Gas Surges 40 Cents This Week, Louisiana Gov Cancels Primary Elections, "Poll: Trump’s Iran war reaches Iraq- and Vietnam-era disapproval levels"
Excited to be speaking at the Maine Democratic Party Convention today
Morning all. Speaking in a few hours at the Maine Democratic Party Convention so an abbreviated post today. Look forward to connecting with Hopium folks at lunch! Will report in on my trip over the weekend. Yes there has been some news up here in recent days…..
Brent crude starts the day at $110 a barrel, near its wartime high. Gas has surged more than 40 cents just this week here in the US, and starts the day at $4.41 a gallon.
For more on the economic impacts of Trump’s failed war, including the new terrible inflation numbers we got yesterday, see yesterday morning’s Hopium post, Inflation Has Surged, Our Economy Has Slowed, And Everything Trump Is Doing Is Making It Worse.
The Callais Aftermath
I recommend these two initial articles on what comes now:
“Trump has no clue what his Supreme Court has unleashed” - Greg Sargent, TNR
“How Democrats are fighting back after Callais, Jacob Knutsen” - Democracy Docket
Yes the Governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency in order to cancel - yes cancel - elections already underway to get more Congressional seats for fellow Louisianan Mike Johnson this November:
Meanwhile in Georgia:
In my weekly talk/post I talk about the need for Democrats to now compete and win in a very different national battleground and map:
G. Elliott Morris has a related, nerdy and worthwhile look at the next tranche of voters available to Democrats in 2026 in a new analysis, Pundits are wrong about the Democrats’ “missing” voter.
More News
The New York Times is reporting that as predicted millions are dropping their health insurance due to the GOP’s subsidy cuts (gift link):
Millions of Americans appear to be dropping Obamacare coverage in the months since Congress failed to extend the generous subsidies that had become a defining feature of the Affordable Care Act.
Initial sign-ups had already fallen by about 1.2 million people. But insurance companies, state officials and industry analysts are reporting that many more have lost Obamacare coverage now that people are facing long-term higher costs. The federal government has yet to report current enrollment data.
Many insurers and analysts are estimating overall declines of about 20 percent, dropping to around 19 million from the 24 million who were covered under the A.C.A. last year. Other indications suggest there could be even larger potential losses by the end of the year, a deep retrenchment for Obamacare coverage and a reversal of significant gains in the last several years.
The Washington Post has new polling on Trump and the war that gave us this memorable headline:
And here’s the current homepage of The Guardian. Similar headlines are being seen all over Europe today:
Now, Let’s Get To Work Everyone!!!
Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The Map
Rallying For Jordan and Rankin For Georgia Supreme Court - This is our next big opportunity to make good trouble all. The Election is May 19th, early voting has begun, and we have 2 great candidates, Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin, who have a serious shot at flipping two GOP-held Supreme Court seats. Watch our new interview with Jordan and Rankin, donate to their campaign, and volunteer no matter where you are! In just one day we’ve already raised $19,100 towards our $50,000 goal!
We can do this people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign (2026) - $630,500 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new ambitious, audacious even, q2 goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with one click | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews. Interviews with Jonathan Nez and Elaine Luria coming soon!
If you are looking for inspiration watch a few of these interviews - I promise these great candidates will get you excited about our opportunities this November! For it is simple - if we win these twelve races the House flips. Period.
James Talarico For Texas - $64,100 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue
Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $88,000 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue
Winning Ohio - $132,400 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help us turn this critical 2026 battleground blue | Watch my new discussions with US Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Lt. Gov candidate David Pepper, and Ohio Dem Chair Kathleen Clyde
This total includes $21,000 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners!
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $544,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up! | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five new battlegrounds
Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $20,000 to each of our five state parties over the past two years.
Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $108,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my new discussion with Gov. Cooper as he fights to turn North Carolina blue
Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $171,400 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Senator Ossoff
Advocate For The Hopium Agenda/Pass Resolutions Of Condemnation In Your Community/Winning In An Evolving Battlefield
There are a few more ways to go to work in the coming days - call your leaders and advocate for elements of our working, ever evolving Hopium Agenda; bring resolutions that condemn our Mad King and lets facts be spoken to a candid world to your state or local government; and learn how you can help us win in evolving political and electoral battlefield this year.
Here’s our working Post-Iran Disaster Agenda:
Work to end this new gulf war and Trump’s Imperial global ambitions
Support Ukraine and Europe, not Russia
Roll back the new, illegal tariffs
Rescind the Trump tax cuts, claw back the extra ICE funding, fund the IRS so it can collect the taxes the rich are hiding from us
Launch a major anti-corruption, renewing democracy campaign, one that ensures accountability for the crimes and treason committed, limits the political power of our emerging oligarchy, and strengthens democracy here and everywhere
Make the US a clean energy superpower, fight for true energy independence, and lower utility and energy prices for the American people
Rein in ICE, end Mass Deportation
End Trump’s destructive war on science, research, our health scare system and our public Health
Make clear to American farmers that we want to end the failed war, repeal the terrible tariffs, find legal pathways for farm workers, and make health care and energy more affordable
Please use the paid subscriber chat to self-report the good trouble you make each day.
Keep working hard all. We have a country to save and elections to win, together! - Simon
I’d be curious to know how many of the people being priced out of healthcare live in…Louisiana.
Brian Kemp is running for president in 2028, methinks.
Very much looking forward to Simon’s report from Maine.
Holy smokes! For the first time ever, I reached staffers at both Tillis and Budd's DC offices. I don't know that that's a good thing, but I told each staffer that I am upset that the administration is trying to make the American people sicker, poorer, and dumber.
Things that are sparking joy for me today: I put 25 more news-boosting postcards in the mail today for NC voters. My daughter created a prairie in our side yard four years ago and the milkweed is going crazy. This little prairie is filled with wild flowers and the insects love it. As I drove into work (I had to administer a make up exam despite the general strike), I noticed that a neighbor is cutting down his Bradford Pear tree. I hope he replaces it with an oak! Another neighbor has taken down all his MAGA signs and replaced them with Easter bunnies and Easter eggs -- renewal in action!