62 Comments
User's avatar
Erin's avatar
21hEdited

We are writing postcards to QAnon supporters in VA02 to help keep this issue alive, have them contact their reps, and hold the congresswoman who voted against releasing the files accountable. Why should Dems do all the work? https://cartoonsfordemocracy.myshopify.com/

Expand full comment
Rebel408's avatar

We are, too. I love the postcards/messagesfrom Cartoons for Democracy.

Expand full comment
Leon Rubis's avatar

OK, I'll bite--how the hell do they get names and addresses of known QAnon supporters?

Expand full comment
Erin's avatar

List brokers know or infer a shocking amount of detail on people. It’s one of many factors that can be selected (for or against).

Expand full comment
Nina Truslow McKee's avatar

I am sick and tired about reading about Trump’s tariffs and so called deals!!! HE HAS NO RIGHT TO BE TOUCHING TARIFFS. HIS ACTIONS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL!! The media’s focus on Trump’s day to day tariff decrees are revolting. Where is the press focusing on the fact that Trump is totally out of line!!! Where is Congress standing up for Congress’s Constitutional mandate? Where is the backbone to call Trump for what he is!!! A sick bully who is getting away with eating up all that is right and true and is sinking us all into the depths of oozing hell! Enough is enough!!!!

Expand full comment
Thomas's avatar
18hEdited

yes!! They are most definitely unconstitutional. It has nothing to do with the media. You are right on the money when you pointed to our Congress. Those MAGAts in the House are letting Trump RUN WILD. Unbelievable.

The people in a congressional district -- like mine -- who suffer under the daily disloyalty of a MAGAt -- ARE NOT being represented at all. But... ultimately ... it is WE who have to come together -- and .. VIA petition -- which is what our Declaration was ... submit our grievance LOUD and clear to our fellow Americans. Deep in our American hearts ... we KNOW the right thing to do...

Expand full comment
Susan Troy's avatar

Agreed.

Expand full comment
Leslie Katz's avatar

Are these GDP reports coming from the government or a third party? I have a hard time believing the GDP growth numbers if coming from the incompetent Government!

Expand full comment
Leon Rubis's avatar

GDP numbers come from the Commerce Dept. And economists are, indeed, becoming more suspicious of anything the Trump regime releases. https://newrepublic.com/post/198464/economists-alarmed-official-data-trump-economy-poll

Expand full comment
Anne Hoke's avatar

Have called my Rep Senators daily. Thank them for increasing my taxes by letting Trump unconstitutionally increase tariffs on the world. Also, thank them for defending pedophiles by hiding the Epstein files & not demanding that Maxwell not be pardoned. Ask them if GOP stands for "guardians of pedophiles" (Meidas touch suggested abbreviation).

Expand full comment
Michael G Baer's avatar

I like the snark.

Expand full comment
Martha Joan's avatar

Anne I like to call them the Guardians of Perverts, Pedophiles and Pussy Grabbers

Expand full comment
Karen's avatar

I would suggest that Hopium subscribers support VA AG candidate Jay Jones. The national R's have abandoned the VA governor's race but are going all-in to prevent a trifecta in Virginia. Republican incumbent Jason Miyares is spending now on attack ads, indicating that he has enough funds to sustain those media buys for the next 15 weeks. Jay Jones - after his primary - needs our help for the November general.

Expand full comment
Catherine Giovannoni's avatar

Miyares is really terrible, a complete MAGA with a real nasty streak. Virginia needs an AG who will join other Dem AGs in protecting citizens from Trump. Jay Jones would be a fantastic AG.

Expand full comment
Kyle W's avatar

Agree with supporting Jay Jones, but Miyares will really struggle to outperform top of ticket in VA. It's hasn't split by more than ~2.5% since 2013, and Dems will surely tie Miyares to Sears. If R's are banking on Miyares holding on after they abandon Sears, they are in for bad night in early November.

Recent results:

2021 Gov - R + 1.9

2021 AG - R + 0.8

2017 Gov - D + 8.9

2017 AG - D + 6.6

2013 Gov - D +2.5 (Ken Cuccinelli was a particularly bad candidate - sound familiar?)

2013 AG - D + 0.04

Expand full comment
KellyAnn's avatar

I wrote to Tina Kotek my Oregon Governor yesterday and IMPLORED her to gerrymander Oregon because we have a SUPER MAJORITY in our state house this time; by abbout 65 votes in Woodburn. I plan to give her cards and go down to her office and hand deliver a card with that on it; and also THANKING her for 2021 when she was House Speaker and prevented attempted Republican gerrymandering; they took it to court and they lost. Newsom and TX Dems are leading the way to this; Illinois Gov is also doing this; saw on Bryan Tyler Cohen. YAYYY "Fight Fire with Fire!" as Newsome says. Those of us in or near CALIF love Newsome's FIGHTING!

Expand full comment
Kyle W's avatar
20hEdited

I agree with this! If Rs are going to cheat, we should fight fire with fire and draw a blue district connecting eastern Oregon to downtown Portland. I feel like the only way we actually beat gerrymandering if by proving how ridiculous it can be.

Expand full comment
Catherine Giovannoni's avatar

I agree with this. Dems have tried "setting a good example" by installing nonpartisan boards to do this and Republicans just saw that as an invitation to screw us. Maybe after a few years of gerrymander wars Republicans will see the value of moving nationwide to nonpartisan boards, but, for now, we need to save democracy.

Expand full comment
Milford Sprecher's avatar

I have noticed that bananas have gone up in price about 10% recently. I also talked to a friend who is a welder and metal fabricator. He said that steel prices "have gone through the roof."

Expand full comment
Anne Bear's avatar

Orange juice is also now liquid gold

Expand full comment
Catherine Giovannoni's avatar

Thanks, Simon!

India produces lots of our prescription drugs, so get ready for a huge increase in those prices. Trump's original "excuse" for tariffs, later found illegal, was to preserve national security. He's now apparently given up on that one and is just making stuff up as he goes along. I agree Dems need to keep tariffs front and center.

I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to ask them to do just that. I'm writing postcards to Virginia voters today.

Expand full comment
Susan Dieterlen's avatar

Excellent point about Rx drugs! I was struggling to think of imports from India.

Expand full comment
Rebel408's avatar

You lost me this morning when you identified the Washington Post as "reality based media". HUH?

Expand full comment
Fisher's avatar

and they quoted jason furman, one of the few economists on record who blamed inflation on biden's policies. he's been really savage about it.

Expand full comment
Simon Rosenberg's avatar

The Post's economic coverage has first rate this year.

Expand full comment
Marcy's avatar

It might be helpful when mentioning tariffs to note 1)the Constitutional authority to set tariffs rests with Congress - not with the President and 2) tariffs are ultimately paid by US companies and consumers as they raise the prices of imported goods. These important facts are getting lost and need to be repeated again and again.

Expand full comment
Simon Rosenberg's avatar

Marcy it's in ever single post here every day, and I have written and spoken about this extensively for months.

Expand full comment
Michael Salzillo's avatar

I'm getting tired of Trump going back-and-forth on the tariffs. Too much of a TACO. Democrats should dare him to keep up his tariffs by calling him a TACO at every turn. That will hit Trump's fragile ego well.

I wonder if the economic numbers are being meddled with yet. That's another question to consider. Rachel Maddow and others have warned that is a possibility for Trump's people to fudge the numbers to make the economy look good.

Prices are already going up locally where I am.

Expand full comment
Elizabeth T.'s avatar

It's certainly possible and could have the added benefit of making people uncertain of what to trust -- straight out of Animal Farm! But the rosiest numbers in the world aren't going to be able to hide the effect of a 15% tariff increase!

Expand full comment
Chris Dwyer's avatar

Virginia judge bars Youngkin’s university board appointments rejected by Senate Democrats

BY OLIVIA DIAZ

Updated 12:37 PM EDT, July 29, 2025

https://apnews.com/article/judge-orders-striking-virginia-college-board-appointments-3e5ce8b32bfff851cab0c8c7ca5b97cf

Expand full comment
Chris Dwyer's avatar

Virginia Democrats notch win in war over university board picks

The preliminary injunction prohibits appointees, including Project 2025 contributor Ken Cuccinelli, from serving on university governing boards without the General Assembly's approval.

JOE DODSON / July 29, 2025

https://www.courthousenews.com/virginia-democrats-notch-win-in-war-over-university-board-picks/

Expand full comment
Chris Dwyer's avatar

Fairfax court bars Youngkin’s boards of visitors appointees from serving; Miyares will appeal preliminary injunction

Democrats on the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee appealed to the court after Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office concluded that each of the appointees remain members of the respective board of visitors, despite their lack of confirmation by the General Assembly.

Elizabeth Beyer

by Elizabeth Beyer

July 29, 2025

https://cardinalnews.org/2025/07/29/fairfax-court-bars-youngkins-boards-of-visitors-appointees-from-serving-miyares-will-appeal-preliminary-injunction/

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Burdick-Romero's avatar

Was listening on NPR about a thousand workers fired in Lesotho because of US tariff imposition on the nation. If the Un-Presidential One does not relent, you can bet many people who are barely making it as it is will lose their jobs in India.

Expand full comment
Madam Geoffrin's avatar

Picked up my first pack of 100 Postcards for Mikie Sherrill. Saw a recent Fairleigh Dickinson poll that had her up 45-38. Have no idea the quality but seems more realistic than the recent (Eagleton?) poll that had her up by 20.

Expand full comment
Cynthia Erb's avatar

I guess Texas just unveiled its proposed gerrymandering. I read that there was massive pushback against this in Texas but I think it’s expected to go through. I thought maybe Simon could say something about it tonight. Even though many Democrats want CA and other states to gerrymander, I can think of reasons why that might not be the best idea. Not sure though.

Expand full comment
Ted N's avatar

I’d like to hear more about this too, and what if any actions are requested of Texans. Until then, I’ll add state leaders to routine call list. And maybe my national Rep (Doggett) though not sure what he can do beyond raise awareness

Expand full comment
Faith Wilson's avatar

One problem for republicans is if they over-gerrymander, it spreads their voters out too thin, which could backfire on them in a wave election

Expand full comment
Jim Kennedy's avatar

Excellent interview with Senator Padilla. This kind of podcast keeps the Hopium community upbeat and proactive. Thanks Simon.

Expand full comment
Thomas's avatar

Amen

Expand full comment