-Would that this update could begin where it should: with discussion about Project 2025, the SCOTUS decision that would set up turning Convicted Felon Ex-President Trump to American King Donald if given the chance, and the effort to shove that crap away this November ...
-Unfortunately, after one day of analysis of the immunity decision on Monday, most of the American political media has pivoted, in some ways harder than ever, on President Biden's brutal first half hour in Thursday's debate, amplifying to 11 the always-under-the-surface anxieties of Democrats and churning out scenarios to make Biden step aside, thereby doing the work of spinning Thursday's debate for Republicans.
-Let's first concede that this was a Biden strategy that, due to that performance, blew up in his face. Let us also concede (at least in this little Substack) and repeat, that if polling not only shows Biden down consistently but also begins to affect down ballot candidates, then AND ONLY THEN could scenarios be played out to make other actions (as well as health reasons, obviously and God forbid). That said, my view continues to be one that Public Notice's Noah Berlatsky: "Presidents have won reelection after poor debate performances ... But no party has won reelection after abandoning its incumbent president."
-That said, the pundits who continue to scream for Biden to step aside are doing so based on "polling" and "discussions with well-connected Democrats" and "well-placed sources," though as of this writing all of three Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step down: longtime Democratic House Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Austin TX), former OH Rep. Tim Ryan (who ran a strong but losing Senate election to JD Vance), and CO Democratic candidate Adam Frisch (who was set to re-run against Lauren Boebert until Boebs switched districts). The rest are unnamed by the commentariat, the polling implied and not released (and much of the polling took place before Monday, not putting the SCOTUS decision into the mix).
-Biden, for his part, is moving full-bore ahead with the campaign. He is set to meet with Governors to attempt to allay the PHA-REEK OUT! (with prominent Biden ally Gavin Newsom at his side to help), follow that up with an interview on ABC on Sunday with George Stephanopoulos (look for polling numbers getting thrown in his face), preparing for a NATO Summit in DC midweek, and wait for polling to (hopefully) center even as reporters and columnists are likely to continue stoking fears about Biden rather than where they should be stoked: Trump and the MAGAts now drooling at the prospect of unfettered power.
-How much drooling? So much that, on right-wing media yesterday, the current President of the Heritage Foundation, a toe-headed would-be tough guy named Kevin Roberts, puffed up his pigeon chest and proclaimed that "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be." His nameless MAGA choads are doing such things as looking to dox and threaten the 13-year old daughter of Stormy Daniels, who talked about that and other attempts to threaten her after Trump's convictions in an interview with Rachel Maddow last night, and there is little doubt that bullies like Roberts would dump a Trump in their pants the second anyone would get eye to eye with them ...
-THAT said, we may actually have The Savior We All Need! Yesterday, to step into the breach of the Democratic chaos like a phoenix through the flames, a Democratic Presidential candidate has bravely announced the return to the pursuit of the nomination. Yes, friends, Marianne Williamson has announced in a video that she has returned to pursue the nomination for the Party, promising to transcend everything with her crystals and her Department of Peace. Never mind that in the races she was in she literally polled behind "None of the Above," but we did need a laugh this week, so thanks for that, Marianne!
-Perhaps nervous Nellie-crats need to look across the proverbial pond for inspiration. In Britain, voters go to the polls tomorrow with the country poised to see the Conservative Party get electorally eviscerated after a disastrous 14-year reign of austerity, corruption and general clownishness, which would make Labour's Keir Starmer the new Prime Minister. In France, with Marine LePen's far-right National Rally party winning European Union and the first round of Parliamentary elections, the left/center-left parties have worked to consolidate over 200 races to make them one-on-one races for the second and last round of runoff elections this Sunday - and a massive anti-Fascist rally took place last night with the left parties hoping that their combined 48.6% voting tally from the first round of elections will hold off the far right's tally of around 33%. The combination will be looked at, at least while consultants aren't calling pundits whispering about how cool a brokered Democratic convention would be while they saw their Venmo accounts get fatter ...
-One other legal note: you likely heard that the sentencing for Trump's 34 felony convictions has been moved to September in order to entertain Trump demanding to try to use his new King Donald powers to wipe away the trial, apparently on the belief that when he signed the hush money checks he did so in the White House and therefore "OFFICIAL ACTS LEGAL LEGAL NEENER NEENER!" Never mind that in no way, shape, or form were the crimes he was convicted for were official acts but CLEARLY personal conduct.
-The move, accepted by Judge Juan Merchan, allows for a hearing and a near-certainty the attempt will fail, which will mean the sentencing will take place smack dab in the middle of the general election campaign - and given that Trump was previously announced to be running his campaign as if he already won the election - and that was BEFORE he got the SCOTI to rule in his favor - the likelihood he will show less than zero remorse for his crimes makes it at least likelier on paper he will get some kind of incarceration. At the very least, it will mean Trump's crimes will be reiterated by an electorate that will just begin to focus on the November 5 election, not to mention Trump's embrace of one of the most reviled public institutions in America right now.
-So, there's that.
-In weather news, Hurricane Beryl - now the earliest Category 5-level hurricane in recorded history and currently a Category 4 storm - tracks through the south-central Caribbean looking to hit Jamaica pretty solidly today before moving on a track that would make it hit the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday. From there, it would settle near the southern tip of Texas where weather reporters will wait to see where it goes next. And thank goodness we can see this tracking, because under Project 2025, both the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would be disbanded, apparently replaced by a would-be King Donald whipping out his Sharpie Pen of Destiny to guide weather patterns at his whim and desire - most likely cities with large populations of people of color.
-In case ANYONE out there is even CONSIDERING NOT VOTING in November ...
-In Sportsball News, NBA free-agency has ended for this year - and with it, a potential end to The Superteam Era that started with the Miami Heat's LeBron James/Dwayne Wade/Chris Bosh roster of 2012 and arguably ended with the Splash Brothers of the Golden State Warriors. That dynasty officially marked its end with allowing Klay Matthews to leave the team and sign with the Dallas Mavericks. With that, and with the newest financial rules which start with a salary cap but have a series of rules that will impose severe taxes on overspending teams AND make it all but impossible to sign-and-trade players using future draft picks, the ability of teams to construct "Big Threes" that have been the model for championships over the last decade plus is all but broken. Depending on your viewpoint this is good or bad news, but so let it be noted.
-Tomorrow IS Independence Day. I know many people that are not going to "celebrate" it because of the state of the nation. Personally, I will be. I will be celebrating what the country has been, the accomplishments of Joe Biden, the promise of what can be, and (even though I admit it has been shaken) my continued confidence based on past election performances and the glaring electoral weaknesses of an opponent whose whole goal is to make you think he's invincible when he is literally anything but (as evidenced by his campaign keeping Trump under wraps rather than move in their typical cocky triumphalism of parading Trump before adoring throngs - because those throngs have dwindled precipitously and THEIR guy is the guy who literally can't put two sentences together) (watch the tapes if you don't believe me) (not to mention the on-stage shitting Trump does - never forget!).
-I will keep an eye on the British election, possibly take the day off Friday unless it's a quickie summary of that election and other unnamed-source bilge water, and fire up the grill with some good American tunes. Y'all do the same - but don't blow up fireworks! Let the pros do that.
-On this date in 1775, George Washington became Commander of the Continental Army. On this date in 1863, Confederate forces were defeated in the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg. On this date in 1973, David Bowie announced the 'retirement' of his Ziggy Stardust persona. And on this date in 1976, Israeli commandos successfully rescued hostages being held in an airliner in Entebbe, Uganda.
-Debuts on this date: Quebec City (1608), the Dow Jones Average (1884), DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944), DOUBLE NICKES ON THE DIME (1984), BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985).
-Happy Birthday to Samuel de Champlain, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, George M. Cohan, Franz Kafka, Earl Butz, Ken Russell, Pete Fountain, Tommy Tedesco, Tom Stoppard, Fontella Bass, Gloria Allred, Kurtwood Smith, Betty Buckley, Dave Barry, Jan Smithers, Laura Branigan, Frank Tanana, Montel Williams, Stephen Pearcy, Tom Cruise, Yeardley Smith, Moises Alou, Audra McDonald, Olivia Munn, and Sebastian Vettel.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Andre Citroen, Trigger, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Ross Martin, Rudy Vallee, Jim Backus, Curly Joe DeRita, Don Drysdale, Pancho Gonzalez, Harold Nicholas, Boots Randolph, Andy Griffith, Arte Johnson, and Vince Tobin.
-Feed the Worms: disgraced Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier entered Earth on this date.
-Julian Assange was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms.