Apr 14: Gas Hits $4.12 as Hormuz Blockade Holds
01_front_matter04_senate_racesiran_war
This Week's Headlines
- Two pollsters active in April 2026. MPRC (April 7, 2026): Platner 48, Collins 39 (Platner +9); Collins 45, Mills 42 (Collins +3). Emerson College (March 30, 2026): Platner 48, Collins 41 (Platner +7); Mills 46, Collins 43 (Mills +3). Across both pollsters, Platner leads Collins by 7-9 points in head-to-head matchups. The Mills vs. Collins matchup is split: Collins +3 in MPRC, Mills +3 in Emerson. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty).
- Quantus Insights (April 10, 2026): Cooper 49, Whatley 44, Cooper +5. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty). Single poll available from current window.
- Emerson College (April 7, 2026): Ossoff 47, Carter 44 (Ossoff +3); Ossoff 49, Dooley 41 (Ossoff +8). Ossoff leads both named Republican challengers in the most recent available polling. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty).
- Emerson College (March 30, 2026): Pappas 45, Sununu 44 (Pappas +1); Pappas 48, Brown 39 (Pappas +9). Pappas leads both named Republican candidates. No UNH Survey Center, PPP, or MPRC results found in past 14 days.
- Emerson College (date unspecified in source): Moody 47, Nixon 36 (Moody +11). No special election date confirmed. No additional pollster results found in past 14 days.
- GA-14 special election result (April 7, 2026): Republican hold. Clay Fuller (R) 55.9%, Shawn Harris (D) 44.1%. No other special election results reported in the current window.
- As of April 14, 2026, the U.S.-Iran conflict (initiated February 28, 2026 with U.S. airstrikes) is 47 days old. A ceasefire took effect April 8 but is under strain. The U.S. Navy imposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, stopping ships entering or leaving and intercepting vessels that had paid Iranian tolls; U.S. forces conducted minesweeping operations April 11-12. Iran has threatened a response. U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad failed April 12; JD Vance confirmed the U.S. presented a 15-point peace plan that Iran rejected; Iran also rejected a U.S. 10-point proposal, denies holding formal talks, and conditions any ceasefire on Lebanon. Vance stated a second-phase decision now rests with Tehran. Pakistan had mediated the initial ceasefire. Several U.S. service members were injured in an April 5 F-15E crew rescue operation; no total KIA or wounded figures confirmed from DoD or CENTCOM. Iran initially closed the Strait of Hormuz; current status under U.S. blockade. No CENTCOM or DoD press releases confirmed in available sources.
- No DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) major cuts, controversies, or savings claims found from Reuters, AP, or Washington Post in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026.
- No DHS or immigration enforcement major actions, court rulings, deportation operations, or policy changes found from AP, Reuters, or DHS.gov in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026.
- No major executive orders or proclamations found from whitehouse.gov or the Federal Register in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026. An iHeartRadio/WJNO source dated April 8, 2026 references a Trump executive actions tracker entry for that date, but no specific order text or subject was confirmed in available content.
- No voting rights legislation, DOJ actions, or federal or state court rulings affecting voter access found in the window March 31 to April 14, 2026. Brennan Center and DOJ press releases not referenced in available sources for this period.
- Background context from Britannica (accessed 2026): Texas approved redrawn congressional maps creating five Democratic-favoring seats; California voters approved a November 2025 special election ballot initiative (64% vote) for redistricting changes. The Washington Post (reported January 2026, via Wikipedia) alleged the second Trump administration undertook mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts for partisan gain. No new maps, court decisions, or legislative redistricting actions found in the window March 31 to April 14, 2026 from Ballotpedia or state legislature sources.
- No Track A or Track B findings for resistance tracking, protest activity, or organized political opposition events in the current window. No data obtained.
Dashboard Snapshot
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Gas (EIA) | $4.12/gal |
| Brent Crude | $127.61/bbl |
| S&P 500 | 6,886.24 |
| Unemployment | 4.3% |
| 10-Yr Treasury | 4.31% |
| UMich Sentiment | 56.6 |
| Generic Ballot | D+5.4 |
| Trump Approval | Net -15.2 |
| Iran War Approval | Net -15.1 |
| CPI Food at Home | 318.46 |
| Avg Hourly Earnings | $37.38/hr |
| Median Home Price | $405,300 |
What Changed
- senate_maine
- Two pollsters active in April 2026. MPRC (April 7, 2026): Platner 48, Collins 39 (Platner +9); Collins 45, Mills 42 (Collins +3). Emerson College (March 30, 2026): Platner 48, Collins 41 (Platner +7); Mills 46, Collins 43 (Mills +3). Across both pollsters, Platner leads Collins by 7-9 points in head-to-head matchups. The Mills vs. Collins matchup is split: Collins +3 in MPRC, Mills +3 in Emerson. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty).
- senate_north_carolina
- Quantus Insights (April 10, 2026): Cooper 49, Whatley 44, Cooper +5. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty). Single poll available from current window.
- senate_georgia
- Emerson College (April 7, 2026): Ossoff 47, Carter 44 (Ossoff +3); Ossoff 49, Dooley 41 (Ossoff +8). Ossoff leads both named Republican challengers in the most recent available polling. Track B RCP fetch failed (page_content_empty).
- senate_new_hampshire
- Emerson College (March 30, 2026): Pappas 45, Sununu 44 (Pappas +1); Pappas 48, Brown 39 (Pappas +9). Pappas leads both named Republican candidates. No UNH Survey Center, PPP, or MPRC results found in past 14 days.
- senate_florida_special
- Emerson College (date unspecified in source): Moody 47, Nixon 36 (Moody +11). No special election date confirmed. No additional pollster results found in past 14 days.
- house_race_events
- GA-14 special election result (April 7, 2026): Republican hold. Clay Fuller (R) 55.9%, Shawn Harris (D) 44.1%. No other special election results reported in the current window.
- iran_war_status
- As of April 14, 2026, the U.S.-Iran conflict (initiated February 28, 2026 with U.S. airstrikes) is 47 days old. A ceasefire took effect April 8 but is under strain. The U.S. Navy imposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, stopping ships entering or leaving and intercepting vessels that had paid Iranian tolls; U.S. forces conducted minesweeping operations April 11-12. Iran has threatened a response. U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad failed April 12; JD Vance confirmed the U.S. presented a 15-point peace plan that Iran rejected; Iran also rejected a U.S. 10-point proposal, denies holding formal talks, and conditions any ceasefire on Lebanon. Vance stated a second-phase decision now rests with Tehran. Pakistan had mediated the initial ceasefire. Several U.S. service members were injured in an April 5 F-15E crew rescue operation; no total KIA or wounded figures confirmed from DoD or CENTCOM. Iran initially closed the Strait of Hormuz; current status under U.S. blockade. No CENTCOM or DoD press releases confirmed in available sources.
- doge
- No DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) major cuts, controversies, or savings claims found from Reuters, AP, or Washington Post in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026.
- dhs_immigration
- No DHS or immigration enforcement major actions, court rulings, deportation operations, or policy changes found from AP, Reuters, or DHS.gov in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026.
- executive_actions
- No major executive orders or proclamations found from whitehouse.gov or the Federal Register in the window April 7 to April 13, 2026. An iHeartRadio/WJNO source dated April 8, 2026 references a Trump executive actions tracker entry for that date, but no specific order text or subject was confirmed in available content.
- voting_rights
- No voting rights legislation, DOJ actions, or federal or state court rulings affecting voter access found in the window March 31 to April 14, 2026. Brennan Center and DOJ press releases not referenced in available sources for this period.
- redistricting
- Background context from Britannica (accessed 2026): Texas approved redrawn congressional maps creating five Democratic-favoring seats; California voters approved a November 2025 special election ballot initiative (64% vote) for redistricting changes. The Washington Post (reported January 2026, via Wikipedia) alleged the second Trump administration undertook mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts for partisan gain. No new maps, court decisions, or legislative redistricting actions found in the window March 31 to April 14, 2026 from Ballotpedia or state legislature sources.
- resistance_tracking
- No Track A or Track B findings for resistance tracking, protest activity, or organized political opposition events in the current window. No data obtained.