Ukraine Gets EU Funding Package, Dems Up 6 Points In House Battleground, Peltola Leads In Alaska2026 is turning out to be a year of opportunity for Democrats and the pro-democracy movement
Greetings everyone. Brent crude is back up to $105 a barrel today: Gas prices in the US remain over $4 a gallon: In my posts this week I’ve reviewed how Trump’s failed war has caused his already terrible poll numbers to drop into deeply dangerous territory and the GOP’s mid-term prospects to darken, considerably: We got further confirmation of how much things have shifted towards the Democrats yesterday in a new Cook Report poll, and new polling in Alaska. Here are excerpts from the Cook poll summary (paywall, sorry):
A new monthly tracking poll in Alaska has Mary Peltola with a meaningful 7 point lead over incumbent Senator Don Sullivan (she hits 50% in the second round of their ranked-choice voting system): This week we’ve seen Senate polls with strong Dem leads in Alaska, Georgia, and North Carolina, more modest leads in Iowa and Maine, and within margin of error in Ohio. If these results were to hold through Election Day the Senate would flip to the Democrats. I cannot stress enough how remarkable it is that in the past month we’ve seen polls with Democrats ahead in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas - all states Trump won in 2024. It’s a sign of how much the battlefield has shifted. Cook has that shift at 8 points in the House battleground districts in their poll. This Senate polling suggests it could be even more than that. For as the Cook poll summary concluded:
Here’s the current Cook Report House Race Ratings (from left to right - Toss Up, Lean R, Likely R, italicized is freshman) This 8 point shift (or perhaps more) has put all these districts in the column on the right, “Likely Republican,” in play. This is how deep we are going into red districts right now. These aren’t purple districts - these are red districts, just as Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Texas have been red states. But remember, to flip the House, we just need to win these toss-up races. Yes we want to win as many seats as possible but from a strategy stand point here at Hopium we will be sticking to our knitting and prioritizing winning those core races that are most likely to flip. So while the battlefield will be larger than that “Toss up” (or now truly Lean Dem) core our bias here will be to stay narrow, not fuck around, and make sure the House flips. Exciting stuff all - a year of opportunity for us, indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With Orban Gone, Europe Rallies For Ukraine - From The NYT. Elections have consequences:
Now, my friends, it is time….. To Get To Work Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The MapHopium’s Winning The House Campaign (2026) - $603,500 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 - $61,400 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 - $85,900 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 - $125,000 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 Ohio Lt. Gov candiate David Pepper and Ohio Dem Chair Kathleen Clyde This total includes $21,00 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners! Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $529,400 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) - $106,700 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) - $169,800 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 CommunityThere 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, and bring resolutions that condemn our Mad King and lets facts be spoken to a candid world to your state or local government. Here’s our working Hopium Post-Iran Disaster Agenda:
This week our calls should clearly focus on reining in the illegal war in the Middle East and ICE here at home, and rescinding the tariffs that are doing so much damage to our economy. And 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 an election to win, together! - Simon You're currently a free subscriber to Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Sunday, April 26, 2026
Ukraine Gets EU Funding Package, Dems Up 6 Points In House Battleground, Peltola Leads In Alaska
Virginia Giuffre Set Something In Motion That Can't Be Stopped
Today marks the one-year anniversary of Virginia Giuffre’s death. One of the bravest Epstein survivors, she refused to let the men who hurt her get away with it and demanded public accountability. Today at a memorial service, her brother said she had turned her “pain into purpose.” And she did, forcing people—powerful people—to pay attention to survivors. Prince Andrew is no longer a prince. The Epstein survivors have shown no indication that they’re ready to walk away now. They forced Congress to pass a law that requires turnover to Congress of the Epstein Files. Trump is fighting a war in Iran, and there has been at least some suggestion that it was an effort to distract the public from those files, and from allegations that surfaced just before the war began that Trump himself had raped a 13-year-old girl. It does not appear that those allegations were ever fully investigated and the truth of that matter isn’t clear. Just as the files include mention of many other rich and powerful men, and their role is not clear: Were they participants? Witnesses? Were they aware of what was going on and failed to report it? Did they participate in a cover up? Much of the truth is in those files, but the Justice Department’s new leader, Todd Blanche, has said he’s done releasing material. In early April, he told Fox News’ Jesse Watters that the files “And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward.” About 2.5 million documents are said to remain undisclosed, and the documents that have been released are heavily redacted, frequently obscuring the identity of perpetrators. And there has been reporting to suggest that approximately 30 pages of documents regarding the allegations about Trump and a minor girl have not been released. Congressman Jamie Raskin believes the distraction won’t work. He said today that the “process of holding people to account had become an ‘irreversible reckoning.’” Virginia Giuffre wrote in her book: “If it helps just one person—I will have achieved my goal.”
Announced just last week, this year’s Time Magazine List of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2026” included Rachel Foster and Lauren Hersh. The two co-founded the group World Without Exploitation, which has helped the survivors develop their strong public voice and build the sisterhood that has enabled their demand for justice. Recognizing their work confirms Representative Raskin’s conclusion. These women are not going anywhere until there is accountability for the people who harmed them. On Thursday, the Justice Department’s Inspector General Office announced that it would begin an investigation into whether DOJ is in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The IG’s website clarifies its role: “The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is a statutorily created independent entity that detects and deters waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in the DOJ, and promotes economy and efficiency in the Department’s operations. The Inspector General, who is appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation, reports to the Attorney General and Congress.” The IG is a quasi-independent actor, positioned somewhere between the executive branch and Congress, which has, in the past, given it the ability to criticize the current administration. Whether or not that is still true remains to be seen. But slowly, and inexorably, the survivors are demanding justice, and they point to Virginia Giuffre and their desire to honor her as motivation. A single act of sexual assault can radically alter the course of a life. In many cases, the Epstein survivors suffered repeated acts of abuse over an extended period of time, only to be ignored when they went to law enforcement, discounted when Epstein received his sweetheart plea deal in Florida, and treated as though they themselves were at fault. They deserve more than just empathy—they deserve justice. What has become clear with the release of the files is that very powerful men, and even some women, in this country and in other countries, were involved in or at least complicit in concealing a ring that trafficked young girls internationally. There has to be accountability for the past to secure girls' and women’s futures. As for us, we owe it to the survivors to refuse to forget, to refuse to be distracted. It is all of our voices, all of our focus, that will help the survivors get to the truth. And all of us deserve that. We’re in this together, Joyce You're currently a free subscriber to Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance . For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
© 2026 Joyce Vance |
Ukraine Gets EU Funding Package, Dems Up 6 Points In House Battleground, Peltola Leads In Alaska
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