Democrats are showing the abortion card‚ but theyre playing a much bigger one. Sure‚ Arizona had a law on the books since 1864 that bans all abortions‚ and Democrats are losing their minds over it. A few women couldnt dispose of their unborn children in Texas‚ and liberals are getting out their Handmaids Tale cosplay outfits. Wheres Abortion Barbie when you need her? Oh‚ right‚ shes with Planned Parenthood in a posh lobbying job.While all this Sturm und Drang is going on‚ Democrats are doing their more pernicious work 2‚500 miles away from Phoenix. Im talking Hawaii‚ and Im talking oil.What? you say. Hawaii produces exactly zero barrels of oil‚ and has zero barrels of oil reserves. One hundred percent of Hawaiis oil comes in on tankers‚ with a tiny refinery in Honolulu. But Honolulu is suing Sunoco because oil productioneverywhere else on earthharms the city due to greenhouse gas production‚ they claim. And Hawaiis supreme court‚ made up of four Democrats and one Republican‚ ruled that the case can move forward.The legal ground on which this case is built is about as stable as a mountain cabin on the slopes of Klauea. Basically‚ it holds that cities and states can sue oil companies because oil causes global warming. It doesnt matter if the cities or states actually produce oil‚ or have refinery facilities. Or if the oil companies in question drill for oil in the U.S. or anywhere in the world. Basically‚ the climate nuisance lawfare strategy is a backdoor way to hobble the oil industry and put money into the pockets of Democrat would-be kings and tsars‚ who will hand it over to groups like Greenpeace or the corrupt Sierra Club.Back in the heyday of the green mafia under Barack Obama‚ the EPA forced companies to pay greenmail to these climate warriors. In office‚ Donald Trump dismantled that business plan. But instead of accepting defeat‚ Democrats took their battle to the place where theyve had near-permanent hegemony: big cities and true-blue states. It doesnt get much truer blue than Hawaii.Sunoco has requested a petition for certiorari from the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court‚ in the past has refused to take some cases‚ such as the one by Boulder‚ Colorado against ExxonMobil and Suncor last year. If Honolulus case is successful‚ look for every big Democrat-run city in America to join in the cash-grab designed to kill Big Oil.But lets talk about Hawaii. Oahu in particular has a big homeless problem. People are living on the beaches and the cops clean them out almost daily. But those people arent skid-row bums from Los Angeles‚ or migrants coming up from Mexico. No‚ those people cant get a ticket to Honolulu. The homeless in Hawaii are Hawaiians‚ many of them natives who had property for decades. How did this happen‚ you ask.Well heres how it goes. Property in paradise is scarce. People with money‚ like Oprah Winfrey or billionaire Larry Ellison‚ have property. Big developers‚ like Disney (Aulani resort) or other builders‚ buy out locals‚ who frequently take the cash. Those who dont‚ find their properties worth millions‚ but cant pay the taxes. Even owners who own their property outright have to take mortgages to pay the taxes on their now-expensive villas. The other thing thats scarce in Hawaii is jobs‚ particularly good-paying jobs. Its easy to get a job as a busboy or dishwasher‚ but not easy to work as a stock broker in Honolulu.So these Hawaiians who owned family property found themselves taxed out of the market‚ and not able to earn enough to afford the property they own. And the government put liens on the property when the mortgage defaulted‚ and then the people who lived in those homes found themselves on the beach. The State of Hawaii is more than happy to give those homeless people tickets to the mainland‚ as long as they have family to stay with. Getting off the island is harder than getting over the border from Mexico‚ to be honest.But the would-be emperors and barons of HawaiiDemocratshave no problem extracting greenmail from oil companies halfway across the world. Thats how it works when youre trying to win an election‚ and planning how to eliminate personal cars and destroy the way of life for everyone who doesnt live in a concrete jungle.Its all a head fake‚ a lie. They tell us that America is producing more oil than ever. Thats true. We pump nearly 13 million barrels per day. But refinery production capacity is stagnant‚ and in fact has fallen‚ since 1970. Its stuck at around 18 million barrels‚ which includes the 8.5 million barrels we import every day. The fact is‚ if we cant drill it‚ pump it‚ and refine it‚ were not energy independent.Suing the oil companies‚ while forcing auto manufacturers to build EVs they dont want to build‚ without growth in the EV market for people to buy them‚ is insanity. But Democrats arent insane‚ unless you mean insane over getting more power.Dont fall for the trap. Democrats want to make 2024 about abortion‚ because abortion is an easy issue for them to build emotional responses. Republicans want it to be about the border‚ because nobody is doing anything to fix that problem.But the real issue is oil‚ and the real action is in Hawaii‚ far from the bicoastal big city media‚ and therefore out of mind for most of the country. Just like the Democrats want it to be.Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman.The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue‚ create conversation‚ and debate ideas. See something you like or dont like? Reach out to the author or to us at ideas@thefirsttv.com.

Donald Trump issued a campaign challenge to Joe Biden on social media Thursday‚ saying he is willing to debate the president Any time‚ Anywhere‚ Any place!Its time for Crooked Joe Biden the worst president in the history of the United States and I to DEBATE! We HAVE to talk about what hes doing and where were going. ANY TIME‚ ANYWHERE‚ ANY PLACE! said Trump.TRUMP I Will Debate Crooked Joe Biden ';ANY TIME‚ ANYWHERE‚ ANY PLACE';pic.twitter.com/r5UdNx5O1x The First (@TheFirstonTV) April 11‚ 2024

OJ Simpson died Thursday after a battle with cancer‚ his family confirmed.On April 10th‚ our father‚ Orenthal James Simpson‚ succumbed to his battle with cancer.He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition‚ his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.-The Simpson Family O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11‚ 2024From Fox News:Simpson was widely regarded as a legendary running back and perhaps one of the best running backs of all time but his fame was eclipsed by the double murder trial of his ex-wife and her friend.He becameembroiled in a murder trialfollowing a June 1994 arrest in connection with the brutal slayings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend‚ Ron Goldman. Simpson was 46 years old at the time.On June 21‚ 1994‚ Simpson was arraigned and pleadednot guilty.His status as an accused double murderer rocked the country and his courtroom trials captivated households. His fall from grace continued throughout the mid-90s and early 2000s.That murder case‚ dubbed The Trial of the Century‚ received international press attention and was recently dramatized in the popular TV show‚ The People v. O.J. Simpson. It was also examined in the 2016 documentary‚ OJ: Made in America.The cases enormous popularity stemmed from Simpsons fame and whether he was innocent or whether he was guilty and he got away with it.