A new AP-NORC poll finds 67% of Americans say they favor term limits or a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices, amid a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans saying they have “hardly any” confidence in the court.
Rubio Hits Buttigieg Over Same-Sex Marriage
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) fired back at Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over the same-sex marriage bill: “I’m not going to focus on the agenda dictated by a bunch of affluent, elite liberals and a bunch of Marxist misfits.”
Fed Relies on Dubious Data to Chart Economy’s Course
“Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell has vowed to follow the data in deciding how high to crank up interest rates to crush the worst inflation surge in four decades,” Politico reports.
“But Powell and other Fed policymakers are making that crucial decision based on data that lately has been so confusing and contradictory that it’s hard for them to know where the economy actually stands.”
Key takeaway: “Economic growth is projected by some analysts to have been negative in the second quarter of the year, but hiring is strong and the jobless rate sits near historic lows. Consumers say they’re unhappy about the economy but are still spending even amid the aggressive price spikes. Supply chains are improving, but manufacturing output is slowing. And Covid cases are skyrocketing again even as America fully reopens for business.”
Gore Compares Climate Deniers to Uvalde Police
“Former Vice President Al Gore compared “climate deniers” to those law enforcement officials who waited more than an hour to attack the gunman in Uvalde, Texas, who killed 21 students and teachers,” Politico reports.
Said Gore: “You know, the climate deniers are really in some ways similar to all of those almost 400 law enforcement officers in Uvalde, Texas, who were waiting outside an unlocked door while the children were being massacred. They heard the screams, they heard the gunshots, and nobody stepped forward.”
Race for Texas Governor Is Tightening
“One of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. The revival of a 1920s ban on abortion. The country’s worst episode of migrant death in recent memory. And an electrical grid, which failed during bitter cold, now straining under soaring heat,” the New York Times reports.
“The unrelenting succession of death and difficulty facing Texans over the last two months has soured them on the direction of the state, hurting Gov. Greg Abbott and making the race for governor perhaps the most competitive since Democrats last held that office in the 1990s.”
Kansas Set for Abortion Vote
Washington Post: “Kansans are heading to the polls Aug. 2 to decide whether the state’s constitution protects the right to abortion — the first such constitutional amendment to be determined since the Supreme Court’s historic overturning of Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection, on June 24. More than a dozen Republican states have already moved by other means to ban or further restrict abortion in the wake of the decision that reversed Roe.”
“The ballot measure, if approved, would effectively overturn a 2019 decision by the state’s Supreme Court enshrining abortion rights in its constitution. The measure could pave the way for the legislature to pass a ban on abortion at a time when Kansas has become a destination for pregnant patients fleeing strict abortion measures in nearby states.”
Actually, the Russian Economy Is Imploding
“Five months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there remains a startling lack of understanding by many Western policymakers and commentators of the economic dimensions of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion and what it has meant for Russia’s economic positioning both domestically and globally,” Foreign Policy reports.
“Far from being ineffective or disappointing, as many have argued, international sanctions and voluntary business retreats have exerted a devastating effect over Russia’s economy. The deteriorating economy has served as a powerful if underappreciated complement to the deteriorating political landscape facing Putin.”
GOP Plots Probe Into Dr. Fauci After Midterms
“Congressional Republicans are eagerly floating investigations into Anthony Fauci and the Biden administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic if they win back control of the House or Senate in the midterm elections,” The Hill reports.
Said Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “One way or another, if we are in the majority, we will subpoena his records and he will testify in the Senate under oath.”
Hospitals Struggle with Staff Shortages
“Hospitals across the country are grappling with widespread staffing shortages, complicating preparations for a potential Covid-19 surge as the BA.5 subvariant drives up cases, hospital admissions and deaths,” Politico reports.
“Long-standing problems, worker burnout and staff turnover have grown worse as Covid-19 waves have hit health care workers again and again — and as more employees fall sick with Covid-19 themselves.”
January 6 Probe Turns to Trump’s Cabinet
“The House Jan. 6 committee said Sunday it will interview more former Cabinet secretaries and is prepared to subpoena conservative activist Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, who’s married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as part of its investigation of the Capitol riot and Donald Trump’s role,” the AP reports.
“Lawmakers said they are deepening their inquiry after a series of eight hearings in June and July culminating in a prime-time session Thursday, with plans to interview additional witnesses and reconvene in September to resume laying out their findings to the public.”
Axios: Trump’s summer slump.
Greene Says GOP Is a Christian Nationalist Party
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said the Republican Party’s primary focus this year should be on making the political party one of Christian nationalism.
Said Greene: “We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.”
She added: “When Republicans learn to represent most of the people that vote for them, then we will be the party that continues to grow without having to chase down certain identities or chase down certain segments of people.”
Bolsonaro Kicks Off Re-Election Bid
“Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made official his bid to run for reelection in October, giving him three months to close a double-digit gap to secure victory,” the AP reports.
“The Liberal Party’s formal approval of Bolsonaro’s candidacy took place at its convention Sunday in a Rio de Janeiro stadium. Support was widely expected and merely symbolic, given that the far-right president has effectively been campaigning for months, crisscrossing the country to drum up support and remind voters why they shouldn’t back his nemesis, leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.”
Said Bolsonaro: “We don’t need another ideology that hasn’t worked anywhere else in the world. We need to improve what we have. Our life wasn’t easy, but one thing comforts me isn’t seeing a communist sitting in that chair of mine.”
What Could Save Democrats From a Midterm Blowout?
Charlie Cook: “Yet there might be one silver lining for Democrats on the distant horizon. Should former President Trump decide, against the advice of nearly every Republican strategist alive, to announce his candidacy before the midterm elections in November, he might energize Democratic voters enough to minimize their losses at the margins. I am not sure it would save one or both majorities, but it certainly has the potential to have a greater impact than abortion, guns, and Jan. 6 combined.”
“As unpopular as Biden is currently, he still bests Trump in most head-to-head matchups. In fact, Trump is arguably the one Republican that Biden might have a decent chance of beating if he ultimately decides to run for reelection.”
Top General Warns China Is Being More Aggressive
Gen. Mark Milley said that the Chinese military has become “significantly more aggressive and dangerous” over the past five years, the AP reports.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to Taiwan is turning into a major confrontation between the U.S. and China.
Henry Olson: “Nations such as Japan would surely view Pelosi canceling her visit as a sign that the United States is unwilling to test China’s resolve. That sends a message of weakness.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I’m fighting hard, no matter what happens on August 16th, I’m going to wake up on August 17th and continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again.”
— Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), quoted by Axios, saying that protecting American democracy is a higher priority than maintaining a seat in the House.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“In order to solve the climate crisis, we’re going to have to pay attention to the democracy crisis.”
— Former Vice President Al Gore, on NBC News.
Trump Says He Liked Being Called ‘Your Excellency’
Former President Donald Trump told loyalists he “kinda liked that” when the head of the Taliban called him “Your Excellency,” the Daily Beast reports.
“He seemed to be referring to details of a phone call with Abdul Ghani Baradar, who served as the Taliban’s chief negotiator during a peace deal signed in 2020 that ultimately led to the group’s retaking of Afghanistan last year.”
Liz Cheney Hasn’t Decided on Presidential Bid
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WI) told CNN that she hasn’t decided whether she will run for president in 2024.
Said Cheney: “At this point, I haven’t made a decision on 2024… I’ll make a decision on 2024 down the road.”
She added: “But I do think as we look towards the next presidential election, as I said, you know, I believe that our nation stands on the edge of an abyss and I do believe that we all have to really think very seriously about the dangers we face and the threats we face and we have to elect serious candidates.”
