First Cup — April 9, 2026

Good morning friends! Happy Thursday!

Here’s what you need to know.

The Iran ceasefire is here — but it’s already cracking.

Trump announced a two-week suspension of U.S. bombing of Iran, contingent on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The deal, brokered by Pakistan, came less than two hours before Trump’s own deadline — the same deadline where he’d threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Now both sides are claiming victory. Iran says it won. Trump says it won. Iran is already accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire by continuing its war in Lebanon , and no official written agreement has been released. Talks are set for Friday in Islamabad. Whether this holds is anyone’s guess.

What’s clear: this war started on February 28, accomplished none of Trump’s stated goals — no regime change, no end to Iran’s nuclear program, no decisive military victory — and ended (for now) with a scrambled last-minute deal negotiated through Pakistan. That’s the summary.

Democrats just won big in Wisconsin — again.

Democratic-backed Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court Tuesday, growing the liberal majority on the court — by a 20-point margin, with 60% of the vote. It’s the fourth straight victory for Democratic-backed candidates in Wisconsin’s high court elections. The court’s liberal majority grows from 4-3 to 5-2 — the largest margin Wisconsin liberals have held since at least the 1970s.

Meanwhile in Georgia, Republicans held a deep-red House seat vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene — but Democrats overperformed there too. Greene had carried the district by 29 points in 2024. The Republican won by 12.

Both results point in the same direction heading into the midterms.

The bigger picture:

These elections underscore strong headwinds for Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms, which could shift the balance of power in Washington. Democrats have now won Wisconsin’s Supreme Court four straight times. The party is consistently outperforming 2024 margins everywhere votes are being cast. That’s not a fluke — that’s a trend.

Have an amazing day folks, lots of news happening so please follow me over on threads to join the conversation.

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Sources: NPR, NBC News, CBS News, PBS NewsHour, CNBC, Council on Foreign Relations

More tonight in Last Call. Stay loud. ☕

- Sean