Happy Friday! It’s going to be a very hot weekend for much of the East Coast. Please stay cool and hydrated as much as you can. Maybe even have some ice cream or a popsicle, ya know … for health reasons 😉. Here’s what we’re following today: - The Supreme Court ruled that domestic abusers are banned from owning guns.
- President Biden is at Camp David, prepping for next week’s debate.
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Former President Trump already has a reason lined up if Biden does well in the debate, but it’s a baseless claim.
- Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) has vowed to pursue a recount and investigation of his extremely close GOP primary.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. ALSO!: It’s National Take Your Dog To Work Day! The Hill’s newsletter editorial assistants, Moose and Lucy, wanted to make sure we acknowledged their contributions today. |
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© (Moose) Cate Martel, The HIll |
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© (Lucy) Emily Martin, The Hill |
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Domestic abusers are banned from owning guns: |
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In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that bans domestic abusers from owning guns, deciding that the federal law complies with the court’s recent expansion of Second Amendment rights. The one justice to dissent: Justice Clarence Thomas Read more on the ruling, via The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld. There are a lot of major cases left: Including Trump’s presidential immunity claim and a case about emergency abortions. Expect those to likely be decided next week. 📝NYT list of the major cases left for next week
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Steve Bannon’s super-final-last-ditch try to stay out of prison:
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Ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon just filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court in a last-ditch attempt to stay out of prison while appealing his contempt-of-Congress conviction. If this isn’t successful: He will have to report to prison by July 1. Back story to the case: “Bannon was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022 after failing to appear before the House Jan. 6 committee and refusing to turn over documents. A federal judge sentenced him to four months of incarceration, and he was ordered to report to prison by July 1.” Yesterday: A federal appeals panel denied Bannon’s request to stay out of prison while he continued his appeal. That was seen as his last-ditch attempt until he appealed to the Supreme Court. |
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Getting ahead on the PR game:
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President Biden and former President Trump are facing each other next Thursday for the first (and early!) presidential debate of the campaign season. There’s a lot riding on this debate, particularly following Trump’s 34-count felony conviction and GOP criticisms over Biden’s mental acuity.
Just in case Biden comes out strong: Trump and his allies already have an excuse lined up, reports The Hill’s Brett Samuels. They have been floated a baseless claim that if Biden does well in the debate, it will be because he’s using a performance enhancer. Read more: ‘Trump primes response in case of strong Biden debate showing’ Remember how the Trump world had a similar strategy after Biden’s well-received State of the Union address earlier this year? They’ve been painting Biden as a weak old man with decreasing mental acuity, so if Biden looks strong, that pokes holes in arguably their biggest campaign argument.
Entering this debate: Biden and Trump are pretty close in the polls. “Despite low voter enthusiasm, lawmakers and experts are predicting that Americans will tune into Thursday’s debate in droves,” write The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Al Weaver. “Whoever puts on the better performance could seize a huge victory as the race moves to the final stretch.” Read more on what to expect: ‘Biden seeks turning point in debate vs. Trump’ |
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➤ TIDBIT — HOW THEY’RE SPENDING THEIR WEEKENDS:
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Biden’s spending his weekend at camp: Biden is hunkering down at Camp David for the next few days to prepare for his upcoming debate with Trump.
@markknoller pointed out: “[There must] be an easier way to get to Camp David. According to pool reports: from Rehoboth Beach it took Biden a motorcade to Marine One, a helo flight to Dover, Air Force One to Hagerstown MD and back on another Marine One to Camp David. Hope he had free transfers.” 🚓🚁✈️🚁
And Trump’s out on the trail: He’s holding a campaign rally Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.
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Right now, Virginia is for competitors, not lovers:
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House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) has declared he will seek a recount and “full investigation” in his too-close-to-call GOP primary, where he is neck and neck with Trump-backed candidate John McGuire. There was a delay in counting the votes: The Associated Press reports that because Virginia observes Juneteenth, the remaining ballots were not counted Wednesday (the day after the election).
Where the race stands: McGuire leads with 50.2 percent of the vote as of Friday morning. Good trails with 49.8 percent. 📊 Live Decision Desk HQ results The race is so close. Is a recount automatic?: Not in Virginia, but a candidate can request one if the margin is within 1 percentage point.
Why Good wants an investigation: “Good alleged that in one of the counties, Albemarle County, McGuire’s representative was notified ‘two hours’ early, and officials were counting ballots ‘two hours before they were supposed to.’ Good said his representatives were going to be on site but were never notified that votes were being counted early. He said he is ‘forcing’ for that process to ‘start over.’” Read more: ‘Bob Good vows to have recount, full investigation in GOP primary’ |
Border officials are reporting that the number of encounters with migrants has dropped by 25 percent (!) since the Biden administration cracked down on asylum policies. |
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Hey, what are your opinions on tipping practices in the U.S.?:
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*Covers eyes and braces for a loud argument with strong opinions*
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a bill to exempt tips from being taxed.
That means if a worker is tipped with cash, credit or debit, they would *not* have to pay taxes on that money.
Keep in mind: Former President Trump floated this idea during his recent trip to Capitol Hill. He’s hoping that will boost his support from working-class voters.
Does it have support?: It received immediate support from some GOP senators, including Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Kevin Cramer (N.D.). And in the House companion bill, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) backed the proposal. But it’s a fairly controversial proposal; fiscal conservatives are skeptical.
What about Democrats?: “Some Democrats appear more critical of Republicans’ ability to pass the proposal than they are on its substance,” reports Axios’s Hans Nichols. |
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🍍 Celebrate: Today is National Smoothie Day! |
🍟 Remember when everything at McDonald’s was cheap?: Apparently, the company wants to bring everyone down memory lane, but for just a month. McDonald’s is adding a $5 value meal to U.S. menus, beginning June 25. What the $5 meal comes with: “a McChicken or McDouble, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink”
This ad campaign should win an award: To promote tennis star Roger Federer’s documentary, there’s video footage playing on the London Tower Bridge, showing Federer playing with his younger self. 📹 Watch the video
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Camp David, and Vice President Harris is in New York City today. (all times Eastern)
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- 1:50 p.m.: Harris tapes an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski for “Morning Joe.”
- 5:40 p.m.: Harris participates in a campaign event.
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7 p.m.: First lady Jill Biden speaks at a fundraiser in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
- 8:55 p.m.: Harris lands in Washington.
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2 p.m. Saturday: Former President Trump holds a campaign rally in Philadelphia.
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