Iowa Could Be Big for Democrats in 2026
Punchbowl News: “Iowa Democrats are dreaming big in 2026, aiming to flip the governor’s mansion, a Senate seat and three House districts.”
“It’s a very tall task given that President Donald Trump carried the Hawkeye State by 13 points in 2024, while Republicans swept all four House seats. Iowa has been getting consistently redder for a generation now.”
“But Democrats insist their ambitious plans this year are possible thanks to a massive voter backlash against Trump’s policies. A cost-of-living crisis is wreaking havoc on Iowa’s rural counties and agricultural economy. Democrats believe that gives them a huge opening.”
43% of Voters Dissatisfied With Both Parties
“Forty-three percent of voters are dissatisfied with both major political parties, according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll — the latest sign that the frustration that has built over the last decade will continue to roil American politics for the foreseeable future.”
AI Billionaires Brace for Pitchforks
“America’s billionaires are developing their own prescriptions for AI-fueled inequality, anxious to defuse a populist revolt aimed at their ballooning fortunes,” Axios reports.
“The AI boom has dramatically raised the stakes of the wealth-tax debate, unleashing a technology that could wipe out millions of jobs while minting the world’s first trillionaires.”
“Populist politicians, particularly on the left, have cast this as capitalism’s next great reckoning: an even deeper concentration of wealth and power in an economy already rigged for the elite.”
Trump’s Iran Approach Sows Confusion
“Three months after President Trump launched war on Iran, his seemingly haphazard approach to the conflict is bewildering allies at home and abroad as he veers between diplomatic dealing, military strikes and increasingly far-fetched ideas,” the New York Times reports.
Inside Putin’s $26 Billion Quest for Longevity
“When Vladimir Putin was captured by a hot mic telling Xi Jinping that humans could achieve immortality by replacing their organs, some dismissed the exchange as eccentric small talk between aging autocrats,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“In fact, during the conversation at a Beijing military parade last September, Putin appeared to be describing a Kremlin-backed longevity initiative that has become one of Russia’s flagship scientific projects.”
“Like Silicon Valley billionaires including Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman and Peter Thiel, Putin has long been fascinated with antiaging research. But in Russia, Putin’s quest to stave off decline is now a state priority relying on methods as wide-ranging as organ printing, harvesting mini-pigs and exposure to ultralow temperatures.”
How Japan Lost 3 Million People in Five Years
“Japan’s population fell by more than 3 million over the past five years, according to official statistics released on Friday, a drop that underscores the depths of the country’s accelerating demographic crisis,” the New York Times reports.
Mamdani Endorses Challenger to Democratic Incumbent
“New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is endorsing the democratic socialist primary challenger to Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus,” Politico reports.
Scrutiny Turns Toward Citizens Who Antagonized Trump
New York Times: “The Justice Department’s examination of E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against President Trump could prove to be a significant shift in the administration’s campaign of retribution, moving from targeting of public officials to scrutinizing a case brought by an 82-year-old private citizen who has accused him of sexual assault.”
“What sets Ms. Carroll apart is the profoundly personal nature of her assertions about the president. And unlike other prominent figures facing investigative scrutiny — James B. Comey, Letitia James, Adam B. Schiff, John O. Brennan — Ms. Carroll, an author and columnist, never sought a public role, political power or governmental authority.”
Trump Professes Indifference Over Fallout
New York Times: “It is unlikely that the president does not actually ‘care’ about the midterms, the results of which will determine much of the success of the back half of his final term.”
“But Mr. Trump has increasingly adopted a posture of nonchalance in the face of mounting fallout on multiple fronts: an unpopular war that has dragged on longer than he said it would, the creation of a government fund that could benefit his allies, and his fixation on remaking Washington into his vision of a gilded city.”
Scott Bessent Confirms He’s Planning a $250 Bill
“Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that his agency had been working on a mock-up of a $250 note bearing the face of President Trump in preparation for an addition to the nation’s paper currency that would for the first time include the portrait of a living president,” the New York Times reports.
“Such a move would represent a dramatic remaking of American money, which currently is only allowed to bear the image of the deceased. Mr. Trump has also pushed for the creation of a $1 coin bearing his image and is having his signature added to U.S. currency this year.”
Kalshi Launches Index to Measure Political Power
Axios: “Kalshi is launching the American Power Index, aiming to offer a holistic view of which party currently holds more power and where the tide may be turning.”
“The index blends current control of the House, Senate and White House with Kalshi’s real-time market forecasts on future electoral outcomes.”
Exchange of the Day
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked a question by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins:
COLLINS: About the $1.8 billion fund. Is it accurate that the general counsel of the Treasury Department resigned over that?
BESSENT: I will not be taking any other questions.
GOP Senators Rally Behind Ken Paxton
New York Times: “After Mr. Paxton trounced Senator John Cornyn of Texas by close to 30 points on Tuesday night, transforming Texas into a battleground state, Republicans have performed a very awkward pivot.”
“They quickly memory-holed months of scathing charges against Mr. Paxton that were as withering as any that Democrats might conjure up. And, swallowing their anger about the snub of Mr. Cornyn and its potential political consequences, they lined up to express varying levels of ‘all in’ on Mr. Paxton’s campaign, if not his character.”
Quote of the Day
“The only thing I want to hear from Jill Biden is I’m sorry.”
— Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), quoted by CNN, on the former first lady’s book tour.
White House Has Not Released Results of Trump’s Physical
CBS News: “The White House has yet to release a summary of the results of President Trump’s latest physical exam, following his Tuesday visit to Walter Reed National Military Hospital.”
Bruce Springsteen Announces a Protest Festival
“Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Brittany Howard and Joan Baez will headline a star-studded protest festival set for the Washington, D.C., area a month before the midterm elections,” the Associated Press reports.
U.S. Officials Say Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Is Close
New York Times: “U.S. officials are closing in on a framework for negotiations with Iran that could extend the cease-fire, lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and set the table for more substantive talks, according to three U.S. officials with knowledge of the discussions.”
“Mr. Trump has not signed off on the emerging framework, and it was not clear if it matched Iran’s understanding.”
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