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Good morning and happy Friday. A West Virginia politician was snakebitten this week -- figuratively and then literally. Doug Skaff lost the Republican primary for Secretary of State. He was then bitten by two copperheads while cleaning up his campaign signs. Skaff is hospitalized, but is expected to be OK. Have a great weekend.
In Today’s Brief
Delaware: License plate ruling
Algeria: Man found after 26 years
Jeffries: Helps Menendez’s son
Dimon: Inflation warning
Preakness Stakes: Mystik Dan favored
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Pacific riot
New Caledonia has become engulfed with unrest after constitutional changes in the French territory.
The news: At least three people have died and hundreds have been injured due to violent protests and riots on the Pacific island nation, which sits off the coast of Australia. French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency. Police stations have been attacked and buildings and cars have been set ablaze. Public gatherings have been banned, and a curfew is in effect.
Why it's happening: France's parliament approved granting voting rights to French residents who have lived in the territory for 10 years. Leaders of the indigenous Kanak people fear that would diminish their influence. France granted New Caledonia greater political autonomy with the Nouméa Accord in 1998; the pact limited voting rights to French citizens already in the region. Over 40K more have moved there since.
Big picture: The territory's political leaders have joined Macron in calling for an end to the violence. French military forces have been deployed to restore order and the state of emergency will last for at least another week.
2) Red scheme
An Arizona woman allegedly helped North Korean workers do illegal work with hundreds of U.S. companies in what federal authorities called a "staggering" scam.
The news: Christina Chapman is charged with assisting three North Koreans to steal the identities of 60 Americans from 2020-23. The group then obtained telework positions at over 300 companies while impersonating the people. The con sent about $7M in illegal funds to Kim Jong Un's government in Pyongyang while creating false tax liabilities for private individuals, compromising identities and defrauding the government.
Go deeper: Chapman is said to have facilitated opportunities for the North Koreans to access company laptops and information. She also received paychecks and forged signatures, depositing the money in her account before redirecting it to North Korea. She allegedly charged the North Koreans for her services.
Big picture: The North Koreans remain at large; their efforts to gain access and employment at undisclosed government agencies was thwarted. There is up to a $5M reward for information on them and the scheme. This is the latest example of North Korea using fraud in a skilled labor industry to try to circumvent government sanctions.
3) Pulling rank
President Joe Biden is moving to keep the audio of his interviews with a special counsel under wraps.
What happened: Biden will invoke executive privilege to block House committees from obtaining recordings of his meetings with Special Counsel Robert Hur. Republicans have aimed to get the tapes after Hur's controversial comments about his memory in the report ending a probe of Biden's handling of classified documents without charges.
The timing: Biden made the move as a GOP-led panel voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. Garland informed Biden the tapes fell within the scope of executive privilege, allowing the White House to move forward.
Big picture: It is not clear the GOP has the votes to hold Garland in contempt on a full floor vote. Former AGs Bill Barr and Eric Holder were hit with contempt votes but did not face criminal charges. The tapes subpoena has been a House focus since the effort to impeach Biden fizzled out.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
A federal judge ruled Delaware’s vanity license program is unconstitutional because officials can discriminate against certain viewpoints when approving applications. A breast cancer survivor sued the state for denying a “FCANCER” plate (More)
San Antonio is progressing toward overtaking Philadelphia as the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Philly's population has dropped by 3.3, or about 53K people, since 2020 (More)
Morehouse College will award an honorary degree to President Biden. He will deliver the commencement address at the Atlanta school tomorrow; some faculty members have opposed his presence due to his support of Israel in the Gaza war (More)
World News
An Algerian man was discovered alive after being missing for 26 years. A neighbor allegedly held him captive in a cellar; the man's family believed he had died in the Algerian civil war (More)
Controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders has formed a far-right governing coalition after months of negotiation. Wilders' party won the most parliamentary seats, but Wilders has agreed he will not serve as Prime Minister (More)
Five Israeli soldiers were killed by friendly fire in Gaza. An initial investigation found two tanks opened fire on a building where the troops were gathered (More)
Campaign News
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries anchored a fundraiser for New Jersey Rep. Rob Menendez Jr., the son of the indicted New Jersey senator. The younger Menendez faces a primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhaila (More)
Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to debate the Republican VP nominee. The debate will be hosted by CBS but a date has not yet been set; July 23 and August 13 have been proposed (More)
Actress Kerry Washington and former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger will co-chair the Power the Polls advisory council. The non-partisan group works to recruit poll workers; it recruited over 700K poll workers in 2020 (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed lower yesterday. The Dow Jones briefly topped 40K points for the first time during trading (Dow -0.10%, Nasdaq -0.26%, S&P 500 -0.21%).
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said he remains concerned about inflation. He suggested the Federal Reserve may be more likely to raise interest rates than Wall Street currently believes (More)
Under Armour said it will begin layoffs after sales fell 10% in North America and are expected to get worse. The athletic apparel retailer saw profits sink by almost 100% during its last fiscal quarter; workforce reduction numbers are not clear (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is the betting favorite to win the Preakness Stakes tomorrow. Only eight horses are expected to run in the second leg of the Triple Crown (More)
Drake has an event-leading seven BET Awards nominations this year. Nikki Minaj is second with six; the awards show will air live on Sunday, June 30 (More)
Tiger Woods and the PGA of America remain in talks about the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy next year. Woods suggested earlier this week he would not have enough time to prepare for the 2025 event (More)
Quick Hitters
Fun Stuff: Just because a television show can land a big name for a guest spot does not mean it will work. And these are a few examples of when a celebrity cameo was disastrous.
Chow Down: If you need a delicious dessert and do not feel like firing up your oven, you have come to the right place. Here are over 40 no-bake recipes to try.
Go Deep: Many medicines are marketed as cherry-flavored, although they very rarely taste like one. Manufacturers utilize the sweet fruit for several reasons, both historic and practical.
Take Note: Even people who regularly eat vegetables do not have enough in their diet. These are the healthiest ones to make sure are on your table.
Life Hack: You have a job, but you are still looking for something different. Here are some tips on how to find a new gig while searching for a new one.
OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”
Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:
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Looking Ahead …
McDonald's will introduce a $5 meal deal in the U.S. next month as sales sag. Customers will be able to get a four-piece McNugget, small fries, a small drink and a McDouble burger or a McChicken sandwich.