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The Biden Dropout Push Is Not Over

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
July 17, 2024

Good Wednesday morning. It has been a big summer in France. Taylor Swift, snap elections, the Paris Olympics and now a museum solely devoted to cheese. Sounds interesting (and delicious). Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

  • 988:10M calls in two years

  • Bangladesh: Schools shut down

  • Virginia: Surprising poll

  • Dow Jones:Huge day

  • Tenacious D: Trump joke fallout

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Renewed push

President Joe Biden is still not out of the woods.

  • The news: House Democrats reportedly want to block a plan to finalize Biden's nomination weeks before the national convention in Chicago. A letter drafted by California Rep. Jared Huffman is the first sign of renewed resistance inside the party following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Huffman told Politico the party was trying to achieve unity by "sheer force."

  • Catch up: The Democratic National Convention hatched the idea of a virtual roll call vote in May when there was concern about Ohio's pre-convention ballot deadline. But that state law has since been changed. Critics allege the measure will now be used to ram Biden's nomination through and stifle internal dissent; the plan could be finalized Friday and voting could begin next week.

  • FWIW: Biden challenged Democrats to oppose his candidacy at the convention during his Morning Joephone interviewearlier this month. The DNC proposal would make that impossible.

  • Big picture: The DNC claims the Ohio law takes effect Sept. 1, so it still must beat the Aug. 7 date to be safe. But Ohio lawmakers have rejected that claim. 19 congressional Democrats have called for Biden to step down and California Rep. Adam Schiff reportedly told donors the party faces an electoral wipeout with the president atop the ticket. This could be the Democratic opposition's last chance to force a change.

2) Gold barred

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez was convicted of corruption in Manhattan federal court yesterday.

  • The case: Menendez was found guilty of 16 charges, including bribery, conspiracy, extortion and obstruction of justice. The federal government said he acted as a foreign agent for Egypt and took bribes from businessmen, most notably an array of gold bars. "I have never violated my public oath," Menendez said after the verdict, maintaining his innocence.

  • Time to go: Many Democratic lawmakers and leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Sen. Cory Booker, called on Menendez to resign. Several party members said he should be expelled from the upper chamber if he does not; expulsion would require a two-thirds vote. There were calls for Murphy to appoint Rep. Andy Kim, who is the Democratic nominee for the seat, if Menendez exits. But Murphy has strained ties with Kim after he upset his wife, Tammy Murphy, in a contentious primary battle.

  • Sticky situation: If Menendez forges ahead with an independent re-election bid, things could get interesting in the Garden State given his strong support among Latino voters. Kim is a clear favorite against Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw and the GOP has not won a federal election in the state in over 50 years. But moderate businessman Jack Ciattarelli almost upset Murphy in 2021 and recent state polls have shown former President Trump within single digits of President Biden, although with small sample sizes. There is also speculation Menendez could angle to get a pardon from Biden, or Trump, in return to exit the stage.

3) On the radar

Former President Trump was the target of an Iranian assassination plot believed to be unrelated to last weekend's campaign rally shooting.

  • What happened: The Secret Service had reportedly already elevated security protocols around Trump due to the intelligence about Iran's plan, making the breakdown at Saturday's event in western Pennsylvania even more glaring. Iran denied the accusation, but reiterated it considers Trump to be a criminal for ordering the assassination of Quds Force Gen. Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

  • No ties: There is no indication alleged gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks had any connection to the Iranian plot. The FBI is still working to determine an ideology or motive for his attack, which killed one man and injured three, including Trump.

  • Back and forth: Butler Township Manager Tom Knights pushed back on suggestions local police mishandled their security responsibilities. saying four officers ran from traffic duty to confront Crooks, with one trying to scale the building he was perched on before shots rang out. The Secret Service has said that area was delegated to local law enforcement; multiple reports indicate cops and rallygoers flagged Crooks for behaving suspiciously prior to the shooting. There were reportedly snipers inside the building, which had been identified in pre-rally planning.

  • Under pressure: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was expected to be subpoenaed to ensure she testifies at a House hearing next week. She was criticized for claiming the roof Crooks was on was sloped and unsafe when asked why the Secret Service was not there first. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise called for her resignation.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has received 10M calls since being launched in 2022. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration answer rates are at 88% for the prevention hotline (More)

  • Police killed a man brandishing a knife about a mile from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The man was reportedly known from a homeless encampment; law enforcement does not believe there was a threat to the event (More)

  • NASA believes a meteor passed over New Jersey and New York yesterday before disintegrating. People in the tri-state area reported seeing a fireball in the sky, but no meteorites were formed; a subsequent loud boom and shaking may have been unrelated military activities in the area (More)

World News

  • Bangladesh has closed all high schools, vocational facilities and Islamic seminaries indefinitely. The shutdowns are in response to violent student protests over public-sector hiring quotas; critics alleged the system favors supporters of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (More)

  • Israel's military will begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men next week after the nation's top court said the decades-long exemption established by politicians could not continue amid war with Hamas. There are fears the process could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition (More)

  • China and the Phillippines have established a direct hotline between their respective presidential offices. The communication plan is an effort to prevent significant escalations following recent clashes in the South China Sea; hotlines have been used at lower levels in the past (More)

Campaign News

  • Former President Trump leads President Biden, 39% to 36%, in Virginia, according to a poll released by VCU. The same survey has Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine running 13 points ahead of Biden and nearing the 50% mark with an 11-point lead on his Republican opponent; a Republican candidate has not won the state in 20 years (More)

  • Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will hold a campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday, the former president’s first since the attempt on his life. The event will be at a Grand Rapids arena; Vance is expected to spend considerable time in the state as the GOP vice presidential candidate (More)

  • Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver won a special election in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District. She will finish late Rep. Donald Payne Jr.'s term; the Democrat is a heavy favorite to be re-elected to a full term in the deep-blue district (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher yesterday. Dow Jones jumped over 700 points on its best day since last June (Dow+1.85%, S&P 500 +0.64%, Nasdaq +0.20%).

  • The maker of Squishmallows plush toys can proceed with a lawsuit against Build-A-Bear Workshop. A federal judge ruled Kelly Toys can pursue an intellectual property case against the retail chain over its similar Skoorsherz dolls (More)

  • Former President Trump said he would not try to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell if re-elected. The president’s power to terminate the central bank’s leader is a legal gray area; Trump also mentioned JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon as a potential Treasury Secretary candidate (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • Jack Black said Tenacious D's "future creative plans are on hold" after bandmate Kyle Gass joked about the assassination attempt on former President Trump during a show in New Zealand. Gass has since apologized; the band was scheduled to headline Rock The Vote concerts in Midwestern swing states this fall (More)

  • The American League rallied to beat the National League, 5-3, in the 94th MLB All-Star Game. Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox hit the game-winning two-run home run and earned MVP honors; it was the AL’s 10th win in 11 games (More)

  • Gareth Southgate resigned as the manager of England's national men's soccer team. He spent eight years at the helm, leading the Three Lions to the 2020 and '24 Euro finals and the World Cup semifinals in 2018, but failed to end the nation's 58-year major tournament championship drought (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Feel Good: Check out this heartwarming video of a dog visiting her owner's mother. Georgia the Cavapoo was very excited to see her grandmother.

  • Be Safe: Almost 7K pounds of hot dogs were recalled after being produced without federal inspection. The dogs were shipped to hotels and restaurants in Ohio and West Virginia.

  • Take Note: Online misinformation continues to be an issue, especially after surprising news events. Here are some tips to ensure you are not spreading misleading content.

  • New Idea: Butter without cows? A California-based startup backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates claims it can make a dairy-free alternative that tastes like the real thing using thermochemical processes.

  • Life Hack: Neckties have largely fallen out of style since the pandemic. But if you need to wear one, this is an incredible trick to get the perfect knot.

A case to bring back a home design trend for comfort, not aesthetics.

Looking Ahead …

Keeping with the Parisian theme ... an asteroid larger than the Eiffel Tower is going to buzz Earth in 2029. Scientists have confirmed it will not hit us and cause disaster, so they are now all-in on using the close call to learn how we to protect against the gigantic space rock that is a threat.

Question of the Day — Wednesday Trivia

Where was the first GOP convention held?

Choose one ...

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Yesterday’s results:

What do you think of Trump's VP pick?

  • It won't matter, Trump will win or lose on his own merits (62%)

  • It was the right call, Vance will help Trump get re-elected (26%)

  • The wrong decision, Vance is too divisive and doesn't grow Trump's support (12%)