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Joe Biden Has A Michigan Problem

Joe Biden Has A Michigan Problem

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
February 29, 2024

Good morning and happy Thursday. Hey, it's Feb. 29. Why do we do this leap year thing every four years? Here is a rundown explaining everything and some bizarre facts about the concept. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

Pennsylvania: Cops probe Amish murder
Prince Harry: Loses protection claim
McConnell: GOP leader stepping down
Wendy’s: Surge pricing update
Richard Lewis: Comedian dies at 76

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Great Lakes headache

President Joe Biden faces a potentially election-swinging challenge in a critical swing state.

The issue: Over 100K "uncommitted" votes were cast in Michigan's Democratic primary on Tuesday night after Biden critics called for a protest vote due to his support of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
The numbers: Michigan has large numbers of Arab American and Muslim voters, and the war is a major issue for Biden among them. The uncommitted ballot option beat Biden by 16 points in the city of Dearborn, where the groups are well represented.
Big picture: Biden still has eight months, and his campaign has acknowledged the pushback. But Trump has led the president in most early Michigan general election polls and if he can flip the state, his path to an Electoral College victory opens considerably.

2) Ring of fire

A massive wildfire tore through the Texas Panhandle for a third day with no sign of letting up.

Historic blaze: The Smokehouse Creek Fire is now the second-largest in state history, burning about 150 football fields worth of land per minute while being only 3% contained as of last night. The blaze also extends into a small part of Oklahoma.
The impact: Officials said they could not fully assess the damage, but cattle and thousands of structures were likely destroyed. There was one confirmed death; 60 counties received disaster declarations.
Big picture: There is hope cooler temperatures and rain could help slow the blaze today, but more fire-friendly conditions are expected this weekend. It will likely become the biggest in state history with well over 1M acres burned.

3) Supreme sequel

Donald Trump is headed back to the highest court in the land.

What happened: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Trump's claim of presidential immunity in his federal election interference case. Oral arguments will be April 22 with a decision expected by the end of June. The court still needs to rule on Trump's appeal of his Colorado ballot ban on 14th Amendment grounds.
The argument: Trump's attorneys say a former president cannot face criminal prosecution for conduct involving official acts while in office. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court previously rejected Trump's claim after the high court declined Special Counsel Jack Smith's request to hear the issue last year.
Split decision: Trump successfully got the court to hear his appeal, but the justices did not freeze his trial while he exhausted all lower court appeals. That means a trial could still happen before the election if Trump loses the appeal.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Police in Pennsylvania are investigating the death of a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman as a homicide. Rebekah Byler was found in her Spartanburg home about an hour southeast of Erie (More)
Congressional leaders reached a short-term deal to avoid a government shutdown tomorrow. The move pushes a partial shutdown deadline to next Friday (More)
Hunter Biden sat for a closed-door congressional deposition yesterday. The president's son accused House Republicans of pedding "baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father" (More)

World News

Prince Harry lost a legal challenge to restore his protection detail while in the United Kingdom. The UK High Court affirmed the government's decision to revoke the privilege after he resigned from royal duties; Harry will appeal (More)
Hong Kong is moving toward a new national security law that critics say would make its legal system similar to mainland China. Businesses and journalists fear the law would criminalize their activities (More)
New Tuvuluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo will review a deal that effectively gives Australia veto power over his country's future security agreements. Tuvalu is one of 12 nations that has formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan (More)

Campaign News

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell will step down as the chamber’s GOP leader in November after the election. McConnell, 82, has held the position for 17 years; he will stay in office (More)
Marianne Williams resumed her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. The progressive author dropped out earlier this month, but had her strongest showing yet in Michigan's primary this week (More)
A super PAC said independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has enough signatures to gain ballot access in two key swing states. Kennedy has qualified in Arizona and Georgia, according to American Values 2024 (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed down yesterday. All eyes are on today's January inflation report after Q4 GDP growth was revised slightly down (Dow -0.06%, Nasdaq -0.55%, S&P 500 -0.17%).
Wendy's said it has no plans to implement surge pricing in 2025, clarifying comments by its CEO that sparked media reports. The fast-food chain's $20M investment in digital menu boards will allow for dynamic offerings, but prices will not rise during high-demand periods (More)
Starbucks and Workers United have agreed to begin labor talks. The coffee chain does not have a contract with any of its almost 400 organized stores nationwide (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Richard Lewis died at 76. The comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm standout had a heart attack; Lewis announced his retirement from stand-up last April due to Parkinson's disease (More)
Adele has postponed all March shows for her Las Vegas residency. The singer said she has battled illness and needs time to rest; the performances will be rescheduled (More)
Donna Summer's estate is suing Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign for copyright infringement. The artists sampled the late singer's I Feel Good without permission (More)

Quick Hitters

Fun Stuff: The only way to make baking better is to bake with the assistance of two beagle puppies. Trust us.
Be Safe: Chrysler has recalled over 330K Jeep Grand Cherokees. The cars have a steering wheel issue that could cause drivers to lose control.
Take Note: Do you pay for your Netflix subscription through iTunes? The streaming service is about to stop taking payments through Apple.
Go Deep: You have likely heard about companies and individuals buying carbon credits. But what exactly are they? And do they work?
Life Hack: Getting rid of your childhood stuff can be hard. Here are some tips on how to honor those special things, and then move on.
Be Well: Pop quiz: What’s the body’s most abundant protein? The answer: Collagen. NativePath's Certified Grass-Fed Collagen Powder is made from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows and contains 18 grams of protein per suggested serving. Start incorporating it daily to support skin elasticity, joint health, bone strength, and muscle growth and maintenance.*

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Watch This

We told you about the historic $1B donation to a New York medical school earlier this week. Here is the video from when students found out they no longer have to pay tuition.