The British Embassy made a July 4th playlist.
Confidence in U.S. Institutions at New Low
Gallup: “Americans are less confident in major U.S. institutions than they were a year ago, with significant declines for 11 of the 16 institutions tested and no improvements for any.”
“The largest declines in confidence are 11 percentage points for the Supreme Court — as reported in late June before the court issued controversial rulings on gun laws and abortion — and 15 points for the presidency, matching the 15-point drop in President Joe Biden’s job approval rating since the last confidence survey in June 2021.”
The Big Thing You Can Do for Climate Change
Bill Nye — “The Science Guy” — told the Aspen Ideas Festival that the main says the main thing you can do about climate change isn’t recycling — it’s voting.
Said Nye: “To be sure, recycling the bottles, don’t throw the plastic away [and] compost your compostable things … Start there. But if you want to do one thing about climate change: Vote.”
This is what Sara Goddard has been saying for years.
Youngkin Expands Political Operation Ahead of 2024
“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is preparing to fan out across the country to stump for Republican candidates on the midterm election ballot as he tests his appetite for national politics and a possible 2024 presidential bid,” the Washington Examiner reports.
DeSantis Could Use War Chest for Presidential Run
“Few people noticed when the Federal Election Commission deadlocked last month over whether Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida in 2020 had broken a law intended to keep money raised for a state campaign out of federal elections,” CNN reports.
“But election lawyer Brett Kappel closely followed the case, and he immediately thought of one person who could benefit greatly from the outcome: Ron DeSantis.”
“The Florida governor is shattering national fundraising records as he seeks a second term, attracting gobs of money from Republican donors eyeing DeSantis as a potential presidential candidate in 2024. At the end of May, DeSantis was sitting on $111 million – more money than any candidate has ever needed to win an election in the Sunshine State. More donations come in almost every day.”
Democrats Look to Raise $10M for Key Governor’s Races
“The Democratic Governors Association hopes to turn anger at the overturning of Roe v. Wade into big-dollar fundraising for critical races where governors will hold sway over abortion access at the state level,” ABC News reports.
“The DGA said it aims to raise $10 million for the new fund. The targeted states where the money will be directed include Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.”
Nuclear Power Gets New Push in U.S.
New York Times: “Driven by the difficulty of meeting clean energy goals and by surging electricity demands, a growing number of political leaders are taking a fresh look at nuclear power — both extending the life of existing reactors and building new ones.”
“Even past skeptics, largely Democrats, have come around to the idea — notably in California, where the state’s sole remaining nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, is scheduled to close in 2025. The search for clean energy has given nuclear power a spark that has drawn bipartisan support that added billions in funding for existing and new projects…”
Matt Yglesias: The nuclear policy America needs.
Democrats Have Opening to Engage Women Voters
New York Times: “After struggling for months against daunting political challenges, Democrats have a new opening to engage moderate women… who have been critical to the party’s recent victories but are often seen as swing voters this year, according to interviews with more than two dozen voters, elected officials and party strategists across the country.”
“From the suburbs of Philadelphia and Grand Rapids to more conservative territory in Nebraska, there are early signs that some voters who disapprove of Mr. Biden also increasingly believe that Republicans have gone too far to the right on a range of issues, particularly abortion…”
Veterans of Carter-Era Inflation Warn Biden Has Few Tools
“When inflation surged in the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter convened his top economic advisers for weekly lunch meetings in which they tended to offer overly optimistic forecasts of how high prices would rise,” the New York Times reports.
“But the political consequences of rising prices could not be escaped: By 1978, Democrats had lost seats in the House and Senate. A year later, Mr. Carter’s Treasury secretary, W. Michael Blumenthal, was ousted in a cabinet shake-up. In 1980, Mr. Carter lost his re-election bid in a landslide as the Federal Reserve, intent on bringing inflation down, raised interest rates so aggressively that it tipped the economy into a painful recession.”
“President Biden and the Democrats in power now face a similar predicament as they scramble to tame inflation after a year of telling Americans that price gains would be short-lived. In recent weeks, Mr. Biden has pressed oil refineries to ramp up production, proposed a three-month gas tax holiday and called on the Federal Reserve to do what is needed to cool an overheating economy. But to veterans of the Carter administration, the echoes of the past call for a greater sense of urgency from Mr. Biden despite his limited power to bring prices down.”
GOP Candidate Says It’s Time to ‘Move On’ After Shooting
Hours after a gunman opened fire during an Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb, Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey (R) called for people to “move on and… celebrate,” Vice News reports.
Bailey has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Lessons of Russia’s War in Ukraine
Wall Street Journal: “Some lessons aren’t all that new, such as the value of strong leadership and resilient supply lines. Others are: The modern battlefield has no hiding places and no boundaries. Drones, electronic surveillance and space-based observation make concealment harder than even a few years ago.”
Russia Advances Behind Brutal Barrage in Ukraine
New York Times: “It also raises serious questions about how long either side can keep going like this, particularly the battered and vastly outgunned Ukrainian forces, forced to rely on raw recruits and suffering heavy casualties, along with the mental strain of combat, retreat and constant Russian shelling.”
“Russia’s invasion has taken a brutal toll on its own forces as well, but they continue their slow advance, and with the seizure of Lysychansk this weekend, they have taken control of the entirety of Luhansk Province, putting them in position to push on toward Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk Province.”
Associated Press: “Ukrainian soldiers returning from the front lines in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region — where Russia is waging a fierce offensive — describe life during what has turned into a grueling war of attrition as apocalyptic.”
Quote of the Day
“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.”
— WNBA star Brittney Griner, quoted by ESPN, in a handwritten letter to President Biden.
If This Is a Recession It’s an Odd One
“The U.S. economy has experienced 12 recessions since World War II, and each one included two features: Economic output contracted and unemployment rose,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Today, something highly unusual is happening. Economic output fell in the first quarter and signs suggest it did so again in the second. Yet the job market showed little sign of faltering during the first half of the year. The jobless rate fell from 4% last December to 3.6% in May.”
“It is the latest strange twist in the odd trajectory of the pandemic economy, and a riddle for those contemplating a recession. If the U.S. is in or near one, it doesn’t yet look like any other on record.”
Will Young Democrats Turn Out In 2022?
“A debate is raging inside the Democratic Party about whether it’s giving its base — especially those under 30, the generation that most strongly supports abortion rights — enough motivation to keep voting for the party, as federal Democrats struggle to meaningfully push back against the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Politico reports.
“The fear is that an already deflated Democratic base won’t show up in November, particularly the youngest voters, who smashed participation records in the last two elections and backed President Joe Biden by a 25-point margin in 2020.”
Trump Documentary Footage Revealed
Politico has obtained the video trailer for Alex Holder’s “Unprecedented” documentary on the Trump family.
“The two-minute-plus trailer was included among the hours of footage that Holder turned over to the House Jan. 6 committee under subpoena. Holder gave testimony to the committee behind closed doors on June 23.”
Playbook: “The new video highlights Holder’s unique access to the former president and his family.”
Turkey’s Inflation Soars to 79%
Inflation in Turkey rose close to 79% last month, the highest the country has seen in a quarter of a century, CNBC reports.
America Is in Denial
Mitt Romney: “President Joe Biden is a genuinely good man, but he has yet been unable to break through our national malady of denial, deceit, and distrust. A return of Donald Trump would feed the sickness, probably rendering it incurable. Congress is particularly disappointing: Our elected officials put a finger in the wind more frequently than they show backbone against it. Too often, Washington demonstrates the maxim that for evil to thrive only requires good men to do nothing.”
“I hope for a president who can rise above the din to unite us behind the truth. Several contenders with experience and smarts stand in the wings; we intently watch to see if they also possess the requisite character and ability to bring the nation together in confronting our common reality. While we wait, leadership must come from fathers and mothers, teachers and nurses, priests and rabbis, businessmen and businesswomen, journalists and pundits. That will require us all to rise above ourselves — above our grievances and resentments — and grasp the mantle of leadership our country so badly needs.”
