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France's Election Takes Another Turn

France's Election Takes Another Turn

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
July 03, 2024

Good morning and happy Wednesday. If you applied for a job recently and then began to doubt whether it was a real listing, you were likely onto something. A new report found 40% of companies surveyed posted fake jobs in the last year for various reasons. Have a great day.

In Today’s Brief

Ohio: Jewish cemeteries vandalized
Panama: Darien Gap plan
Biden: House Democrat speaks out
FTC: Mattress merger nixed
Euro 2024: Quarters set

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Strange bedfellows

French political rivals are joining forces in a last-ditch effort to deny the rising National Rally party.

The news: Over 200 parliamentary candidates have dropped out ahead of this weekend's snap election runoffs, a tactical decision designed to prevent RN from capturing an absolute majority in the National Assembly. The candidates exiting the race come from an alliance of left-wing parties as well as President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition, which will operate in an uneasy alliance.
Catch up: Macron dissolved parliament after RN surged in France's European Union elections. The gambit was designed to slow the far-right party's ascension. But it largely failed when RN dominated last week's first round of parliamentary voting, putting the party in position to potentially grab outright control of the country's legislature.
Big picture: RN needs 289 seats to gain absolute control; most projections after the first round of voting suggested it would fall short of the threshold. This maneuver should further diminish those chances. But while RN Leader Marine Le Pen initially said protege Jordan Bardella would not seek to be Prime Minister without an absolute majority, RN has now suggested it may seek to form a governing coalition if it gets close.

2) Delay of game

Former President Donald Trump has scored another legal win.

What happened: Judge Juan Merchan approved Trump's request to delay sentencing in his New York hush money case. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for July 11; it will now be Sept. 18. The motion came after the Supreme Court granted Trump partial presidential immunity on Monday.
At play: The case against Trump -- he was convicted of 34 felony charges in May -- is based on accusations he falsified business records to conceal an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels before taking office. But his defense is now arguing the prosecution used evidence involving Trump's official acts as president to make its case, which the high court ruled is unconstitutional. The Manhattan District Attorney said Trump's claims were "without merit," but it would not oppose Merchan's decision to delay sentencing.
Big picture: Trump likely faces an uphill climb given the major issues of the case predate his presidency. But Merchan now faces the challenge the Supreme Court pushed to lower courts -- determining what is and isn't a "core" presidential function under absolute immunity, and whether the conviction can stand. Moreover, Trump no longer faces the minor risk of being in prison during the Republican National Convention.

3) Denied again

An Indigenous activist convicted of killing two federal law enforcement officers will remain in prison.

The news: Leonard Peltier was denied parole for the second time in 15 years; his attorney said he plans to appeal. He was also denied clemency by then-President Barack Obama in 2017. Peltier has been in prison since 1977 after being found guilty in the 1975 murder of two FBI agents.
The backstory: Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were killed on June 26, 1975, in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They were searching for a robbery suspect when shots broke out. Peltier has admitted to firing a gun during the incident, but denies he killed the agents and said he does not know who did.
Big picture: Peltier was convicted and sentenced to consecutive life sentences despite there being no direct witness to the killings. The government provided ballistics evidence and other witnesses. He will be eligible for parole again in 2026; his supporters argued his age -- 79 -- failing health and non-violent record in prison made him deserving of parole. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau was pleased by the U.S. Parole Commission's denial.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Almost 200 gravestones at a pair of Jewish cemeteries in Ohio were vandalized. The FBI, Cincinnati Police and Green Township of Hamilton County are investigating; most gravestones were knocked over and some were cracked (More)
A Michigan man pleaded guilty to attempting to stealing over 120 handguns. Darnell Bishop and his brother kidnapped a sporting goods store manager at gunpoint with his brother and forced him to override an alarm; they each face life in prison (More)
An exotic dancer challenged a Florida law mandating adult entertainment workers be at least 21. The 19-year-old woman claims the state violated her First Amendment rights and cost her employment in a federal lawsuit (More)

World News

The U.S. will help Panama deport migrants who cross the Darien Gap, a jungle that serves as a land bridge between North and South America. Over 500K people traveled through the dangerous area last year (More)
Over 100 people died amid a stampede at a religious gathering in India. The event was attended by over 15K people; a makeshift tent's collapse may have sparked a panic (More)
China's coast guard seized a Taiwanese fishing boat as tensions continue to rise in the Taiwan Strait. The incident occurred near a group of islands controlled by Taiwan that is about 6 miles from China's coast (More)

Campaign News

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett said President Joe Biden should end his re-election campaign. He is the first Congressional Democrat to call for the president to abandon the race; over 20 other House Democrats are reportedly considering similar statements (More)
Biden is scheduled to meet with Democratic governors today. The president will aim to bolster their support following last week’s debate performance; he is also expected to visit Capitol Hill this week (More)
The Republican Party will revise its platform behind closed doors. The process will not be open to the media and spectators for the first time in decades ahead of the GOP Convention in Milwaukee (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed higher yesterday. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank "can afford to take our time" before cutting interest rates (Dow +0.41%, Nasdaq +0.84%, S&P 500 +0.62%).
The Federal Trade Commission blocked Tempur Sealy's $4B merger proposal with Mattress Firm. The agency alleged the takeover would "suppress competition and raise prices" if completed, giving the combined company the ability to dominate the mattress market (More)
The U.S. will institute federal worker protections regarding extreme heat. The regulations will impact over 36M workers and mandate breaks, drinking water and shaded areas on construction sites and in factories, among other workplaces (More)

Entertainment & Sports

The Euro 2024 quarterfinal round matchups are locked in. The Germany-Spain and France-Portugal matches will be played Friday; the England-Switzerland and Netherlands-Turkey fixtures are on Saturday (More)
Paramount Global and Skydance Media have reached a new tentative merger agreement, weeks after talks broke down. Skydance will pay $1.75B to buy PG before the entertainment companies combine (More)
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will team up again. Netflix has landed rights to RIP, a crime thriller starring the actors and longtime friends; Joe Carnahan wrote the script and will direct (More)

Quick Hitters

Fun Stuff: An illustrator and photographer paired up for an incredibly clever art series placing international cities atop the delicacies they are known for. Check out Dublin sitting in a well-poured pint, a Paris/croissant mashup and more.
Magic Number: A new survey found Americans have a specific -- and high -- annual income target in mind to feel financially secure. But only 6% of respondents meet that $186K threshold.
Party Up: Billionaire Michael Rubin's annual July 4 party is only a few years old, but it has already become legendary. Here is a look at why celebrities will flock to his Hamptons home tomorrow.
Take Note: Vacation travel is booming again as the world gets back to normal following the pandemic. While this expert says she hates group trips, she has some advice to make them go smoothly if you want to holiday with a crowd.
Life Hack: If you are going to see fireworks over the next few days and want to take some pictures -- this rundown of tipswill help you get quality shots rather than blurry ones.
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.”

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