Episode 15: Grifty Tribune: Puppy killers, brain worms, and faux dictators, oh my!

GENERAL ELECTION–STATE OF PLAY

1. The 2024 presidential debates have been unveiled 

   1. “The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that the three 2024 presidential debates will be held next year on Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9. “(https://www.axios.com/2023/11/20/2024-election-debates-biden-trump-republicans )

2. Swing states that are expected to decide the 2024 presidential election

   1. “The titanic Biden-Trump election likely will be decided by roughly 6% of voters in just six states, top strategists in both parties tell us.” (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/biden-trump-election-swing-states )

POTUS CANDIDATE: BIDEN

1. Biden’s historic marijuana shift is his latest election year move for young voters

   1. PHOENIX (AP) — President Joe Biden may eventually ban TikTok, but he’s moving to give something back to the young people who dominate the popular social media app — a looser federal grip on marijuana.” (https://apnews.com/article/biden-young-voters-marijuana-reclassification-dea-193e97fc2dd7b32b7d7ad50b4ea80aa0 )

2. Biden touts new $3.3 billion Microsoft data center at failed Foxconn site Trump backed

   1. “U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled plans by Microsoft Corp to build a $3.3 billion data center in southeastern Wisconsin, drawing a sharp contrast to his Republican predecessor who had backed a previous $10 billion project at the same site that was significantly scaled back.” (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-unveil-33-billion-microsoft-ai-investment-battleground-wisconsin-2024-05-08/ )

3. Axios Poll of College Voters - Next Gen America  (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.axios.com/2024/05/07/poll-students-israel-hamas-protests&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1715304228880446&usg=AOvVaw2gVrmRZ0q-sgs2JekbcTPA )

 

POTUS CANDIDATE: TRUMP 

1. Trump reportedly solicited $1 billion from oil executives to support his campaign, offering them concessions related to climate policies in return. This development underscores the high stakes of the upcoming 2024 election, particularly in the realm of climate policy. While President Biden has implemented numerous regulations aimed at addressing climate change, Trump, who has a history of rolling back such regulations and dismissing climate change as a hoax, presents a starkly different approach. The intersection of Trump's skepticism towards climate science and penchant for corruption poses a significant challenge and opportunity for the Biden campaign. This recent revelation highlights the critical importance of the election in shaping the future direction of environmental policy.

2. Recent polls indicate that a significant portion of voters lack awareness of President Biden's major domestic accomplishments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which featured substantial climate investments and green incentives for both businesses and individuals. Furthermore, there is a lack of understanding among voters regarding Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, with some mistakenly attributing similar achievements to former President Trump, despite his failure to deliver on infrastructure promises during his tenure. This highlights the urgent need for the Biden campaign to educate the public on how his policies positively impact their communities. In contrast, Trump's apparent willingness to prioritize personal gain by making promises to oil companies further underscores the contrasting approaches of the two leaders on critical issues like climate and infrastructure.

3. How Far Trump Would Go

   1. “Donald Trump thinks he’s identified a crucial mistake of his first term: He was too nice.” (https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/ )

4. Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
   1. The former president has pushed a slew of terrifying proposals, both publicly and privately, that he plans to unleash on America should he take down Biden” (https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-second-term-plans-wildest-proposals-1234947327/))
5. R.F.K. Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain

   1. “The presidential candidate has faced previously undisclosed health issues, including a parasite that he said ate part of his brain.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html )

6. Here’s Who’s On Trump’s Most Likely VP Shortlist—And What He’s Saying About The Contenders

   1. “Former President Donald Trump spoke highly of nearly a dozen potential running mate picks over the weekend as they gathered at donor event at Mar-a-Lago for what was widely viewed as a pseudo-tryout, as Trump has reportedly begun to narrow down his list.” (https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/06/heres-whos-on-trumps-most-likely-vp-shortlist-and-what-hes-saying-about-the-contenders/?sh=60cf1d11c3a8 )

7. Barron Trump makes political debut as Florida delegate for GOP convention

   1. “Donald Trump’s son Barron, 18 and about to graduate high school, was named as a delegate at large for the GOP national convention in Milwaukee. “ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/barron-trump-florida-delegate-gop-convention/ )

 

TRUMP’S TRIALS

1. Trump threatened with jail after violating hush money gag order again
   1. “A New York judge on Monday threatened to jail former President Trump after his latest violation of the gag order in his hush money criminal case.” (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/trump-fined-gag-order-hush-money-trial )
2. Trump's N.Y. criminal trial: Who has testified and who hasn't

   1. “Former President Trump's first criminal trial in New York has so far featured witness testimony from a former top White House aide, a veteran tabloid publisher, a former longtime Trump assistant and a former director at a bank.” (https://www.axios.com/2024/04/30/trump-trial-hush-money-witnesses-testimony-updates) 

 

CONGRESS

1. Mike Johnson signals House power play in 2025

   1. “Ahead of a potential motion to vacate vote this week, Speaker Mike Johnson is tipping his hand for how he or a successor should rebuild the power of the House speakership.” (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/mike-johnson-house-rules-republicans-congress-2025 )

2. Bernie Sanders will run for re-election

   1. “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the 82-year-old progressive icon, announced on Monday that he will run for re-election.” (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/bernie-sanders-re-election-us-senator-vermont )

3. Money isn’t enough to smooth the path for Republican candidates hoping to retake the Senate

   1. WASHINGTON (AP) — Frustrated by the seemingly endless cash flowing to Democrats, Republicans aiming to retake the Senate have rallied around candidates with plenty of their own money. (https://apnews.com/article/gop-campaign-rich-candidates-senate-majority-68a8eb884c96ec53f13e1472d225cb21 )

MISCELLANEOUS executive about agencies view soq

1. Recent data from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicates that medical school graduates are increasingly opting to avoid states with abortion bans or newly imposed restrictions following the Dobbs case when selecting their residency programs. In states with near-total abortion bans, the number of new residencies has declined by 4.2%, a significant contrast to the overall decrease of 0.6% across all states. This trend is even more pronounced among graduates entering OB/GYN residencies, suggesting a notable impact on specialty choices as a result of these restrictive regulations.

2. Section 241 of Title 18 is MAGA Law's New Shiny Object 

“The Project 2025 plan for the Department of Justice recommends using 18 U.S.C. § 241, an 1870 civil rights law, to prosecute state officials (maybe even judges) if DOJ disagrees with how they apply state election law.” (https://randomlysecured.substack.com/p/section-241-of-title-18-is-maga-laws?utm_medium=ios )