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- Trump Notches Immunity Victory
Good morning and happy Tuesday. The internet has clashed over the color of the dress, Laurel or Yanny and many other things. The latest debate: Is that a car door or the beach? Let us know what you think in our daily poll and have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Karen Read: Mistrial declared
ADL: Backs $4B Oct. 7 lawsuit
Biden: Fast-tracked nomination
Theme parks: Big merger
Ian McKellen: Still on the mend
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Trump card
The Supreme Court granted former President Donald Trump partial immunity and all but assured he will not face a federal election interference trial before Election Day.
What happened: The high court said Trump (and other past and future presidents) have absolute immunity from prosecution for exercising "core" powers and responsibilities in a landmark 6-3 decision. The court further said presidents have presumed immunity for other official acts, but not for unofficial ones.
The impact: Judge Tanya Chutkan will now be required to determine whether the federal charges Trump faces are prosecutable, as the Supreme Court did not weigh in on whether Trump has immunity in those circumstances. That process will almost assuredly push a trial, if one ever happens, beyond November. The decision could also impact Trump's other criminal cases.
The dissent: Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the court's three liberal justices, railed against the decision and said it makes the president "a king above the law." Democrats, including President Joe Biden, blasted the decision and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she will draft articles of impeachment against the high court.
2) Good moos
A U.S. Department of Agriculture study found most milk supply lines should be safe from bird flu contamination.
The news: Researchers say pasteurization has proven effective at inactivating the H5N1 HPAI virus in milk and other dairy products. The study tested close to 300 raw milk samples from farms in states with known bird flu spread. About half of them had "viral fragments" and about 15% had contagious levels of the virus. But heat treatment and subsequent virus spiking proved effective.
Catch up: Over 100 dairy cattle herds in about a dozen states have tested positive for bird flu since March. The virus typically spreads from animal to animal, but four humans have contracted it in the U.S. since 2022, including three this year. All interacted with infected cows or poultry.
Big picture: The FDA said it does not know if unpasteurized raw milk consumption can transmit bird flu, but it recommends against it. About 4.5% of U.S. adults drank raw milk according to a 2022 report. Bird flu will remain a public health concern despite the new study; Finland recently became the first country to announce human vaccination plans.
3) Seeing green
The recently-crowned NBA champions are on the market.
The news: Boston Basketball Partners LLC, which owns the Boston Celtics, announced it plans to sell majority ownership of the franchise within the next few months. The decision comes weeks after the team won its 18th championship.
Big bucks: The Celtics will likely set an NBA record for sale price; early projections suggest the team may be worth over $5B due to its rich history and the league's upcoming $76B media rights deal. The team sold for $360M in 2002. While a deal is expected by early 2025, controlling partner Wyc Grousbeck is expected to remain the team's governor in league matters until 2028.
What to watch for: While Grousbeck and his family are cashing out, other members of the ownership group could reportedly bid to buy the club. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has previously said he does not see a path for sovereign wealth funds to take controlling stakes in teams like they have in European soccer; league rules currently limit any such investment to 5%.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
The high-profile Karen Read murder case ended in a mistrial. A Massachusetts jury said it was "deeply divided" and could not reach a unanimous verdict after 25 hours of deliberations; prosecutors said they plan to retry the case (More)
Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to a three-year low following President Biden's executive order to limit asylum claims. The 84K crossings in June are still close to double pre-pandemic levels (More)
Every county sheriff's office in Florida must establish at least one child custody exchange zone. The neutral locations must be accessible at all times, marked with signage and under continuous video surveillance; courts can require parents to use them (More)
World News
An Anti-Defamation League-backed federal lawsuit alleges Iran, North Korea and Syria enabled Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The 125-plaintiff filing seeks $4B in damages, accusing the countries of providing support to the militant group (More)
Hurricane Beryl was upgraded to Category 5 as it heads toward Jamaica. It is the earliest a storm has ever been classified at the highest severity level (More)
A Kenyan human rights group said 39 people were killed and over 300 injured in recent anti-government demonstrations. The death toll tied to protests of a since-scuttled tax bill is almost double previous reports; the group also said over 600 arrests occurred (More)
Campaign News
Democrats may expedite President Biden's formal nomination to quell calls for him to exit the ticket. The party was already planning a virtual roll call before its August convention; that may be moved up to mid-July (More)
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has ended his House bid in California's 20th Congressional District. The move all but ensures Rep. Vince Fong will be re-elected to a full term in the seat previously held by former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (More)
Hunter Biden is suing Fox News, seeking damages over a fictional mock trial series the network produced. The president's son alleges infliction of emotional distress and claims the program participated in "revenge porn" (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher to kick off the second half of 2024. The Nasdaq was up over 140 points (Dow +0.13%, Nasdaq +0.83%, S&P 500 +0.27%).
Regional theme park companies Six Flags and Cedar Points completed a merger. The new group will do business as Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, controlling over 50 properties across 5 states, Canada and Mexico (More)
The U.S. construction business unexpectedly dipped in May. The Commerce Department said industry spending was down 0.1% MoM after being up 0.3% in April; it was up 6.4% YoY (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Sir Ian McKellen will not participate in a United Kingdom tour of Player Kings. The 85-year-old Golden Globe winner fell off a stage during a performance last month; he said he is recovering but doctors advised him to rest (More)
FuboTV will carry Paris Olympics coverage following a deal with NBCUniversal. The streaming service is still suing to block the Disney/Fox/Warner Bros. Discovery joint sports platform (More)
Three members of Nevada's Supreme Court denied Jon Gruden's bid to keep his lawsuit against the NFL out of league arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach alleges the league leaked offensive emails from Gruden's time at ESPN to force him out of his job; he can still appeal to the state's full high court (More)
Quick Hitters
Fun Stuff: People power delivered results in Boston. There are now giant googly eyes on several Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains.
History Lesson: Tennis balls used to be white like baseballs. How did they become yellow? Legendary nature documentarian Sir David Attenborough got involved.
Go Deep: Researchers are finding that "gene deserts" are breeding grounds for cancer and other maladies. Addressing these overlooked DNA pieces could lead to medical breakthroughs.
Chow Down: Need a snack? Grab some baby carrots. A recent study found regular consumption increased skin carotenoids, which boost antioxident levels and help prevent chronic diseases.
Life Hack: Gaslighting is when someone tries to make you feel like your reality is in question. Here are some responses you can deliver if it happens to you.
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:
Watch This
Lionsgate has released a trailer for 1992, a crime thriller tha features the late Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. The movie stars Tyrese Gibson.
Links
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Analyzing the alleged death of rock and roll 🤘
The formula for happiness is often misunderstood 📝
Don't try to run through shin splints 🏃
This easy-to-make snack looks absolutely delicious 😋
Summer camp in North Korea sounds like a bummer 🇰🇵
Looking Ahead …
A lot of money will be spent on political ads during the 2024 election cycle. How much? AdImpact is projecting a whopping $10.7B, which would be about a 20% increase from 2020. Over $5B is expected to be spent on broadcast television ads.