Casper Star Tribune: “The Democratic exodus is unprecedented in recent Wyoming history, even if it appears unlikely to alter the final result.”
Window for Containing Monkeypox Has Likely Closed
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said “he wouldn’t be surprised if there are thousands of monkeypox cases in the United States, warning that the window to get control of the virus may be closed,” The Hill reports.
Said Gottlieb: “I think they’re going to be reluctant to use the word pandemic, because it implies that they’ve failed to contain this, and I think at this point we’ve failed to contain this.”
Peter Thiel Under Fire in Arizona
Billionaire Peter Thiel “may be more responsible than anyone else for Blake Masters’ ascent in the Arizona Republican Senate primary,” Insider reports.
“The PayPal founder and early Facebook investor has poured $13.5 million into a super PAC called ‘Saving Arizona’ that’s supporting his protégé. And Masters’ opponents — particularly Republican businessman Jim Lamon — want voters to know it.”
U.S. Military Can’t Find Recruits
New York Times: “These are tough times for military recruiting. Almost across the board, the armed forces are experiencing large shortfalls in enlistments this year — a deficit of thousands of entry-level troops that is on pace to be worse than any since just after the Vietnam War. It threatens to throw a wrench into the military’s machinery, leaving critical jobs unfilled and some platoons with too few people to function.”
Report on Uvalde Shooting Blames All Agencies at Scene
“The most exhaustive report yet on the May 24 mass shooting inside a Uvalde, Tex., elementary school spread blame across every law enforcement agency responding to the attack, faulting local police for mistakes and more experienced agencies for failing to take charge,” the Washington Post reports.
“Nearly 400 local, state and federal law enforcement officers were at the scene that day, including 91 state troopers — none of whom took the initiative to lead the response.”
Texas Tribune: “The 77-page report provides a damning portrayal of a family unable to recognize warning signs, a school district that had strayed from strict adherence to its safety plan and a police response that disregarded its own active-shooter training.”
Biden Adviser Sees Gas Falling to $4 per Gallon
“Amos Hochstein, a senior state department adviser for energy security, said on Sunday that he expects gas prices in the U.S. to fall to $4 per gallon,” Axios reports.
Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Sentence for Capitol Rioter
“Federal prosecutors are asking that Jan. 6 rioter Guy Reffitt, who was the first Jan. 6 defendant to go to trial earlier this year, receive a 15-year prison sentence,” Axios reports.
“Reffitt carried a gun onto Capitol grounds and interfered with the police line during the riot. He also threatened to harm his son and daughter when he returned to Texas if they turned him in to the FBI.”
Republicans Hold Edge in Generic Ballot
A new Fox News poll finds both Democrats and Republicans “are equally motivated to vote, and that if the midterm election were today, 41% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 44% the Republican.”
“That 3-point edge is unchanged from June and within the poll’s margin of sampling error. However, this is the seventh straight poll since December where the Republicans have been ahead, ranging from one to seven points.”
“According to Fox News modeling, a 3-point edge translates into a GOP gain of about 23 seats.”
Quote of the Day
“He has sabotaged the president’s agenda.”
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), quoted by Politico, about Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Fed Prepares to Hike Rates .75 Percentage Point
“Federal Reserve officials have signaled they are likely to raise interest rates by 0.75 percentage point later this month, for the second straight meeting, as part of an aggressive effort to combat high inflation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Policy makers left the door open to a larger, full-percentage-point increase at the July 26-27 gathering. But some of them simultaneously poured cold water on the idea in recent interviews and public comments ahead of their premeeting quiet period, which began Saturday.”
No Major Problems with Ballot Drop Boxes in 2020
“The expanded use of drop boxes for mailed ballots during the 2020 election did not lead to any widespread problems, according to an Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. that revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft that could have affected the results,” the AP reports.
“The findings from both Republican- and Democratic-controlled states run contrary to claims made by former President Donald Trump and his allies who have intensely criticized their use and falsely claimed they were a target for fraud.”
Ted Cruz Says Court Was Wrong to Legalize Gay Marriage
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that he believes the Supreme Court was “clearly wrong” when it decided in a historic 2015 ruling that same-sex marriage was legal under the Constitution, Newsweek reports.
Inflation Has Outpaced Wage Growth
Wall Street Journal: “Over the past year, wage increases have continued to exceed prepandemic levels, with year-over-year growth topping 4% each month.”
“But those steady gains have been wiped out by high prices. When taking inflation into account, there hasn’t been a single month with year-over-year earnings growth since March 2021.”
Climate Stalls as a Political Issue
New York Times: “The evidence that a climate crisis is well underway appears to be everywhere: the Great Salt Lake in Utah drying up, severe weather regularly imperiling the electric grid in Texas, wildfires scorching the drought-plagued West, ‘climate refugees’ seeking higher land in Louisiana and tidal floods swamping the streets of Miami.”
“Still, just 1 percent of voters in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll named climate change as the most important issue facing the country, far behind worries about inflation and the economy. Even among voters under 30, the group thought to be most energized by the issue, that figure was 3 percent.”
Wall Street Journal: Senate climate setback puts pressure on Biden.
Biden’s Eyes Are on China and Russia
New York Times: “During his painful encounters with a series of Arab strongmen here in Saudi Arabia this weekend, President Biden kept returning to a single reason for renewing his relationship with American allies who fall on the wrong side of the struggle he often describes as a battle between ‘democracy and autocracy.’”
Said Biden: “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran. And we’ll seek to build on this moment with active, principled American leadership.”
“Mr. Biden’s framing of America’s mission as part of a renewed form of superpower competition was revealing. For decades, American presidents largely saw the Middle East as a hotbed of strife and instability, a place the United States needed a presence largely to keep oil flowing and eliminate terrorist havens. Now, more than 20 years after a group of Saudis left this country to stage terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and strike the Pentagon, Mr. Biden is driven by a new concern: That his forced dance with dictators, while distasteful, is the only choice if his larger goal is to contain Russia and outmaneuver China.”
Wall Street Journal: Biden bets on “long game” in bid to reset Saudi ties.
Gas Prices May Surge Again Just Before Midterms
Washington Post: “Drivers relieved by the recent dip in gas prices may be in for a shock when the summer winds down, with energy analysts warning a fresh round of price surges could emerge as soon as October.”
“The prospect of a new gas price jolt coinciding with midterm elections has the White House and many Democrats on edge.”
“The price concerns are tied to the timeline for stricter sanctions on Russia that will further choke the global oil supply. J.P. Morgan has warned that in a worst-case scenario — in which Russia retaliates by shutting down its supply altogether — the price of oil could jump to $380 per barrel, more than triple what it is today.”
Grassley Leads By 8 Points in Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has an 8-point lead on his Democratic opponent, retired Navy Adm. Michael Franken, 47% to 39%, in the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.
The last time Grassley, 88, won an election by just 8% was his first election to the U.S. Senate in 1980.
Justice Department Steps Up January 6 Probe
“The Justice Department is adding prosecutors and resources to its investigation into the actions of former President Donald Trump’s allies to overturn the 2020 election, as the related congressional hearings have turbocharged interest in Mr. Trump’s own role in that effort,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“A Justice Department team focusing on elements of the investigation beyond the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has in recent weeks been given more personnel, office space and an expanded mandate.”
