; Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis — who have been unable to watch Kimmel’s show on their local stations since the Walt Disney Co.- owned network returned the program to the air Tuesday night.
Leader Jeffries has been everywhere these past few days, on all the major networks, big podcasts, fighting as hard as he can. He’s clearly found a higher gear this week. Here’s his appearance last night on Kaitlin Collins’ show on CNN. It’s a great window into where Dems are now heading into the big fight next week:
Gavin Newson launched a great new ad for Yes on 50 that ties together our big themes - rising prices, assault on health care, threats to democracy, his rejection by the American people, weakness, betrayal. A more comprehensive narrative and indictment like this is where I think our leaders to get themselves to in the weeks ahead. Watch:
Rep. Mikie Sherrill spoke out forcefully yesterday against the Trump regime’s horrible, illegal release of her entire unredacted military file. Here she is on MSNBC:
Even hard core MAGAs are going on Fox News and calling the case against James Comey ridiculous made up bullshit:
The Washington Post has a story this morning about how Trump’s terrible new tariffs announced Thursday are going to push inflation and prices even higher:
Trump’s assault on farm country is getting more and more attention. Dems need to be for trade and rolling back the tariffs, not bailouts.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens has announced she is drafting articles of Impeachment against Robert Kennedy Let’s call our Senators and Reps this week and ask them to co-sponsor this initiative when it rolls out. Here’s the initial press release from Rep. Stevens’ office:
ICYMI: Yesterday, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens announced she is drafting articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She pointed to Kennedy’s reckless cuts to medical research, vaccine access, and skyrocketing health care costs under his tenure.
Stevens declared, “Secretary Kennedy has violated his oath of office and proven himself unfit to serve the American people. Congress must act to hold him accountable, and I intend to lead the charge to remove him from office.”
The announcement sparked headlines across Michigan and the country, as concerns mount over Secretary Kennedy’s disastrous leadership and disregard for science-based policy.
The Washington Post’s lead article this morning is “National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches” (link):
Some National Weather Service staffers are working double shifts to keep forecasting offices open. Others are operating under a “buddy system,” in which adjacent offices help monitor severe weather in understaffed regions. Still others are jettisoning services deemed not absolutely necessary, such as making presentations to schoolchildren.
The Trump administration’s cuts to the Weather Service — where nearly 600 workers, or about 1 in every 7, have left through firings, resignations or retirements — are pushing the agency to its limits, according to interviews with current and former staffers.
The incoming head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has promised to prioritize filling those jobs, and the White House recently granted the Weather Service an exemption from a government-wide hiring freeze. But as the Atlantic hurricane season peaks and wildfires ramp up in the West, hundreds of positions remain vacant, staff said. Forecasters are currently watching two storms, including one that could pose a threat for the eastern United States by early next week.
So far, exhausted employees have maintained weather monitoring and forecasting almost without interruption, staff said. But many are wondering how much longer they can keep it up. If the government shuts down next week when funding runs out, many employees could also find themselves working without pay, at least temporarily.
“We have a strained and severely stretched situation,” said Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents the agency’s workers. The Weather Service has a famously dedicated workforce, he said, but workers can put in only so many long hours and extra shifts. “There’s a breaking point.”
Trump’s performances this week were the most unhinged and unfiltered of his political career. He is descending deeper into authoritarian madness, and it remains shocking to me his clear physical and cognitive decline has not become a bigger issue in our daily discourse. Just read this, and reflect on how crazy it is:
Or this:
Now, Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Fall - Support Our November, 2025 Candidates and Yes On 50
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $86k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my new interview with Rep. Sherrill, read my new post about Sherrill’s sturdy polling lead
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov (2025) - $250,000 goal, $198k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Abigail Spanberger
Yes on 50 (CA) - $50,000 goal - Donate | Learn more, volunteer | Sign Up For CA Dem Party Daily Phonebanks
Hopium members in CA/NJ/PA/VA - please vote on Day 1, or as early as you. When you vote early your names comes off the campaign GOTV rolls allowing them to move on to lower propensity voters, which increases D turnout and makes it more likely we win. Voting early = another way to help us win. Please vote early and encourage everyone you know to join you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winning The Midterms - Support Our 2026 Candidates
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $38,000 raised- Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my interview with Gov. Cooper
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $250,000 goal, $74k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch my inspiring new interview with Senator Ossoff
Hopium House 7 (2026) - $250,000 goal, $205k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer | Watch My Interviews With Our Intrepid Incumbents
Expanding The Map - Support Our Audacious Expansion Fund (2026-2032)
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $250,000 goal, $38,000 raised - Join our new campaign to invest in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas - Donate To All Five State Parties | Watch my interviews with Alaska Chair Eric Croft, Florida Chair Nikki Fried, Iowa Chair Rita Hart and Texas Chair Kendall Scudder | Links to be able support each party individually will be up soon
Our updated fundraising goals are now for the end of the year, December 31st, except for the 2025 races, which are now for Election Day, 2025.
Defending America, Winning The Big Argument With Trump - We have two recommended actions today:
1 - Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act Upon Our Four-Part Agenda - We need to be loud people, very, very loud and make the case for our our emerging four part agenda. Demand that your Senators and House Member work to keep the government open and
Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
Defend our democracy, rule of law and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restore due process to our immigration system, defend the 1st Amendment, and end the use of the military on our streets and the occupations of our cities
Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse - not delay - the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy
Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia and China
2 - Bring “Resolutions Of Condemnation” To Your Community - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders learn about how Hopium members are advancing “Resolutions of Condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Be sure to check out our new discussion with Deborah Potter and Rachel Poliner who have passed resolutions in New Mexico and Boston, and offer advice on how to get a resolution passed in your own community.
Remarkably, members of this community have passed or are advancing 84 (!!!!) resolution projects in 22 states + DC. Can we get to all 50 states by the fall election?
Finally, please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Great to see!
Keep working hard all. We have a country to save and a future to reclaim for our kids and grandkids, together - Simon
