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In Today’s Brief
Weather: Another scorching week
France: National Rally romp
Menendez: Prosecution rests
Inflation: More signs of cooling
Inside Out 2: Hits $1B worldwide
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Heightened vigilance
Several overseas U.S. military bases are on guard about potential terrorist attacks.
The news: U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, sent out a memorandum yesterday elevating the force protection threat assessment to "Charlie," the second-highest level, until further notice. Other bases in Germany, as well as installations in Bulgaria, Italy and Romania, followed. "For operational security reasons, we will not get into specific measures, but we remain vigilant," EUCOM said in a statement.
Key context: Charlie level "applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely," according to the U.S. Army website. The military typically only activates it when it receives an active, reliable threat, according to CNN.
Big picture: Officials have been warning of increased levels of terrorism threats, both at home and abroad, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Russia has also been accused of waging a hybrid war against NATO members, including a wave of arson attacks and other provocations.
2) Still standing
President Joe Biden -- and others -- say he is not going anywhere.
Stay the course: The First Family reportedly pushed Biden to continue his re-election bid and placed blame on his advisors during a visit to Camp David. The trip to the presidential retreat was scheduled before Biden's disastrous debate performance last Thursday night. Biden, 81, acknowledged his lackluster showing, admitting he does not talk or walk like he once did.
The reactions: The party's top leaders have all voiced their support for Biden and rejected calls for him to leave the ticket, instead focusing on the dangers they say former President Donald Trump’s re-election would present. But influential Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin did concede "very honest, and serious and rigorous conversations (are) taking place" about Biden's future while a wave of prominent media outlets -- The New York Times, The New Yorker and the Chicago Tribune among them -- have called for his exit.
Watch the polls: While Biden is determined to stay in the race and Democrats are publicly behind him, future polling results that shake up the state of the race could force their hands. A new CBS survey said 72% of registered voters do not believe Biden has the cognitive and mental health needed to serve as president, compared to 50% believing Trump does. And only 54% of Democrats polled believe Biden should be running.
3) Big decisions
The Supreme Court handed down a trio of key rulings, but has yet to weigh in on Trump's critical presidential immunity case.
Jan. 6 charges: The high court took a narrow view of a statute -- originating from a law passed after the Enron accounting fraud scandal -- regarding obstruction of an official proceeding, throwing federal cases brought against hundreds of people who participated in the Capitol riot into question. The matter will go back to a lower court after a 6-3 decision; the decision could impact Trump's federal election interference case.
Regulatory rollback: Another 6-3 case weakened the authority federal agencies. The decades-long precedent, known colloquially as Chevron deference, gave the government flexibility to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety and consumer protections, among other matters, when laws are ambiguous. Opponents argued courts must be able to decide whether the agencies acted within their rights. The decision could lead to a landslide of legal challenges in past cases.
Homelessness penalties: The Supreme Court also upheld an Oregon city's right to prohibit unhoused people from sleeping in public places. The 6-3 decision found Grants Pass did not violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment for issuing fines, trespass notices and pursuing criminal charges, even though it had no shelters available. The decision is expected to have a significant impact on policies nationwide.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
Forecasters expect record-setting extreme heat this week across the country. Some cities in Arizona, California and Nevada may experience temperatures over 110 degrees; the heat index will be in triple digits throughout the southeast (More)
An elevator accident at a Major League Baseball game injured 11 people. Six were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a malfunction following the Milwaukee Brewers' home loss to the Chicago Cubs (More)
A California law requiring bars to provide test kits for drink-spiking drugs takes effect today. About 2.4K establishments will be required to offer the date rape tests for free or a reasonable price (More)
World News
The National Rally dominated the first round of France's snap parliamentary elections. Projections indicate the far-right party is on pace to fall short of an absolute majority; center and left parties are promoting tactical voting in next week's second round (More)
At least 18 people died in a series of suicide bombings in Nigeria. Close to 20 people were injured; bombers targeted a funeral, hospital and wedding; the attacks occurred in a region where Boko Haram and other jihadist groups frequently operate (More)
Hurricane Beryl is expected to be at Category 4 strength when it hits the Caribbean this week. The storm is forecast to bring "life-threatening winds and storm surge" to several island nations and is the strongest to hit the region at this time of year since 1966 (More)
Campaign News
The prosecution rested in New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial. The Democratic lawmaker has filed to run for re-election as an independent; he has said he will stay in the race if acquitted (More)
Former Trump Administration official Steve Bannon must report to federal prison by today. The ex-adviser will serve four months for contempt of Congress after defying subpoenas related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot (More)
President Biden's re-election campaign said it has raised over $33M since last week's debate. Officials said over $26M came from grassroots donations, including a record for single-day gifts last Thursday (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed lower on Friday. May's core PCE price index was up 0.1% MoM and 2.6% YoY in May, meeting forecasts (Dow -0.12%, Nasdaq -0.71%, S&P 500 -0.41%).
Boeing is reportedly nearing a federal criminal plea deal for violating fatal crash settlements. The aerospace company would be fined close to $500M and get a corporate monitor; an attorney representing victims' families criticized the offer (More)
Uber and Lyft have agreed to a $32.50 hourly minimum wage for Massachusetts drivers. The rideshare companies will also pay $175M to settle a lawsuit with the state regarding improper treatment of drivers and will offer benefits including accident insurance (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Inside Out 2 is the first movie to hit $1B in global box office sales this year. The Disney/Pixar film has made $470M in North America and $545M internationally in under three weeks, the fastest an animated feature has reached the milestone (More)
Alec Baldwin's New Mexico involuntary manslaughter trial will go ahead next month. The actor has made multiple attempts to get the case dismissed; he faces charges related to the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 while filming Rust (More)
Martin Mull died at 80 after a long illness. The actor and comedian was known for his work on Roseanne, Fernwood 2 Night and Arrested Development, among other television shows and movies (More)
Quick Hitters
Fun Stuff: An "exceptionally strong and fast" pet pig named Pickles got loose in a California neighborhood. That made apprehending him very difficult for local police, but produced some incredible footage.
Long Lost: A British cattle farmer's Rolex watch broke and was eaten by one of his cows in the 1970s. A metal detectorist miraculously found it a half-century later in the same field -- and with no rust!
Health Trend: Parasite cleanses have become popular. Here is a look at what they entail and what medical professionals think about them.
Go Deep: Can learning a foreign language delay or prevent dementia? The science is far less convincing than many advocates suggest/
Life Hacks: People swear by these "psychological" tips to handle everyday interactions. This list covers almost everything from buying a new car to defusing conflict.
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
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Links
Kanye West is apparently visiting Russia 🎤
The origins of presidential campaign slogans 👍
Why it is called a 'tennis bracelet' 🎾
At least the Dallas Cowboys won something last year 💰
You will be able to bet on the weather pretty soon ☀️
How to become a top-notch public speaker 🗣️
Past presidents who walked away from re-election 🗳️
Japan wants to host the World Cup again ⚽️
America's favorite fast food chicken sandwich, by state 🐔
Dr. Seuss was a heck of a political cartoonist ✍️
Looking Ahead …
There will be fireworks all over the place this week. Fun for humans, but not so much for pets. Here are some ways to help your four-legged pals get through the experience.