Freedom Fuel? 

Plus: Platner is out, so is reading, Netflix is not a monopoly, and more...

Gas what? Something you eventually learn when you write about American politics for the better part of two decades is that a lot of it just comes down to the price of gas. This is something that Donald Trump, the American president now serving his second term, seems to have learned as well, albeit belatedly. 

This week on social media, the Trump administration touted the launch of Freedom Fuel, a network of gas stations "lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th president." 

FREEDOM FUEL HAS ARRIVED. ⛽️🇺🇸

The FIRST Freedom Fuel Network gas station has LANDED in Philadelphia, lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th President.

President Trump is leading the charge to lower gas prices this summer - putting more money in your pocket. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lcrCuioQv5

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 7, 2026

Technically, this wasn't the cheapest gas in the region. "At least two nearby stations started their prices at two cents cheaper per gallon," USA Today reported. But all things considered, it was a pretty good deal. According to AAA, yesterday's average price for a gallon of gas was $3.79 nationally.  

Inevitably, this initiative produced cries of socialism and comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's sure-to-be-a-boondoggle government-run grocery store initiative. 

But these comparisons were misplaced, at least if the Trump administration is to be believed. According to CBS News, the Freedom Fuel network "is private and owns 25 filling stations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The spokesperson said the Trump administration is not involved with the company and is not subsidizing the gas stations." 

So this probably isn't a case of government-run gas stations. Instead, it's another familiar feature of Trump-era politics and media: something happening that has little to do with the White House—and Trump taking credit. This is a branding exercise, not a policy. 

Trump is far from the first politician to boast about welcome economic outcomes he had little to do with. But Trump did play a causal role here, in a different way. Much of the recent increase in gas prices is a result of his pointless, fruitless, on-and-off war with Iran. We wouldn't need Freedom Fuel if the president had simply chosen not to start a quixotic bombing campaign in the Middle East. 

Strait and narrow. Speaking of the war in Iran, it isn't over.

The already-shaky ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran appears to have collapsed. Last night, the United States launched new strikes against the country. The strikes were intended to weaken Iran's ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping corridor for the global energy trade. The U.S. military said the strikes were in response to "recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews," according to The New York Times. 

In other words, Trump started a war. The war (among other things) increased the price of gas. So now Trump is continuing the war—because of the price of gas. If only Trump had discovered that the price of gas was important a little bit sooner. 

The Maine event: Graham Platner suspended his campaign for Senate in Maine, saying he intended to withdraw from the race, which is viewed by many as critical for determining control of the Senate. 

The move was widely expected after a rape accusation earlier this week. (He denies the accusation.) 

On his way out, Platner blamed a rigged system, saying, "We live in a political system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish, that if they begin to succeed, they can be crushed."

The Democratic State Committee of Maine said it would hold a nominating convention to determine who will replace Platner. 

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Scenes from the greater Boston area: Massachusetts might become the first state to undo the legalization of recreational marijuana. Cannabis business owners in the state are fighting back.  

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QUICK HITS

• Sorry, no, just no. Whatever you might think of Netflix, it is not a monopoly.
  

  Today, Demand Progress Education Fund put up a billboard outside the @FTC and @TheJusticeDept with one message: NETFLIX IS A MONOPOLY.

  These agencies can't ignore it any longer. pic.twitter.com/ZWZzKLMorl

  — Demand Progress (@demandprogress) July 7, 2026

  Not even close! But progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) like to use that word because they seem to think it gives them permission to regulate and/or take public ownership of a company without any further argument. 

• Is the end of reading nigh? 
• Twinkies are bad business. 
• Obsidian, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas—possibly my favorite video game of all time—is reportedly working on a new Fallout game after a major restructuring at Xbox.
• There's a new trailer for Dune 3.