Paul Demko

Tokelahoma’s Cautionary Tale: How Weed Legalization Went Wrong in a Deep Red State Higher costs, tougher enforcement, cratering prices and rampant criminal activity have eviscerated the once-booming medical marijuana market.

A fresh 'Tokelahoma' story from @politico.com weed czar @pdemko.bsky.social just dropped! I know what I'm reading on the couch tonight.

Demko's Oklahoma narratives are always super deeply reported and well spun.

contemplating the beauty of ozzy on his throne going out in his hometown. just in case anybody doesn't know the story:

Huh

Already regretting omission of The Florida Project

This Pennsylvania Republican withstood pressure on the megabill. Here’s why. Brian Fitzpatrick, who won his seat in 2016, faces a serious Democratic challenger next year.

“[Democrats] believe they have finally recruited a top contender to run against Fitzpatrick in a county commissioner named Bob Harvie, who has shown the ability to win the battleground county, which comprises most of the district.” www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

In Today’s GOP, There Is No Choice at All The “Big Beautiful Bill” proved that for Republicans, it’s MAGA or nothing.

“The second-term, free-range Trump has not even pretended to be interested in the details of lawmaking and is even less interested in forging bipartisan coalitions with people he sees criticizing him on the television shows he consumes by the hours.” www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Opinion | Paramount betrays ‘60 Minutes’ and the rest of us Parent company caves to baseless suit by Donald Trump.

“Though lawyers for CBS News cited First Amendment protections in court filings, Paramount caved prematurely and completely, leaving the impression that our legal protections may not have been equal to the task. Is it possible to malign the First Amendment itself?” wapo.st/4le5PHF

Andrew Cuomo is trying to hang on to support for a general election bid The former governor has lost support from key constituencies since losing the Democratic primary.

Andrew Cuomo is scrambling to shore up backing for a general election run in the NYC mayoral campaign.

Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90; Passionate Televangelist Was Ousted by Scandal

“As Jimmy Lee grew older and more certain he was on the path of the righteous, he prayed for the salvation of his first cousin, Jerry Lee Lewis, the early wild man of rock and roll” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...

Opinion | Zohran Mamdani has a seriously bad idea — for grocery stores No, Zohran Mamdani, New York cannot run grocery stores better than private businesses do.

“The grocery business is one of the most hypercompetitive and efficient parts of our economy, with profit margins that have historically averaged around 1 percent to 3 percent.” wapo.st/3TgcxAB

Baltimore ended the first half of 2022 with 179 homicides, the worst first half of a year on record (since 1970).
Baltimore just ended the first half of 2025 with 68 homicides, which is the fewest on record.
That’s a 62 percent drop from 2022-2025

Cracks in the Cabinet

"Since we’re in tense times here, I feel obligated to clarify I am not suggesting that the governor has asked anyone to rid him of this meddlesome prosecutor." www.politico.com/newsletters/...

How much is $3.3 trillion?

“If distributed evenly, it would be enough to give every U.S. household more than $25,000.”

messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/dynamic/rend...

‘This wasn’t Andrew Cuomo in his prime’ — how an ex-governor fell flat The former governor was on track to win the New York City mayoralty but focused on the past and struggled against Mamdani’s digital skills.

“Cuomo evinced little optimism, scowling as he portrayed NYC as a scary, dangerous hellscape, while a smiling Mamdani orated hopefully about a better future. Cuomo scolded him for having a thin resume — an accurate critique — but didn’t offer much vision of his own.” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Gaming the Air Raids in Kyiv: A Night in a Capital at War People in the Ukrainian capital spend their evenings clinging to the normal things of life—for as long as the air-raid sirens allow.

"It is illegal for Ukrainians to post images of strikes and air-defense systems firing, because Russia is known for hunting down air defenders and carrying out so-called double-tap attacks—striking the same place twice to kill first responders, journalists and civilians" www.wsj.com/world/gaming...

Kennedy’s vaccine panel met for the first time. Here’s what to know. The meeting offered a glimpse into how the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will operate — and how federal vaccine policy is beginning to reflect Kennedy’s personal views.

“It signals that falsehoods may have a place in shaping vaccine policy in America,” said Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist who has consulted for the CDC. “The ripple effects could undermine trust in vaccines, vaccine access globally & weaken pandemic preparedness.” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Zohran Mamdani to face a pugnacious rival in the embattled Eric Adams The New York City mayor is looking for redemption in November.

“‘Terror. Fear. Panic,’ Kathryn Wylde, head of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit that advocates for major corporations, said as she described the array of emotions her members are feeling.” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Watch: Rescue seeking forever home for parrot with 'rated R' vocabulary - UPI.com A Rhode Island animal rescue group is seeking a new home for a 20-year-old parrot with a vocabulary politely described as "rated R."

"Despite the potty-mouthed parrot's ill manners, the rescue has already received over 50 adoption applications and is now in the process of choosing his new forever home." www.upi.com/Odd_News/202...

Mamdani’s night

“Cuomo wasn’t the only scandal-scarred politician who fell short in a comeback bid, either. As of late Tuesday night, former Rep. Anthony Weiner placed a distant fourth in a five-way Manhattan race” www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Zohran Mamdani topples Andrew Cuomo in NYC mayoral race The 33-year-old Democratic Socialist lawmaker outpaced the ex-governor, who has conceded, in a stunning primary, signaling generational change in the Democratic Party.

“More than 980,872 Democrats voted in the mayoral primary, an increase over the 942,031 who turned out in 2021, and the most since 1989, when more than 1 million New Yorkers turned out to nominate the city’s first Black mayor, David Dinkins.” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

The heat is on

“Not to be outdone is state Sen. Zellnor Myrie. Behind in the polls, Myrie is leading in hydration: His team said Monday they have 5,000 bottles of water.” www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Scientists Are Sending Cannabis Seeds to Space The versatile cannabis plant could, some scientists think, one day be useful for lunar and Martian colonists. For now, researchers will subject its seeds to radiation in orbit and see what happens.

“Sooner or later, we will have lunar bases, and cannabis, with its versatility, is the ideal plant to supply those projects,” he tells Wired.”It can be a source of food, protein, building materials, textiles, hemp, plastic and medicine.” www.wired.com/story/scient...

Mamdani’s victory would signal seismic shift in national politics and test for socialist movement The 33-year-old democratic socialist stands to seize one of the top political jobs in America.

“Bernie, one time, quite famously said, ‘If we don’t plow the streets and fix the roads, the people aren’t going to put up with this socialism shit,’” said John Franco, who served in Sanders’ mayoral administration in Burlington. “You have a lot of persuasion to do” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Well done, OKC.

Opinion | After 35 years as a Post journalist, I’ve decided it’s time for a change The thought doesn’t come easy.

“I have now decided that come September, when I reach my 35-year milestone as a Post journalist, I shall strike my tent and silently move on into the night.” wapo.st/446ivc8

Cuomo the a--hole

“Andrew Cuomo is not our asshole. Say it with me!” The crowd, soaked in the rain, yelled back: “Andrew Cuomo is not our asshole!"

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Not Just Suburban Sprawl — Dense Places Can Still Build Learning from DC and other Downtowns

“Of the 168 largest counties in the US, DC ranked 15 in terms of new homes per capita. This is especially remarkable for a county that spans just 61 square miles, a third of which is owned by the federal government and is thus off-limits to residential homebuilding” open.substack.com/pub/agglomer...

‘It’s a Race of Ideology Versus Experience’ Why Andrew Cuomo is leading New York’s Democratic mayoral primary, in the eyes of POLITICO’s reporters.

“Every time I look at the TV screen, I see an anti-Mamdani ad paid for by the Cuomo PAC.” www.politico.com/news/magazin...

‘Throwing us off a cliff’: Megabill could derail hundreds of planned clean energy projects A POLITICO analysis identified 794 planned clean electricity generation facilities — mostly in GOP districts — that could lose subsidies under the House bill. The Senate is debating changes.

“Roughly three-quarters of clean electricity generation facilities not yet under construction would be in Republican districts, according to Politico’s analysis of Atlas data.” www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Bloomberg pours more cash into Cuomo super PAC, bringing his total contribution to $8.3M The ex-mayor has emerged as the single-largest contributor to the group.

The spending limit for campaigns is roughly $8.3 million.
Mamdani raised it with 20,720 donors + public funds. Lander, with 8,050 donors + public funds. Cuomo raised it with 5,730 donors + public funds.

The super PAC raised that much much from one donor: Bloomberg.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

If Cuomo Wins, It Was All But Inevitable. Here’s Why. For decades, New York politics was defined by party machines, yes, but also a hyper-engaged voting public. Now, with the end of both, a candidate’s starpower is all that counts.

“The percentage of registered voters in New York who cast ballots declined from 93 percent in 1953 to 57 percent in 1993, and to just 24 percent in 2013. Only 1,149,172 New Yorkers voted in the 2021 election out of 5,586,318 on the rolls, barely above one in five.” www.politico.com/news/magazin...