☕ FIRST CUP | Friday, April 10, 2026

Republicans gaveled out democracy yesterday.

Democrats showed up to a pro forma House session Thursday and tried to pass a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) was presiding. He ignored them, gaveled the session shut in four minutes, and went home.

Democrats shouted from the floor. “End the war. Let us vote,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA). Rep. Glenn Ivey, who tried to introduce the resolution, put it plainly afterward: “We’ve been at war for 40 days. We’ve only been in session for 33.”

A new Economist/YouGov poll shows 53% of Americans oppose the war. Just 34% approve. Only 15% support sending ground troops. Republicans are choosing this war anyway.

The full House returns April 14. Democrats plan to force a real floor vote. Watch it closely — there are now enough Republican defectors in play that it could actually pass. (The Hill, Common Dreams)

Wisconsin delivered — again.

Liberal judge Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court Tuesday, defeating conservative Maria Lazar by roughly 20 points. That’s the fourth straight win for Democratic-backed candidates in the state’s high court elections, and it expands the liberal majority to 5-2.

That majority is now locked in through at least 2030 — covering redistricting, union rights, abortion access, and every election dispute between now and 2028.

CNN called Tuesday one of Democrats’ best election nights of the Trump era. Georgia held a special House election the same night. Republicans held the seat — but Democrats posted their largest swing yet in a Trump-district race. The momentum is real. (AP, CNN, Bolts)

The ceasefire is barely a ceasefire.

Trump announced a two-week pause in U.S.-Iran hostilities earlier this week. But Israel kept bombing Lebanon. Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened to wipe out “a whole civilization.” The death toll from Israel’s “Black Wednesday” assault on Lebanon has now topped 300, with over 1,150 injured.

Now JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are heading to Islamabad this weekend to meet with Iranian diplomats — hosted by Pakistan as a neutral mediator. Iran is warning that Israel’s continued attacks could collapse the deal entirely before talks even begin.

This is what “victory” looks like. (Democracy Now!, Fox News)

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— Sean | Cup of Culture