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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republicans regularly portray Joe Biden as feeble and unable to serve as president.</li><li>Ahead of his debate with Trump, they're changing course — even saying he'll be on drugs.</li></ul>Day in and day out, Republicans portray Joe Biden as a man who's too old and enfeebled to carry out the duties of the presidency.It's probably their most potent attack, given that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-age-fitness-polls-election-donald-trump-2024-3">most Americans are concerned</a> about his age. At 81, Biden is the oldest person to ever serve as president, and there's no denying that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-forgot-timing-vice-presidency-beau-death-special-counsel-report-2024-2">he shows it at times</a>.But now, ahead of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-debate-gamble-strategy-risk-election-2024-6">high-stakes debate with Donald Trump</a> on Thursday, some Republicans are adding a twist to that narrative: Biden may show up under the influence of drugs.The most outspoken of the bunch is Rep. Ronny Jackson, a staunch Trump ally who previously served as White House Physician from 2013 to 2018: The Texas Republican sent a letter to Biden demanding that he take a drug test ahead of the debate.There's also the more anodyne version of the theory, pushed by Republicans like Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, who speculated that Biden's advisors were "going to jack him up on Mountain Dew."Why are Republicans bothering to talk about this at all?It may be because they realize their portrayal of Biden as enfeebled may only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-watch-presidential-debate-trump-biden-what-time-2024-6">work in the president's favor</a> at the debate.<h2 id="e4df2230-e236-4440-8aae-8e59e3384854">It all goes back to the State of the Union</h2>"A little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass," Trump said at a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday. "He'll come out all jacked up, right? All jacked up.""I'm sure he'll be prepared," Trump later added. "Whatever happened to all that cocaine that was missing a month ago from the White House?"This sort of thing isn't new for Trump. In 2016, he suggested that he and Hillary Clinton should <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-clinton-debate-drug-test-2016-10">submit themselves to a drug test</a>, and in 2020, he suggested that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-baselessly-accuses-biden-of-taking-performance-enhancing-drugs-2020-9">Biden was on drugs</a> when he debated his Democratic primary opponents.What's new is the embrace of that theory by rank-and-file Republicans, most of whom seem to have been taken aback by Biden's relatively strong performance at the State of the Union address in March."He was very different in the State of the Union than he has been for the last three and a half years in public," Jackson told Business Insider."I remember walking into the State of the Union and thinking, 'We're going to see sleepy Joe,' and we saw jacked up on Mountain Dew Joe,'" Burlison told Business Insider. "I think that he's going to be attentive, alert, because it's going to be game on."When Biden spoke to Congress, he had been facing one of the worst months of his campaign. Special Counsel Robert Hur's report had characterized the president as an aging man with a poor memory, and liberal pundits were openly discussing the merits of replacing him.Biden managed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/state-of-the-union-is-bidens-biggest-moment-before-election-2024-3">reset the narrative</a> with a State of the Union address that was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-state-of-the-union-speech-takeaways-trump-attacks-campaign-2024-3">energetic and highly political</a>. While it didn't result in a lasting lead for the president, it gave him a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-polling-improving-state-of-the-union-hur-transcript-2024-3">modest bump in polling.</a>The president has been in debate prep for days, and he's likely looking to snag a similar opportunity on Thursday.Neither Burlison nor Jackson went so far as to admit that they're playing an expectations game with Biden, but both men acknowledged that it's an important factor."Probably, the expectation has been set too low," said Jackson. The Texas congressman predicted that Biden would either be "sleepy" or "jacked up" at the debate, but acknowledged that the president could land somewhere in the middle. "If that happens, I mean, then it's a win for him, right?""I don't think we ought to underestimate [Biden]," said Burlison. "Trump's team should be fully prepared, and not be planning for sleepy Joe."<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Republicans want you to think Biden's on drugs at the debate because they've set expectations too low for him

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden and Trump's stances differ dramatically on some major issues like abortion.</li><li>But they're also closer than you might think on other issues, like the war in Gaza.</li></ul>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump disagree on most major issues concerning Americans today, like the economy, climate, immigration, abortion, the war in Ukraine, and the war in Gaza.At the top of that list is the economy and inflation — nearly 9 in 10 Americans say these are the most important issues determining who they will vote for in November, according to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/most-americans-say-economy-and-inflation-are-most-important-issues-determining-who-they-will-support-for-president-in-november">ABC News/Ipsos poll</a> in May.But if you're a bit fuzzy on the specific details of each presidential candidate's positions, here's a guide with all the information you need.<h2 id="3cdc8edd-56e9-496c-9e71-5515f51053ff">Biden vs Trump on the economy</h2>With the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/average-cost-monthly-household-bills-change-pandemic-covid-rent-mortgage-2024-3">skyrocketing costs of monthly bills</a> like rent and mortgages, health insurance, phone plans, and utilities — it's no surprise that the economy is the biggest issue looming on voters minds this election season.So how does each candidate intend to alleviate Americans' financial woes?In his three and a half years already in office, Biden has done pretty well on the core metrics of a healthy economy. Unemployment has stayed under 4% for the longest period of time since the 1960s, 15 million jobs have been created, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/dow-40000-what-does-hitting-the-major-milestone-mean-for-investors-1033400640">the Dow hit over 40,000</a> for the first time, and the national economy as a whole is expected to grow at double the rate of its G7 peers.Though the statistics sound good, that doesn't mean Americans are feeling good — a disconnect that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/soft-landing-economy-us-on-track-data-cooling-interest-rates-2024-6">one economist calls a "vibecession."</a>As for his 2025 agenda, Biden wants to hike the corporate tax rate, impose a higher corporate minimum tax on billion-dollar companies, and impose a 25% tax on the wealthiest Americans' unrealized income.During Trump's time in office, inflation was about 2% lower on average, and both unemployment and the stock market did well.Trump hasn't been very specific about his economic plans for a second term, but some economists warn that his general ideas could exacerbate inflation.Trump's promise to crack down on illegal immigration could worsen labor shortages, and his proposal to enact a 10% tariff on all imported goods could make items more expensive for consumers. Trump also believes tax cuts and deregulation will fuel economic growth, and he's proposed ending the taxation of tips.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-economy-top-issue-2024-biden-trump-plans">Read more about each candidate's economic stances here.</a><h2 id="a168a081-204d-41f1-8cce-92a164d1e980">Biden vs Trump on the climate</h2>Biden has boasted about the pro-environment policies he's enacted while in office, and he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-climate-change-young-voters-environment-greenhouse-emissions-ev-2024-5">hopes his stance will win over young voters</a>.He rejoined the Paris climate agreement, revoked a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and helped set up new EPA rules that limit vehicle emissions and strengthen the reporting requirements of methane emissions.When Trump took office, he left the Paris climate agreement and rolled back a number of environmental protections on everything from logging to dishwasher efficiency.The former president has also pledged to "stop the war on oil and natural gas," dismantle oil regulations, and end "government interference in energy decisions."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-climate-issue-2024-election-biden-trump-guide">Read more about each candidate's climate positions here.</a><h2 id="e596050c-a7d8-477f-bf68-b3953d0f3872">Biden vs Trump on immigration</h2>Biden and Trump are sharply divided on immigration, as are Americans.Immigration has been one of the toughest issues of Biden's term — he entered office wanting to reverse many of Trump's policies but has since waffled on the issue.Under Biden, border apprehensions hit a record high, which Republicans have blamed on lackluster border security.Earlier this year, Biden hoped a Senate-crafted bipartisan bill on the asylum system would strengthen border security, but Republicans squashed it. At the beginning of June, Biden did make some progress on the issue, signing an executive order restricting asylum protections — to the dismay of many left-leaning immigration advocates.Trump has made immigration a central tenet of both his presidential runs.The former president, who has harshly criticized Biden's immigration policies, was instrumental in getting Republicans to reject the Senate's bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year.He has also promised to carry out the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deportation-immigration-plan-impact-recession-risk-inflation-stagflation-labor-2024-6">largest deportation operation in US history</a> if he's elected to a second term, and his allies have reportedly already been drawing up plans to restrict migration at the US-Mexico border.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-border-security-biden-trump-2024-election">Read more about each candidates immigration position here.</a><h2 id="5babbdb3-e719-4329-bc73-60083b807aa9">Biden vs Trump on abortion</h2>Biden has consistently held a pro-abortion position.He's promised to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roe-v-wade-overturn-president-biden-vows-this-is-not-over-2022-6">restore Roe v. Wade</a>, defended access to the <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-pill-women-stockpile-mifepristone-trump-presidency-experts-2024-4">abortion drug mifepristone</a>, pushed through a Pentagon policy that reimburses service members who need to travel for the procedure, and vowed to defend women's legal ability to travel across state lines to get an abortion.Though Trump has bragged about his role overturning Roe, he has also recently tried to skirt around the topic of abortion, arguing that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-said-abortion-bans-should-be-left-states-2024-4">decision should be left to individual states</a>.Trump has also not said how he feels about mifepristone or how he intends to vote on a Florida constitutional amendment that would expand some access to the procedure.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-abortion-top-issue-2024-biden-trump-guide">Read more about each candidate's stance on abortion here.</a><h2 id="ec823c80-2059-478a-be60-8c0f1de34307">Biden vs Trump on the war in Ukraine</h2>The Biden administration has remained in favor of supporting Ukraine financially and militarily, arguing that it's worth the cost to combat Russian aggression and uphold the US-led world order.Biden has also suggested that he wouldn't support a negotiated settlement granting some Ukrainian territory to Russia."Peace looks like making sure Russia never, never, never, never occupies Ukraine," Biden told TIME in a May interview. "That's what peace looks like."Trump's stance on the war is not quite as clear, and his friendliness with Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his views even murkier. He has suggested giving aid to Ukraine in the controversial form of a loan, and has said that the US is doing too much to support the battle-torn country. He's also pledged to end the war if elected, even if that means Ukraine ceding territory to Russia.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-ukraine-top-issue-2024-candidate-guide">Read more about each candidate's stance on the war in Ukraine here.</a><h2 id="fa7c0d97-d794-4e30-9fd9-2daf53351ba2">Biden vs Trump on Israel-Gaza</h2>Biden has consistently defended Israel since the country invaded Gaza last year following Hamas' October 7 attack.Biden has, however, hedged his support of Israel at times.He's called Israel's war tactics "over the top," pushed for a ceasefire, and urged Israel to do more to allow humanitarian aid into the territory.Trump has voiced conflicting messages about the war in Gaza. During an interview in March, he said Israel "made a very big mistake" but also at the same time told the country to "go and do what you have to do."Some of Trump's comments on the topic has also signaled that he could be even more supportive of Israel's war than Biden.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-gaza-top-issue-2024-candidate-guide">Read more about each candidates stance on Israel-Gaza here.</a><h2 id="0565a405-1f5a-4647-b65e-7fc256969d3c">Biden vs Trump on housing</h2>While in office, Biden has pushed a number of policy changes on housing, including the "<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/16/president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-ease-the-burden-of-housing-costs/">Housing Supply Action" plan.</a> The president has encouraged initiatives to increase the amount of affordable housing, and his fiscal year 2025 budget proposal includes $258 billion for housing initiatives.Biden has also discussed housing issues on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/03/20/remarks-by-president-biden-on-lowering-housing-costs-for-american-families-las-vegas-nv-march-19-2024/">campaign trail</a> and in high-profile speeches like the State of the Union.Trump didn't prioritize the issue while in office, and he proposed substantial cuts to agencies that provide federal housing subsidies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development.The former president hasn't discussed the issue much during his 2024 campaign so far, though he has promised a crackdown on immigration will provide relief to the housing market. He has said he would said he would "ban urban camping" to deal with homelessness. He also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-freedom-cities-build-housing-conservatives-scoff-at-leftist-plan-2023-3">released a video</a> last year saying he would build 10 new American cities on federal land as a way to give American families "a new shot at homeownership." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biden-housing-crisis-policy-rising-home-prices-apartment-rents-2024-6">Read more about each candidates stance on housing</a><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Where Biden and Trump stand on major issues like the economy, Ukraine, and immigration

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Almost Friday! Robots with skin!? There's a valid reason researchers are doing it — helping plastic surgeons train — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robot-face-with-skin-smiling-research-study-2024-6">but it doesn't make it any less creepy</a>.In today's big story, we're looking at the first — and somewhat unconventional — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-watch-presidential-debate-trump-biden-what-time-2024-6">US presidential debate happening tonight</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: The next great war <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/food-war-prices-commodity-shortage-inflation-climate-change-geopolitics-tariffs-2024-6">could be over the price of food</a>.</li><li>Tech: Tesla's headquarters <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-headquarters-terroristic-threat-austin-elon-musk-zach-kirkhorn-2024-6">received several "terroristic" threats,</a> according to law-enforcement records.</li><li>Business: Your boss wants you to make friends at work. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-are-over-remote-jobs-gen-z-relationships-pandemic-2024-6">But do you really need a work bestie</a>?</li></ul>But first, your time starts now.<hr />If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><hr /><h3 id="b012ed35-86e0-4b52-b362-685a555cedae">The big story</h3><h2 id="72cf1d62-f60f-410a-839d-48192f492c70">New debate, who dis?</h2><div type="image" title="Joe Biden and Donald Trump" height="1500" width="2000" msid="111317109" hostid="261" sizebytes="184566"></div>It didn't come easy, and it won't feel quite the same, but we're getting our first US presidential debate tonight.President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will square off at 9 p.m. ET for a 90-minute debate.But don't be surprised by some noticeable differences from what you've come to expect when two presidential candidates face off.There will be no audience, and the candidate who isn't speaking will have his mic muted. The bipartisan group that typically holds the debates isn't running it. And it's also the earliest major debate on record.Business Insider's Brent D. Griffiths <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-watch-presidential-debate-trump-biden-what-time-2024-6">has the full rundown on what to expect tonight</a>.The impact debates have on an election is… up for debate. Candidates who aren't well known, not a problem for Trump or Biden, see the biggest impact.But that doesn't mean the debate isn't important. It's one of the few live events that isn't football which is guaranteed to draw millions of Americans' attention.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-debate-gamble-strategy-risk-election-2024-6">It also represents a big gamble for Biden</a>, Brent writes, as the president tries to silence critics on everything from his age to his handling of the economy, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-us-economy-would-look-like-with-trump-biden-presidency-2024-5">which is a key issue for voters</a>.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Joe Biden collage" height="1500" width="2000" msid="111317103" hostid="261" sizebytes="216318"></div>Meanwhile, the debate itself has some interesting subplots.For one, it will feature commercials for the first time. CNN, which is hosting, is selling two tiers of advertising, with the more premium version reportedly costing at least $1.5 million.But in a unique twist, CNN might not come away making the most from the debate. Rival networks can air the broadcast and sell commercials. And with Fox News and MSNBC often outpacing CNN in viewership, they <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biden-debate-commercials-earn-millions-for-cnn-other-networks-2024-6">might be able to sell ads for more money</a>, writes BI's Alice Tecotzky.Debates are also typically easy fodder for social media, specifically X, as viral moments are bound to occur. And this marks the first presidential debate the platform navigates under the Elon Musk regime.Meanwhile, it'll be interesting to see how things go on Instagram's Threads, which has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/threads-twitter-politics-not-the-focus-adam-mosseri-2023-7">largely avoided political discourse</a>.However, one group won't be able to benefit from the debate despite being perfectly positioned for the action: US sportsbooks. So-called prediction markets do exist for political betting, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/10/cftc-election-betting-ban-00157304">regulators want to ban them</a>.US sportsbooks have avoided the entire political sphere — sorry, no same-debate parlays — despite it being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6pp5emm95do">big business for UK bookmakers</a>.<hr /><h2 id="50d87113-b67d-4da5-918a-564fbf844939">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Image of tractor rolling across wheat field to sow crops" height="546" width="1120" msid="111317102" hostid="261" sizebytes="87228"></div><ol><li>A commodity trader is warning about a potential "food war." A combination of trade barriers and climate risk is threatening to <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/food-war-prices-commodity-shortage-inflation-climate-change-geopolitics-tariffs-2024-6">exaggerate the demand-supply imbalance in food</a>, according to commodity executive Sunny Verghese. "We have fought many wars over oil. We will fight bigger wars over food and water," he said at a recent conference.</li><li>Goldman Sachs' bankers are going to get a big boost from AI next year. Top bank executives told BI the plan is to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldmans-sachs-george-lee-ai-tools-for-workforce-2024-6">roll out a series of generative AI tools starting in 2025</a>. The tech will "influence our workflows [and] begin to help us create new competitive advantages," one Goldman partner said.</li><li>Trump's mass deportation plan could trigger a recession, leading economist says. Adam Posen, president of the nonpartisan Peterson Institute, warned that Trump's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deportation-immigration-plan-impact-recession-risk-inflation-stagflation-labor-2024-6">pledge to deport the most workers in US history is a massive stagflationary hazard</a>. Those effects would be exacerbated by Trump's high-tariffs proposal, Posen said.</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="8d999e75-50e5-4f2c-a7cb-68e3c05ef6ab">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="Photo illustration of Elon Musk." height="882" width="1176" msid="111317104" hostid="261" sizebytes="107410"></div><ol><li>"Terroristic" threats at Tesla. Texas law enforcement records show <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-headquarters-terroristic-threat-austin-elon-musk-zach-kirkhorn-2024-6">Elon Musk's company was the target of multiple "terroristic" threats</a> over the past two years. These include a clumsy extortion scheme by a fake hitman and a hoax active-shooter threat at its HQ. There's little real danger to Tesla's employees, though, thanks to the site's tight security.</li><li>Should AI help you ace a coding test? Silicon Valley is split over whether job candidates should be <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-debates-over-use-ai-chatbots-tech-job-interviews-2024-6">allowed to use AI chatbots in technical interviews</a>, which test engineers' grasp of coding basics. Though stances vary across companies, there's a noticeable divide between smaller startups and tech giants.</li><li>To do: Improve Microsoft's reputation. Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's new AI chief, said bringing the company <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mustafa-suleyman-microsoft-ai-chief-main-goals-2024-6">out from under Google's shadow was on his to-do list</a>. He also said one of his main goals is to "uplevel the quality of Copilot."</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="f1bbd9ce-e77a-4470-abf1-96b22479b86c">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="A computer screen displaying analytics of a football player and a business man" height="1500" width="2000" msid="111317105" hostid="261" sizebytes="241874"></div><ol><li>Inside the new CEO stress test. An intelligence exam originally designed to identify the best NFL quarterbacks is making waves in corporate hiring. The test measures fluid intelligence and decision-making under pressure, skills that can make potential CEOs. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-job-stress-test-nfl-football-ceo-careers-s2-2024-6">But it isn't foolproof.</a></li><li>Maybe you don't need work friends after all. Work friendships are great for employers: They can help workers get more done and make them more reluctant to leave their friends for a new gig. But they're also disappearing — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-are-over-remote-jobs-gen-z-relationships-pandemic-2024-6">and that may not be a bad thing</a>.</li><li>"Silent layoffs" could backfire. The tactic, where companies give staff severance but ask them to keep details of their departure quiet, is on the rise. Experts said while the goal is to maintain trust across the business, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silent-lay-offs-quiet-firing-could-backfire-companies-bosses-morale-2024-6">it can actually do the exact opposite</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="fdd9eba7-4e3c-4b2e-af90-1530bd7866a1">In other news</h2><ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scotus-opinion-allowing-emergency-abortions-in-idaho-was-posted-early-2024-6">A SCOTUS opinion allowing emergency abortions in Idaho was posted on the court's website and then quickly removed</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-high-prime-video-viewership-netflix-comparison-evercore-survey-2024-6">Amazon is getting an impressive number of people to watch Prime Video, new data reveals</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-disrespect-twitch-ban-brand-fallout-explained-2024-6">The biggest scandal in gaming right now, explained</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-is-reigniting-his-space-feud-with-jeff-bezos-2024-6">Elon Musk is reigniting his space feud with Jeff Bezos: 'Sue Origin.'</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joshua-kushners-thrive-capital-invests-in-studio-a24-2024-6">Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital makes a further push into entertainment, backing A24, the studio behind Euphoria and Uncut Gems</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-brands-cut-costs-tax-loophole-shein-temu-2024-6">Shein and Temu use a US tax loophole to keep their prices low. Now, some American brands are, too</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayo-edibiri-directs-episode-season-3-the-bear-positive-energy-2024-6">Biz leaders could learn a thing or 2 from the way Ayo Edibiri directed her very first episode of 'The Bear.'</a></li></ul><hr /><h2 id="7c65b5c5-89bd-4854-8df3-6c044ed2189c">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>RFK Jr., who did not qualify for the CNN presidential debate, will answer debate questions via livestream during his campaign's counter-programming.</li><li>Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes final GDP data for Q1 2024.</li></ul><hr />The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

The first US presidential debate will have some noticeable differences

<ul class="summary-list"><li>JT Lewis, whose brother Jesse died at Sandy Hook, was "shocked" by a Mar-a-Lago evidence photo.</li><li>It showed that a box containing classified documents also held a letter Trump sent him in 2018.</li></ul>In 2018, JT Lewis, whose little brother Jesse died in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-were-the-victims-of-the-sandy-hook-shooting-2017-12">Sandy Hook </a>Elementary School shooting, received a signed letter from Donald Trump. He keeps it in a frame above his living room couch, where he sees it every day.He was "shocked" this week when an image of the letter turned up in a widely publicized prosecution filing in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.The image shows an unsigned draft of the letter he cherishes resting inside a box, on top of other presidential mementos, including newspaper articles and notes on White House stationary.It was one in a series of evidence photos that prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith say shows Trump<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-stored-classified-docs-boxes-christmas-ornaments-feds-2024-6#:~:text=The%20feds%20released%20new%20details,%2C%20not%20he%2C%20were%20careless."> mingled presidential "keepsakes" with national secrets</a>.<div type="image" title="This evidence photo from the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case shows a letter Donald Trump sent in 2018 to the older brother of a Sandy Hook shooting victim." height="1522" width="1036" msid="111298111" hostid="261" sizebytes="69194"></div>"It was nice of him to keep the letter," Lewis said Wednesday."It's word for word," what Trump sent him in June 2018, he said. "Except Jack Smith blacked out my name, and it's not signed," he added. "My copy is signed, of course."In the letter, Trump thanks Lewis for coming to the White House "for discussions regarding the safety of our schools."Trump's letter tells Lewis that the nation will forever remember the 2012 tragedy, in which 20 children and seven adults died, and it thanks Lewis for being "a meaningful example of the healing power of helping others" through his organization, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newtownhelpsrwanda.org/">Newtown Helps Rwanda</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">That “Sandy Hook” letter was a letter to me. I lost my brother in the Sandy Hook shooting and president Trump took the time to reach out. These are the “classified documents” we’ve all been hearing about?! Here’s the letter I received: <a href="https://t.co/wxcFGhvDAJ">https://t.co/wxcFGhvDAJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/FM8hDpAonk">pic.twitter.com/FM8hDpAonk</a>— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/thejtlewis/status/1805822007918952683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></blockquote> Lewis and his mother, Scarlett Lewis, were invited to the White House six years after the Sandy Hook shooting and soon after the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting to speak with Trump about his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-trumps-safety-panel-seeks-to-revoke-school-discipline-rules-2018-12">National School Safety Initiative</a>.Both mother and son were by then school-safety activists, JT through the now-defunct Rwanda initiative and Scarlett through the still-active <a target="_blank" href="https://chooselovemovement.org/">ChooseLoveMovement.com</a>, which advocates for life-skills programs for kids to help prevent more shootings."That's partially how he healed, by helping other people," Scarlett Lewis told Business Insider Wednesday of JT, who was 12 when his 6-year-old brother died."To have a president acknowledge that, and write him a letter and sign it personally was very meaningful to JT," she said. "And then to see that it was something he kept was very, very moving," she said of Trump."He was shocked to see Trump kept the letter."JT Lewis said Wednesday he remains a huge fan of Trump."I was actually just with him two days ago in New Orleans at a fundraiser," he said."We were able to catch up. I wish it had happened before that," he said of the letter resurfacing. "I would have talked about it with him."Jesse McCord Lewis died shortly after shouting "Run!" while directing classmates to safety, according to his obituary and multiple news accounts. June 30 would have been his 13th birthday.Rather than run himself, he stayed behind to help a "beloved teacher," Victoria Soto, as she lay dying, Scarlett Lewis told BI."Jesse saved nine classmates, and a lot of the kids are in the news, graduating from high school and giving him credit for saving their lives," the mom said.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Sandy Hook victim's brother is 'shocked' that a letter Trump once sent him turned up in a Mar-a-Lago evidence photo

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump-backed candidates lost primary races in Utah, South Carolina, and Colorado.</li><li>These defeats mark a rare trend of Trump endorsements failing in the 2024 election cycle.</li></ul>An endorsement from Donald Trump usually spells success for congressional candidates. But in this week's primary elections, some Trump picks experienced rare losses.In Utah, Republican Rep. John Curtis — who has been critical of Trump — beat out Trump's chosen candidate Trent Staggs to take over Mitt Romney's open Senate seat. Staggs lost to Curtis by 20 points, according to projected race calls from the Associated Press, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/25/us/elections/results-utah-primary.html">compiled by The New York Times</a>.In South Carolina, a similar situation occurred: ultra-conservative pastor Mark Burns, who <a target="_blank" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112198139080960182">Trump endorsed on Truth Social</a> in April, lost his House runoff race to Republican Sherri Biggs.And in Colorado, House hopeful and state GOP Chair Dave Williams, who the <a target="_blank" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112085235042312156">former president endorsed on Truth Social</a> in March, got smoked by his rival, conservative commentator Jeff Crank — losing by 30 points, according to the Times.The three losses are just the second, third, and fourth time that a Trump favorite has lost their race for a federal position this election cycle, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/26/trump-endorsement-losses-00165023">Politico reported</a>. The first instance happened earlier in June when Trump-endorsed New Jersey Senate candidate Christine Serrano Glassner lost by 7 points to real estate developer Curtis Bashaw, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/04/us/elections/results-new-jersey-primary.html">according to the Times</a>.There's two othr candidates who might get added to Trump's list of failures.The race for Utah's second congressional district is still too close to call, with Trump-backed incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy <a target="_blank" href="https://electionresults.utah.gov/results/public/utah/elections/primary06252024">leading by just 3 points</a>. And Virginia's Republican primary is also still too close to call, with <a target="_blank" href="https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/Virginia/elections/2024_June_Republican_Primary">Trump pick John McGuire less than one point</a> ahead of his challenger. That race may result in a recount, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/gop-voters-reject-trump-backed-candidates-multiple-primaries-rcna158985">MSNBC reported</a>.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Trump-backed congressional candidates suffered rare losses in Tuesday's primary elections

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Supreme Court posted an abortion-related decision in an Idaho case, then removed it.</li><li>The decision, as written, would allow emergency abortions in Idaho.</li></ul>The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to inadvertently post an opinion in a closely watched Idaho case that would be the last abortion-related decision of the high court's current term.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-26/us-supreme-court-poised-to-allow-emergency-abortions-in-idaho?srnd=homepage-americas">Bloomberg News</a> first reported that a copy of the decision was briefly posted on the court's website and then removed. A Supreme Court spokesperson confirmed that something was inadvertently posted online but said the high court's final opinion remained unreleased."The opinion in Moyle v. United States, No. 23-726, and Idaho v. United States, No. 23-727, has not been released," a spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider, referring to the two cases related to the Idaho law. "The Court's Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Court's website. The Court's opinion in these cases will be issued in due course."In the copy posted online, the court said it would allow for emergency abortions to continue in Idaho, Bloomberg reported. The opinion would be based on the holding that it should not have reviewed the case in the first place.The Biden administration has argued that a decades-old federal law should supersede Idaho's nearly total abortion ban and thus allow doctors to perform emergency abortions that are outside the scope of limitations under the state ban.During the COVID-19 pandemic, opinions were released only on the court's official website. But justices have long since returned to the practice of announcing rulings from their historic courtroom.After the announcements are made, the decisions are posted online, according to SCOTUSblog, a prominent source of news from the Supreme Court.The court had announced earlier Wednesday that it was done releasing opinions for the day after releasing two decisions — one concerning an effort by conservatives to push back on the Biden administration pressuring social-media companies to clamp down on misinformation, the other related to a federal law about bribes to state and local officials.Neither case was among the hotly anticipated of the current term. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on former President Donald Trump's request for sweeping immunity from criminal prosecutions, a decision that could become one of the most famous in the nation's history.Every abortion-related opinion, too, has been closely watched in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 landmark ruling to reverse Roe v. Wade.Correction: June 26, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the day of the week two decisions were released. It was Wednesday, not Thursday.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

A SCOTUS opinion allowing emergency abortions in Idaho was posted on the court's website and then quickly removed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President Biden has long depicted Trump as a major threat to democracy in the US.</li><li>Biden used the argument against the GOP in 2022, with many Democrats later praising the strategy.</li></ul>President Joe Biden has staked a major tenet of his reelection campaign on painting former President Donald Trump as one of the biggest political threats to democracy in the US.It was an issue that Biden played up heavily against the GOP in the 2022 midterms, issuing a stern warning a week before the election where he argued that "democracy is at risk.""We're often not faced with questions of whether the vote we cast will preserve democracy," he said at the time. "But this year we are."Democrats ended up retaining control of the Senate and losing their House majority by a much narrower margin than predicted, with many in the party arguing that Biden's messaging had been a success.But ahead of the November election, voters in six key <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">swing states</a> gave Trump an advantage on who would be better suited at handling threats to democracy, a reflection of the continued challenges that Biden faces as he seeks a second term in office.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/26/biden-trump-swing-state-poll-democracy/">survey conducted by The Washington Post and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University</a> among registered voters from mid-April to late May, Trump led Biden 44 percent to 33 percent on the democracy issue. Sixteen percent of respondents indicated that neither candidate had an advantage on defending democracy, and seven percent said that both men were equally able to handle the issue.Among "deciders," which includes voters that only voted in one of the past two White House contests, are aged 18 to 25, have been registered voters since 2022, or aren't planning to back Biden or Trump in the upcoming election — Trump has a nine-point edge (38% to 29%) over Biden on democracy issues. Nearly a quarter (23%) of "deciders" said that neither candidate was adept at handling the issue, while 10% indicated that both candidates could effectively tackle the issue.The findings come at a critical stage for the Biden campaign, shortly before a Thursday debate that has the potential to reshape what has been a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-november-election-abortion-israel-gaza-swing-states-2024-5">tight presidential contest</a> between the incumbent and the ex-president.Biden came into office pledging to be an effective steward of the federal government just days after the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 — where pro-Trump supporters attempted to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.But Republicans have remained <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polls-suggest-trump-and-the-gops-efforts-to-downplay-jan-6-has-worked-2021-12">overwhelmingly behind Trump</a> since then, with many GOP lawmakers downplaying the January 6 riot and arguing that the ex-president would be a better leader on the world stage.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Biden wants to paint Trump as a threat to democracy. But new swing-state polling shows voters think otherwise.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Joe Biden got his wish to hold the earliest major presidential debate ever.</li><li>Even the president's allies admit the debate is unlikely to dramatically alter the race.</li></ul>President <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-should-attack-trump-debate-instead-of-talking-policy-advisors-2024-6">Joe Biden</a> needs his debate gamble to pay off.Biden, who's viewed his life as one shaped by fate, decided to upend his reelection campaign by scheduling the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-watch-presidential-debate-trump-biden-what-time-2024-6">earliest major presidential debate</a> ever. He also got his requests to boot the audience, mute the mics, and strongarm Fox News out of hosting the affair.His campaign, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/23/us/politics/biden-trump-debate-stakes.html">The New York Times said</a>, recognizes that in the short term, the first faceoff with former President Donald Trump is unlikely to change the current dynamics of the race.National polling depicts the race as a virtual dead heat. There's been less polling of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">battleground states</a>, but on average, Trump holds a narrow lead in the ones expected to determine the race. According to RealClearPolitics' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/elections/president/2024/battleground-states">averages</a>, Michigan and Wisconsin are too close to call while Trump holds an extremely narrow lead in Pennsylvania.Studies have shown that debates have only a modest effect on the outcome of presidential elections. Voters are often swayed more when they know less about a candidate. Americans don't need to get to know either man. In fact, it's possible that the decisive swath of voters could be people <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-rematch-double-haters-swing-presidential-election-2024-3">who loathe them both.</a>Biden continues to face questions about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-reelection-democrats-harris-newsom-whitmer-klobuchar-booker-cooper-moore-2024-2">whether he'll be replaced</a>. (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-stuck-trump-biden-2024-election-republican-democratic-primaries-2024-5">He won't.</a>) The lingering doubts are largely due to factors like the president's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-presidential-approval-rating-timeline-2024-4">abysmal approval ratings</a>, which have never recovered from the post-Afghanistan withdrawal. At this point, Biden and his allies have also massively outspent Trump. Their attack-ad advantage is set to dissipate in the face of Trump's gigantic fundraising haul after becoming the first former president <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-guilty-verdict-what-it-means-hush-money-felon-sentencing-2024-05">convicted of a felony.</a>The Times reported that Biden's team hopes the debate will jolt Americans into paying more attention to the race. History has shown that the traditional fall presidential debates were some of the few live, non-sporting events watched by tens of millions of Americans. Studies have also shown that debate watchers tended to be people who were already politically engaged — not usually the groups that decided elections.<h2 id="669d95b7-5d86-4a49-ac6a-bc79067ddb12">No one knows what Trump is going to do</h2>Biden knows his best chance of benefiting from his gamble will be across the stage. His campaign even chose the podium position over the final speaking order, handing Trump the last word of the night.Many incumbent presidents have struggled in their first debate (just ask Obama or, better yet, Trump), but Biden has spent days preparing at Camp David for his first exchange with Trump since 2020. Trump, never one to want to be seen as overprepared, said on Tuesday that his whole life had been debate prep."I'm not sure you can lock yourself in a room for two weeks, or one week, or two days and really learn what you have to know," Trump told Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, during an interview on Newsmax.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PRESIDENT TRUMP: I've been preparing for this debate for my whole life. I'm not sure you can lock yourself in a room for two weeks and learn what you have to know. I've been through it... I know the subject. They may get cute—it's CNN—but they have a lot at stake to be fair. <a href="https://t.co/nV3kQXGg3u">pic.twitter.com/nV3kQXGg3u</a>— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1805755796233535687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></blockquote> Americans aren't surrounded by the crush of Trump news like they once were. A breakout moment could easily remind voters why they soured on the former reality-TV star in the first place.Trump's over-the-top, constantly interrupting performance in the first 2020 debate was widely panned. Now, Biden has a record of his own. Republicans are nudging Trump to train his focus on lighting the president on immigration and the economy, issues that polls show he has a big advantage on.Staying on message has never been part of the Trump brand. The former president has recently tried to pivot a little by playing the traditional-expectations game before the debate. The former president has talked up his successor despite spending years portraying him as too feeble to do the job. Trump's allies are also working the referees, the CNN moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, in an effort that would've made the late Bobby Knight blush.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“We’re going to stop this interview.” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt goes on CNN and keeps attacking CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Anchor Kasie Hunt gets fed up and dumps Leavitt from the air. <a href="https://t.co/09gDp0Ymjy">pic.twitter.com/09gDp0Ymjy</a>— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1805211863262634414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote> But there's always a but. After all, we're talking about the man who talked about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-penis-size-marco-rubio-hands-bill-clinton-2021-7">size of his penis</a> during a 2016 GOP-primary debate.Trump, his senior aides, and official GOP social-media accounts are pushing a far-right conspiracy that Biden is going to juice before the debate like a 1990s-era MLB star. The former president has even demanded that Biden take a drug test.If that becomes the night's story, Biden would be happier than getting a double scoop. And then, his bet could pay off.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Biden needs his high-stakes debate gamble to pay off, even if it won't upend the race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jamaal Bowman just became the first Squad member to lose reelection.</li><li>Progressives largely saw the primary as a battle against AIPAC, a deep-pocketed pro-Israel group.</li></ul>Rep. Jamaal Bowman was roundly defeated Tuesday in the Democratic primary for New York's 16th Congressional District, making him the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-squad-primary-challengers-dates-races-israel-progressives-2024-2">first member of the Squad</a> to lose reelection.His <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamaal-bowman-george-latimer-israel-primary-2024-5">moderate opponent</a>, George Latimer, the Westchester County executive, will almost certainly be elected to Congress this fall after defeating Bowman by over 16 points.In the closing days of the race, progressives focused their ire on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a group whose super PAC spent millions to sway the race toward Latimer."We should be outraged when a super PAC of dark money can spend $20 million to brainwash people into believing something that isn't true," Bowman said at his election-night party Tuesday.But while AIPAC did play a big role in this race — as it has in several high-profile Democratic primaries in recent years — it would be a mistake to simply blame the pro-Israel group for Bowman's loss.The congressman was uniquely vulnerable to a primary challenge, and the group is continuing to lose influence within the Democratic Party.<h2 id="c5a24ef7-f38e-4308-8538-1b0cd85fd41d">AIPAC can make a big difference — but it can't straight up buy elections</h2>Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, AIPAC — a lobbying group that advocates for essentially unconditional support for Israel — established a super PAC called United Democracy Project to increase its direct influence on elections.As progressives like to point out, much of the super PAC's funding has come from Republican billionaires, and it has primarily poured money into Democratic primaries to block progressives from gaining ground.Bowman emerged as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamaal-bowman-george-latimer-israel-primary-2024-5">one of AIPAC's top targets</a> this year as a result of calling for a cease-fire in the days after Hamas' attacks on October 7 and describing Israel's actions in Gaza as a "genocide."AIPAC spent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aipacticker.com/">over $17 million</a> on Bowman's primary, the most it's ever spent on one race and the most a single group has spent on a congressional race this cycle. That avalanche of money made this House primary the most expensive in American history.On the ground, AIPAC's offensive translated into TV ads attacking Bowman and praising Latimer, as well as a deluge of mailers to residents' doors. Those ads mostly focused on Bowman's vote against President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 rather than the congressman's criticism of Israel.Having the backing of AIPAC — or any super PAC, for that matter — can be a huge leg up to candidates.Last month, AIPAC played a major role in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District, where Maxine Dexter defeated Susheela Jayapal in the Democratic primary with the help of $2.3 million in AIPAC spending, apparently routed through 314 Action Fund and a PAC called Voters for a Responsive Government.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-dunn-congress-campaign-interview-fundraising-trump-biden-january-6-2024-3">Harry Dunn</a>, a former Capitol Police officer from Maryland, may have been headed to Congress if AIPAC hadn't spent $4.2 million to boost state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who raised just $1.4 million on her own before defeating Dunn in the Democratic primary in May. And that doesn't even consider the successes the group had in Democratic primaries in 2022.But sometimes AIPAC flops, too. The group spent $4.6 million to defeat state Sen. Dave Min in a California House primary in March after he expressed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/03/01/2024/a-california-house-race-is-aipacs-first-big-target-nobody-is-quite-sure-why">fairly moderate criticisms</a> of Israel. He ended up winning by over six points.More broadly, there's a reason just a few Squad members ended up being vulnerable to a primary challenge this year, despite widespread progressive fears in late 2023: It would be way too difficult to take them all out, especially given how the politics around Israel have shifted among Democrats over the course of recent months.For example, AIPAC <a target="_blank" href="https://theintercept.com/2023/09/21/aipac-cbc-progressive-black-democrats/">tried to recruit a primary challenger</a> to Rep. Summer Lee in Pennsylvania, only for the effort to apparently fizzle. Lee <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/summer-lee-wins-primary-pennsylvania-bhavini-patel-israel-money-2024-4">easily won her primary</a> in April after the group declined to spend any money on the race.<h2 id="5e61c4cf-6911-41e5-8720-cdca41b9701f">Bowman was a weak incumbent, had significant personal scandals, and said incendiary things about October 7</h2>In 2022, Bowman faced two primary challengers, each of whom raised a fairly paltry sum. AIPAC did not spend any money against him.He got just 54% of the vote, losing big in the more upscale portions of Westchester County.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Maps of the 2020 and 2022 Democratic NY-16 primaries. Congressman Jamaal Bowman won both primaries, upsetting former Congressman Eliot Engel in 2020, and beating two Westchester County legislators in 2022. Bowman won both contests with ~55%. The 20 and 22 districts were... 1/3 <a href="https://t.co/dJetagJBMH">pic.twitter.com/dJetagJBMH</a>— cinyc (@cinyc9) <a href="https://twitter.com/cinyc9/status/1790076373496648017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2024</a></blockquote>It's impossible to really say what effect Bowman's infamous September fire-alarm incident had on his race, but there's little doubt it was a high-salience event.He was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-democrats-voted-censure-resolution-jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm-2023-12">censured by the House</a> over it, including by three of his Democratic colleagues. The most charitable explanation — the one that Bowman has put forward — is that he was genuinely confused when he did it, which doesn't paint a flattering picture of the congressman's temperament.The more sinister view — the one that Latimer capitalized on — is that as a former middle-school principal, Bowman knew exactly what he was doing and was seeking to disrupt a vote on a government-funding bill.The congressman's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/26/congress/bowman-house-israel-october-7-sexual-assault-hamas-00148426">characterization of reports of rape</a> on October 7 as "propaganda" was probably the single worst thing he said. (He has since apologized.)That, combined with his embrace of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and some of his incendiary rhetoric about the Jewish state, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jamaal-bowman-not-just-aipac-money_n_6677291fe4b0fdfa60647614">alienated many of Bowman's Jewish constituents</a>, who appeared to have turned out in record numbers.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Westchester Unites, the voter registration and GOTV initiative set up by the Orthodox Union's Teach Coalition, takes credit for mobilizing 14,871 Jewish voters, which it says is 57.66% of eligible Jewish voters. The campaign was officially nonpartisan, but the message of… <a href="https://t.co/IOPvbEwSZe">pic.twitter.com/IOPvbEwSZe</a>— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielmarans/status/1805804906869063898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></blockquote>Additionally, the revelation that Bowman <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ny-rep-jamaal-bowman-promoted-911-conspiracy-theories-on-blog">once embraced 9/11 conspiracy theories</a> created the impression that the congressman held radical views outside the mainstream of American politics.Months before AIPAC began dropping millions of dollars on the race, polling already showed <a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/house/2024/new-york/16/">Bowman struggling against Latimer.</a><h2 id="2984b17b-d485-485e-8056-fd7c0f29cd92">Despite his own flaws, Latimer was a well-positioned challenger</h2>In the closing weeks of the campaign, Latimer consistently made statements that — at best — were racially insensitive.He told Bowman <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/metzgov/status/1800336747404157042">during a virtual debate</a> that the congressman's "constituency is Dearborn, Michigan," even though Bowman had received fewer than $2,000 in itemized contributions from the majority-Arab city. Latimer later said that he wasn't referring to the "Islamic presence" in the city but to the fact that Bowman has a joint fundraising committee with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, whose Detroit-area district includes Dearborn. Yet <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamaal-bowman-george-latimer-dearborn-debate-2024-6">all of the money that flowed through the committee</a> came from New York donors.He also accused Bowman of trying to "play the ethnic game" by highlighting those kinds of statements. And Jacobin reported that Latimer had <a target="_blank" href="https://jacobin.com/2024/06/george-latimer-bowman-segregation-westchester">slow-walked desegregation efforts</a> in Westchester County.Despite all that, Latimer was well positioned to take on Bowman. He's well known in the county, has strong relationships in parts of the district where Bowman has consistently underperformed, and is by all accounts a skilled retail politician.<div type="image" title="George Latimer at his victory party on Tuesday." height="1500" width="2000" msid="111292438" hostid="261"></div>Looking at each candidate's fundraising is also an instructive indicator of local support.As of June 5, 61% of Latimer's itemized contributions had come from New York, and over one third had come from within the district. By contrast, only about 30% of Bowman's itemized contributions came from in state, and less than 10% came from the district.<h2 id="ca443005-7327-4c8f-947e-b5d3dac075a7">There's a glimmer of hope for progressives</h2>Bowman's defeat is indeed a victory for AIPAC. And it may get another one later this summer when Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri — who faces a Department of Justice probe over whether she misused campaign funds — faces an AIPAC-backed opponent in her Missouri primary in August.Progressives fear, and pro-Israel forces may hope, that Bowman's loss will send a broader message that lawmakers will be punished for being outspoken in their criticism of Israel.But look closely, and you can see that while AIPAC notched a win here, there are plenty of signs that its rigid pro-Israel stance is losing sway within the Democratic Party.This year, Democrats on Capitol Hill held up stand-alone aid to Israel for six months in defiance of AIPAC's lobbying.Mainstream members of the party have grown far more comfortable levying criticism against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, defying a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-palestine-chilling-effect-pramila-jayapal-progressives-2023-7">chilling effect</a> that AIPAC had long helped enforce.Lawmakers have openly discussed the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conditions-us-aid-israel-blank-check-bernie-sanders-2023-11">prospect of conditioning military aid to Israel</a>, a position that was once viewed as fringe.In the end, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-house-democrats-republicans-vote-against-israel-gaza-aid-2024-4">37 House Democrats</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-senators-voted-against-ukraine-israel-aid-tiktok-2024-4">three Senate Democrats</a> voted against sending military aid to Israel.AIPAC may be able to defeat two of them this year, at most.Correction: June 26, 2024 — A previous version of this article misstated Harry Dunn's profession. He's a former Capitol Police officer, not a current one.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

AIPAC is not the only reason Jamaal Bowman lost

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Lauren Boebert won a GOP primary for a district she only moved into this year.</li><li>That's despite facing charges of "carpetbagging" and her embarrassing "Beetlejuice" scandal.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-campaign-cash-plunges-reelection-colorado-2024-4">Rep. Lauren Boebert</a> managed to pull it off.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-controversy-scandals-statements-colorado-congresswoman-photos-2023-9">controversial congresswoman</a> won a crowded GOP primary in Colorado's 4th congressional district on Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press.That's despite her only having lived there since the beginning of this year. Given that the district is far safer than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-protecting-my-voters-district-switch-colorado-carpetbagging-2024-1">the one she abandoned</a>, Boebert is now on a glide path toward reelection in November.In pulling off a win, Boebert managed to overcome significant headwinds, including the lingering embarrassment of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-video-date-during-beetlejuice-2023-9">her "Beetlejuice" scandal</a>, fatigue with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-funding-voted-against-ribbon-cuttings-earmarks-2024-3">aspects of her political persona</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-lauren-boebert-define-carpetbagger-debate-district-switch-2024-1">accusations of being a "carpetbagger."</a>One recent poll gave us a big clue as to how she pulled it off: name recognition.Love her or hate her, you probably know who Lauren Boebert is, especially if you live in Colorado.<a target="_blank" href="https://kaplanstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CO-CD4-06022024-with-writeup.pdf">Polling from Kaplan Strategies</a> conducted in May found that she had by far the highest name recognition among GOP primary voters in the district, with just 3% saying they didn't know who she was. The rest of her opponents hovered at about 50% name recognition.The poll also revealed that her image among GOP voters had improved substantially over time: In <a target="_blank" href="https://kaplanstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Colorado-02252024-v2-with-write-up.pdf">February</a>, the same firm found that she had a net unfavorable rating, which she managed to turn around to a net favorable rating by May.Of course, the congresswoman also caught a couple of lucky breaks along the way.Instead of facing one candidate head-to-head, she was able to dominate a crowded field of lesser-known candidates. She also caught a lucky break when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-republicans-greg-lopez-lauren-boebert-special-election-ken-buck-2024-3">local Republicans nominated a placeholder</a> candidate to serve out the remainder of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ken-buck-lauren-boebert-george-santos-saint-2024-3">retiring Rep. Ken Buck's term</a>, denying a potential advantage to one of her primary opponents.On top of all that, Boebert won her old district by fewer than 600 votes in 2022, and a moderate Democrat <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-fundraising-adam-frisch-congress-2023-12">backed by an avalanche of money</a> appeared ready to throw her out of Congress this year.But all in all, Boebert's primary victory sends a clear signal to other GOP candidates: Engaging in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-johnson-speaker-fight-gaetz-mace-republicans-2023-10">attention-getting tactics</a> can pay off.After all, how else would voters in Boebert's new district have known her name if she hadn't constantly appeared on cable-news stations or if she hadn't garnered a massive social-media following?In an era where both television and social media have contributed to the nationalization of politics — the dissolution of local issues and concerns into a stew of national narratives — candidates like Boebert can thrive, no matter where they might actually live.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Lauren Boebert's carpetbagging victory is a vindication of her attention-grabbing antics

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thursday's presidential debate will feature commercials for the very first time</li><li>Struggling with ratings, CNN is banking on the event to draw in viewers and millions in revenue</li></ul>Faced with lagging viewership, CNN is anticipating that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/what-to-expect-at-biden-and-trumps-first-2024-debate/amp_articleshow/111239856.cms">Thursday's presidential debate</a> will rake in huge sums. Yet other networks are allowed to air the live broadcast of the showdown, setting them up to outperform CNN at its own game.President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump's uncharacteristically early face-off is notable for various reasons, namely the two commercial breaks that will splice up the 90-minute debate. Presidential debates have historically been ad-free, but CNN is offering two tiers of advertising this year, with the most robust package costing a minimum of $1.5 million, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/05/31/2024/cnn-seeks-millions-in-debate-ads">sources told Semafor</a>.Though CNN is hosting and moderating the debate from its studios in Atlanta, other networks can sell their own advertisements during their simulcasts. Given that some of those networks, like Fox News and MSNBC, typically have a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiders-react-to-ex-nyt-mark-thompsons-appointment-cnn-ceo-2023-8">larger primetime audience than CNN</a>, they may be able to sell advertising slots for more money, <a target="_blank" href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/cnn-biden-trump-debate-commercial-breaks-ads-1236020209/">Variety reports</a>.Per CNN's rules, networks cannot plug commercial breaks with commentary from their own on-air personalities and must keep the CNN logo visible.A CNN spokesperson told Business Insider that the network is making the debate available across a variety of platforms in an effort to reach as many people as possible, and a representative for Fox News pointed to the network's press release about its coverage. Other networks did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.With cable news channels like CNN facing questions about their futures, the presidential election serves as a potential opportunity to boost viewership. As Semafor notes, the election so far hasn't generated the same level of attention as recent races, but debates — especially the early ones — historically generate high ratings.Clea Conner, the CEO of Open to Debate, a nonpartisan organization, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2024/06/18/presidential-debates-are-broken-can-they-be-fixed-00164021#:~:text=We%20are%20about%20to%20see,able%20to%20stop%20and%20regroup">Politico</a> that the decision to air advertisements is "shameful" and likened the event to reality television."Even though there will be only two commercial breaks this time, once we deem them acceptable it's a classic slippery slope," she told Politico. "How many will there be next time, and the time after that?<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

CNN stands to make millions from the Trump-Biden debate, but its rivals could make even more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump is now free to rail against hush-money witnesses and his jury, the trial judge ruled.</li><li>He and his lawyers remain barred indefinitely from identifying individual jurors.</li></ul>Former President Donald Trump is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gag-lose-gag-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-hush-money-2024-6">free to rail away against hush-money witnesses</a> and his jury, the trial judge ruled on Tuesday — but he still can't refer to jurors by name.Michael Cohen, a key prosecution witness, showed zero concern when told of the gag lift."Good," he told Business Insider, his tone defiant."For the past six years, Donald and acolytes have been making constant negative statements about me," he said. "Donald's failed strategy of discrediting me so that he can avoid accountability didn't work then and won't work now."Under <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24777214-ny-v-trump-merchan-gag-lift-20240625">a five-page order</a> by Justice Juan Merchan of the New York Supreme Court, the former president remains barred indefinitely from revealing jurors' identities.Merchan also kept in place Trump's gag on statements attacking court staff and their family members, but that is set to be lifted after Trump's July 11 sentencing.Trump has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-asks-judge-to-lift-gag-order-manhattan-trial-2024-6">fought the gag unsuccessfully</a> on constitutional free-speech grounds since it was imposed in March, two weeks before the start of a trial that resulted in the first criminal conviction of a former president."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-hush-money-gag-will-hurt-millions-of-americans-2024-3">Tens of millions of Americans</a>" want to hear his views on the case, he said.After the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-verdict-2024-5">May 30 conviction</a>, Trump's lawyers added a second strategy, challenging the gag as not only unconstitutional but also moot.Prosecutors did not oppose lifting Trump's gag on trash-talking witnesses but fought allowing him to attack jurors, or court and prosecution staffers and their families.Lawyers for Alvin Bragg, Manhattan's district attorney, noted that so long as sentencing was pending, proceedings had not yet concluded.However, "the trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged," Merchan wrote."While it would be this court's strong preference to extend those protections, the court cannot do so" when it comes to the jury, which has no further role, Merchan said."Nonetheless, there is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors," he added, saying that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/People-v.DJT-Dec-OrderAnonymousJury.pdf">his March 7 protective order</a> banning the release of juror identities remained in effect "until further order of this Court."That order prohibits disclosure of the names and addresses of any prospective or sworn juror.Trump's jurors have remained anonymous and have been identified in public only by a three-digit number. Only he, his lawyers, prosecutors, and court staff know who they are.Violating a court order can result in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-could-do-time-for-contempt-right-behind-courtroom-2024-5">contempt-of-court sanctions</a> that include fines and incarceration.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Trump is now free to rail against hush-money witnesses and Michael Cohen couldn't care less

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden needs to spend his debate time attacking Trump's economic policies, sources told CNN.</li><li>The top Democrat sources told CNN that voters just don't care about what Biden has accomplished.</li></ul>Joe Biden's advisors say he should spend more time at the debate attacking Donald Trump than focusing on his own White House successes, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/joe-biden-donald-trump-strategy/index.html">a report from CNN</a>.Several top Democrats, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CNN that they've been urging Biden's camp to take an offensive approach to Thursday's debate. They've been advising Biden to focus on criticizing Trump's economic policies and close relationship with corporate America, four sources close to the president told the outlet.Biden shouldn't talk so much about what he's accomplished during his time in office, because the voters don't really care, the sources told CNN."He wants the credit, but it's not working," one of the top Democrat sources told CNN. "He needs to stop."Ron Klain, Biden's former chief of staff and longtime aide, has also said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-talks-too-much-about-bridges-ron-klain-2024-4">the president spends too much time discussing</a> the improvements he's made to infrastructure."I think the president is out there too much talking about bridges," Klain said in April. "I think it's kind of a fool's errand."Klain added that Biden needs to focus on issues people actually care about, like the cost of groceries, because bridges just aren't cutting it.More than 80% of Americans listed the economy and inflation as the top two issues that will determine who they vote for this November, according to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/most-americans-say-economy-and-inflation-are-most-important-issues-determining-who-they-will-support-for-president-in-november">ABC News/Ipsos poll </a>in May. And more Americans trust Trump over Biden on these issues — 46% trust Trump on the economy while 32% trust Biden, and 44% trust Trump on inflation while 30% trust Biden, according to the poll.The Biden campaign has been ramping up its attacks on Trump since the former president's felony conviction last month. Just last week, the president's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-ad-campaign-trump-convicted-felon-2024-6">campaign announced a $50 million ad blitz</a> that includes a searing TV ad railing into Trump's "criminal" character.A spokesperson for the Biden campaign declined to comment on Biden's debate preparation, but highlighted several recent press releases in which the Biden-Harris team slams Trump and his policies.In a debate week press release on Sunday, Biden's team lambasted what it called Trump's "dark 'vision,' where he will serve as a dictator on day one, give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and rip away women's rights."Biden's team said that its recent messaging has been focused on how Trump is bad for America — specifically, how he orchestrated the repeal of Roe v. Wade, how he attacks democracy and "continues to embrace political violence," and how his economic plans will only serve himself at the expense of the middle class, according to the press release.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Biden shouldn't focus on his White House successes at the debate because nobody cares, advisors say

8 of the most unconventional candidates who stumbled into politics

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The feds released new details of the "haphazard" way they say Trump kept documents at Mar-a-Lago.</li><li>Classified documents were found in boxes with Christmas ornaments and photos of himself, they said.</li></ul>Federal prosecutors released new details of the "haphazard" way they say Donald Trump stored classified documents at Mar-a-Lago — including inside boxes that also held Christmas ornaments.Trump treated the nation's secrets like random "keepsakes," special counsel Jack Smith complained in a new classified documents case filing Monday night.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24777076-us-v-trump-mal-doj-20240625">The 30-page filing</a> challenges defense claims that prosecutors were the ones who were reckless with classified documents.It alleges in the greatest detail yet how Trump commingled secrets and mementos in "disordered" stacks of tumbling, spilling boxes. It's the latest court battle to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mar-a-lago-document-case-delayed-indefinitely-2024-5">delay a trial date indefinitely</a>.<div type="image" title="This DOJ evidence photo shows a box containing classified documents on the floor of a Mar-a-Lago storage room, next to gifts and a case of Diet Coke." height="840" width="1252" msid="111266703" hostid="261" sizebytes="78172"></div>"Trump personally chose to keep documents containing some of the nation's most highly guarded secrets in cardboard boxes," including printer-paper boxes with lids, Smith's team wrote.Classified documents were stored "along with a collection of other personally chosen keepsakes of various sizes and shapes from his presidency — newspapers, thank you notes, Christmas ornaments, magazines, clothing, and photographs of himself and others.""At the end of his presidency, he took his cluttered collection of keepsakes to Mar-a-Lago, his personal residence and social club, where the boxes traveled from one readily accessible location to another — a public ballroom, an office space, a bathroom, and a basement storage area," prosecutors wrote.Newly released photographs from the filing shows boxes stored alongside a case of Diet Coke, Trump's beverage of choice."After they landed in stacks in the storage room, several boxes fell and splayed their contents on the floor, and boxes were moved to Trump's residence on more than one occasion so he could pick through them."Trump's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out by complaining about the FBI's admitted shuffling of the order of some documents and objects within their individual boxes as they seized evidence in August, 2022.The precise order of the items in each box as it left the White House is critical to his defense, Trump's lawyers argue.The defense has said that dates on news clippings and other personal items demonstrate how long ago classified documents were placed among them, allowing Trump to argue that he then forgot about them and never knowingly possessed them at Mar-a-Lago.<div type="image" title="A DOJ evidence photo showing an apparent Christmas decoration in a box that also contained a folder marked &quot;Top Secret.&quot;" height="1232" width="1764" msid="111266704" hostid="261" sizebytes="106506"></div>In pushing back Monday, prosecutors said that Trump can raise this as a defense — and the case doesn't need to be thrown out entirely — because they have always maintained "box-to-box integrity."And Trump himself often rifled through their contents, which also shifted as boxes toppled and spilled, prosecutors also said."The FBI agents who conducted the search did so professionally, thoroughly, and carefully under challenging circumstances," they wrote Monday, "particularly given the cluttered state of the boxes and the substantial volume of highly classified documents Trump had retained."This story was updated to add additional photos.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Trump kept classified documents in cardboard boxes with Christmas ornaments and photos of himself: feds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's lunar probe returned to Earth with the first-ever samples from the moon's far side. </li><li>The samples could answer crucial questions about how planets form.</li></ul>China just took a huge leap forward in its plans to dominate space.On Tuesday, its Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully returned to Earth carrying the first-ever samples from the moon's far side. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrFGMaB9kjo">A video showed </a>an official triumphantly planting a Chinese flag near the capsule in Mongolia after it glided back to our planet by parachute.The samples, which include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock, could answer crucial questions about how planets form, as well as the moon's history.But they are significant for another reason too.They signify China's growing prowess in orbit, as well as its potential to someday leapfrog the US in the race to dominate space.<h2 id="e5565559-09e3-4a5e-aba9-a6a2fdad33fa">The moon's far side</h2>The moon's far side is considered particularly challenging to explore because of its craters and the difficulty of maintaining communications with vehicles landing there.China is the only country to have landed in this tricky terrain and returned with samples. The latest mission, which launched on May 3, is China's second successful landing on the moon's far side, with the first launched in 2019.Overall, it has soft-landed on the moon four times.The US, meanwhile, has had less luck. In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astobotic-faulty-valve-doomed-peregrine-moon-lander-lunar-mission-leak-2024-1">January</a>, Astrobiotic <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vulcan-peregrine-us-mission-first-land-moon-astrobotic-human-remains-2024-1">launched a lander</a> into space, with the aim of it being the first American spacecraft to soft land on the moon since the Apollo era.But its hopes were quickly dashed after a <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrobotic-moon-lander-leaking-fuel-after-launch-threatening-mission-2024-1">fuel leak</a> caused a failure in the spacecraft's propellant system.In February, Intuitive Machines, in collaboration with NASA, achieved a first: landing a US commercial spacecraft <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">on the moon without crashing</a>.But that had complications. As previously reported by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intuitive-machines-im-1-odysseus-moon-lunar-landing-mission-nasa-2024-2">Business Insider,</a> when the spacecraft touched down on the moon, it stopped communicating with mission control.The recent moon-landing scoreboard is "4 to 0.5" in favor of China, Simone Dell'Agnello, a researcher who collaborated with Chang'e 6, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/historic-moon-mission-gets-china-one-small-step-ahead-in-space-race-41894d41">The Wall Street Journal. </a>"The first difference is that China has missions landing on the fucking moon."<h2 id="31daf330-3f01-460b-9b3b-5b7588f74167">The space race heats up</h2>China is now rivaling the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-beat-us-race-moon-lunar-lander-peregrine-fuel-leak-2024-1">US and Russia as a leading space power. </a>It has its own manned space station, Tiangong, and in 2022 became the second country after the US to land a robotic vehicle on the surface of Mars.Analysts believe that China's leader, Xi Jinping, sees huge economic and military opportunities in space. China is planning to send a crewed flight to the moon by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-beat-us-race-moon-lunar-lander-peregrine-fuel-leak-2024-1">2030 and build a base at the lunar south pole.</a>The US is gearing up for its own space exploration missions and has rival plans to land a crewed flight on the moon and build a base.The head of NASA, Bill Nelson, has said that the US and China are involved in a new "space race" and that China's research missions are being used for covert military activity.He said that China seems to be accelerating its plans to send a crewed flight to the moon."It is incumbent on us to get there first," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5115651/nasa-administrator-race-chine-south-pole-moon">told Congress in April.</a>At stake are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4783/1">water supplies scientists believe may be on the moon's far side</a>, which China could claim. These supplies would be vital for establishing a moon base or for further space exploration.Pentagon officials have warned that China is seeking to potentially disable US satellites if a war breaks out between them.China has insisted its space program is for the benefit of humanity.But it's also a race for control of economic resources and military power in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

China's historic moon mission is just the start of its plans to dominate space

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump says he's decided his vice presidential pick but hasn't revealed the name.</li><li>Trump hinted the chosen running mate will attend Thursday's debate against Biden.</li></ul>Donald Trump says he's already decided who his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vice-president-running-mate-power-rankings-2024-5">running mate</a> will be but that nobody else knows who it is.At a stop along the campaign trail in Philadelphia on Saturday, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-says-knows-presidential-selection-will-rcna158457">NBC News</a> asked Trump if he knows yet who he'll pick as his vice presidential candidate."In my mind, yeah," the former president answered.He said that his pick will be at the presidential debate against incumbent Joe Biden on Thursday. "They'll be there," he told NBC. "I think we have a lot of people coming."But not even the VP knows yet they've been chosen in Trump.Trump was asked if his pick knows they've been selected, and Trump responded, "No, nobody knows," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/what-donald-trump-told-us-weekend-about-his-search-running-mate">according to Fox News</a>.Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-vice-president-nominee-candidates-2024-1">has been considering</a> four top contenders for the nomination: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.Burgum and Vance have recently emerged as finalists from that list, sources told NBC News last week. Sources told the outlet that Rubio is also still a possibility, but the issue with Rubio is that either he or Trump would likely need to establish residency outside of Florida as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.history.com/news/can-the-president-and-vice-president-be-from-the-same-state">both candidates hailing from the same state </a>could pose a problem if the election is a close call.Though the mystery running mate is expected to be present at the debate, their selection will most likely not be publicly announced at or ahead of the debate, according to Trump.Trump told NBC News he plans to make the VP announcement "right around the convention," where he is expected to receive his party's formal nomination. The Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee on July 15 and runs until July 18."Maybe a little before, but could be at the convention," Trump said. "But we'll have some great people."<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Trump says he's made his veep decision in his 'mind' and the person will be at Thursday's debate      

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Joe Biden and Donald Trump are set to debate Thursday night.</li><li>Their face-off is the earliest major debate on record.</li></ul>President <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-stuck-trump-biden-2024-election-republican-democratic-primaries-2024-5">Joe Biden</a> and former President Donald Trump are set to face off Thursday night in the earliest major <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trump-presidential-debate-2020-redux-election-rules-2024-6">presidential debate</a> on record.Both men enter their first face-off of 2024 locked into a race that remains very tight. According to RealClearPolitics' polling averages, Trump holds narrow leads <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">in key swing states</a> that could decide the race.In an era where Americans watch few live events besides football, the evening offers each campaign a chance to get its message in front of millions.Here are the vital facts you need to know before Thursday night's debate.<h2 id="3f547516-bed3-4c24-b736-a67ca0274111">When is it and how can I watch it?</h2>The first presidential debate of the 2024 election is scheduled for Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. CNN will host the debate, but all major broadcast and cable networks will offer simulcasts. You can also stream the debate on Max. If you can't access the debate any of those ways, CNN is also streaming it on its website <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/live">here</a>. You don't even need a cable login.The debate will last 90 minutes.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump looks at Joe Biden during the final 2020 presidential debate" height="1667" width="2500" msid="111239535" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="293d8e15-2ccf-42c3-a734-26e5271ad255">How is this debate different?</h2>Beyond taking place in the summer, this debate will differ from any other recent memory. Instead of a live audience, Trump and Biden will square off at CNN's studios in Atlanta. There will be moderators, but both campaigns effectively killed off the bipartisan organization that has hosted debates for years. So CNN chose its anchors <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jake-tapper-bio-photos-life-journalist-and-anchor-2019-8">Jake Tapper</a> and Dana Bash.At Biden team's urging, CNN has pledged to mute the mic of the candidate who's not speaking. You might recall that in 2020, Biden asked then-President Trump, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-tells-trump-would-you-shut-up-man-debate-video-2020-9">Will you shut up man</a>?" during their raucous first debate. The first debate was considered by just about everyone involved to be an abject disaster.Trump is set to get the last word this time since Biden elected to choose his podium position after winning a coin toss. There will be no opening statements.<h2 id="861b788c-7f0a-42ca-a0e7-0cc180b74bc2">Wait, there are going to be commercials?</h2>Yes, there will be two commercial breaks. This, too, is a major departure from traditional debates.<h2 id="7ba44659-61c1-4d5a-9115-8a35d3e69148">What about fact-checking?</h2>The CNN correspondent Daniel Dale rose to fame fact-checking Trump, but don't expect him, Tapper, or Bash to chime in during the debate. David Chalian, CNN's political director, told The New York Times that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/business/media/cnn-presidential-debate.html?smid=tw-share">the debate</a> "is not the ideal arena for live fact-checking." The fact-checking will have to wait until after the debate.<div type="image" title="Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr." height="2664" width="3975" msid="111239533" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="dc474b6c-2376-42e3-a811-8d0ec36c99f7">What's Robert F. Kennedy Jr. going to be doing?</h2>It's not clear yet. We know he won't be joining the two presidents on the stage. CNN confirmed that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-robert-f-kennedy-rfk-jr-2023-7">Kennedy</a> failed to reach its twin thresholds of 15% in four selected national polls and qualifying for the requisite number of ballots in each state. The billionaire attorney and philanthropist <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-nicole-shanahan">Nicole Shanahan</a>, Kennedy's running mate, has promised "a few surprises" with their own live broadcast.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ok, cats out of the bag! If you don’t want to watch the <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> fake debate Thursday, we’ve got you covered. Plus a few surprises. Stay tuned. <a href="https://t.co/fJNslvgU4J">https://t.co/fJNslvgU4J</a>— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicoleShanahan/status/1804996908194427019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-needs-his-veep-pick-nicole-shannahan-money-2024-6">Kennedy's campaign</a> is in a critical moment. He previously announced that he raised less money in May than in any month this year, mainly due to Shanahan's decision to tap into less of her fortune. The noted vaccine skeptic is also in the thick of trying to qualify for the ballot in all 50 states.A third-party presidential hopeful hasn't made a debate stage since 1992, so Kennedy's failure is far from unprecedented.<h2 id="29723b7f-6897-4073-b4fe-9baa690e46c3">How is Trump approaching the debate?</h2>After years of suggesting Biden is too feeble to do the job, Trump has been slightly complimentary of the man who beat him in the 2020 election.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Trump on Biden: "I think he will be somebody who will be a worthy debater. I don't want to underestimate him."— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) <a href="https://twitter.com/meridithmcgraw/status/1803907842073571705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2024</a></blockquote> Republicans seem to recognize that setting the bar for Biden's performance at practically not dying on the stage is, uh, a low bar. So instead, Trump is engaged in the very traditional game of trying to shape the media narrative before the showdown begins.<h2 id="3996f1a1-d42c-4fc5-a1ea-b68eaaf59a99">What about Biden?</h2>Biden has spent days prepping for the debate at Camp David, the presidential retreat. History shows that incumbent presidents typically struggle in the first debate, a fact that both former President Barack Obama and Trump can attest to. Biden's lawyer Bob Bauer was expected to reprise his role as the former president in mock debates. The former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has prepped Democrats for general-election debates for decades, is taking time off from his new perch at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-hosts-competition-summer-travel-direct-bookings-influencers-boost-revenue-2024-5">Airbnb</a> to help as well.<h2 id="4c230e33-75f1-4862-aaa0-6437ef60af7c">What topics can we expect?</h2>Only Tapper, Bash, and a few select people at CNN know the exact questions. That being said, a few issues seem almost guaranteed to come up. Polls show that Americans have deep concerns about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-age-reference-state-of-the-union-speech-2024-2024-3">Biden's age</a>. Some national polls have also showed support for Trump dropping slightly in the wake of him becoming the first former president to be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-guilty-verdict-what-it-means-hush-money-felon-sentencing-2024-05">convicted of a felony</a>. Tapper has also grilled Republicans who, like Trump, continue to try to raise doubts about the 2020 election. The former president never directly conceded the race.Trump's comeback campaign is also surging because of views about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-us-economy-would-look-like-with-trump-biden-presidency-2024-5">US economy</a>. Traditional metrics show Biden has much to be proud of, but while inflation has cooled, voters are still angry about <a target="_blank" href="https://muse.insider.com/story/66689161074e87bb00f43440">high prices</a>. Voters are also deeply skeptical of Biden's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-border-security-biden-trump-2024-election">immigration</a> policies, one of the biggest areas of disagreement between the two presidential contenders.<h2 id="9d2105e7-2e87-48ef-8b42-8a771a19215c">Wasn't it possible there would be no debates?</h2>Yes, that was a very real possibility. In 2022, The Republican National Committee formally withdrew from the Commission on Presidential Debates after years of tensions with the organization that had organized general-election debates since 1988. It became an open question of how debates would move forward this time.Trump, who easily dispatched his primary opponents, began goading Biden into debating him anyplace and anytime. In late April, Biden told the radio host Howard Stern he would debate Trump. Weeks later, Biden's campaign delivered the final blow to the commission, confirming that Biden would not participate in any of its scheduled debates. The president's team said the debates had become too unruly and were scheduled too late in the calendar.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biden campaign: “The purpose of this letter is to provide notice that the President will not be participating in the Commission on Presidential Debates’ announced debates in 2024.” They float a different schedule: one debate in late June, one in September; VP debate in late July. <a href="https://t.co/A6fIazJSjG">pic.twitter.com/A6fIazJSjG</a>— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) <a href="https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1790733421209108665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote> Trump and Biden then quickly agreed on the CNN debate and another contest in September, operating without any help from the commission. The pair haven't agreed to a third debate. Traditionally, the commission held two formal debates and one town-hall-style debate.<h2 id="ba6971cd-1af7-4996-ba78-d3d580baca65">What's next after the debate?</h2>Both sides are set to campaign on Friday. Biden will be in North Carolina. Trump will be in Virginia, a state that hasn't gone for the GOP in a presidential election since 2004. Trump is optimistic he can expand the list of swing states.At least one more debate is on the calendar; ABC News plans to host a September 10 debate. Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's yet-to-be-named running mate are also expected to debate. They haven't settled on one network to host that debate.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Biden and Trump's first 2024 debate will be different from any other in recent memory

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democrats have made abortion and reproductive rights a central issue this year.</li><li>Senate Democrats are launching ads in key swing states attacking the GOP's anti-abortion stance.</li></ul>Democrats are putting abortion — a topic they've historically downplayed — front and center this election.The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dscc.org/news/on-second-anniversary-of-republican-supreme-court-decision-that-overturned-roe-v-wade-dscc-launches-new-ads-highlighting-senate-republicans-threat-to-reproductive-freedom-on-popular-lifesty/">announced Monday</a>, on the second anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, that it's launching an ad blitz targeting women voters in key swing states. The online ads attack the Republican agenda to limit access to reproductive care, ban abortions nationwide, and eliminate a person's right to make decisions about their bodies.The ads will appear on women-focused lifestyle websites such as Cosmopolitan.com, HarpersBazaar.com, ThePioneerWoman.com, and WellPlated.com, the committee said in a press release Monday. And they'll reach voters in 10 key swing states — Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.<div type="image" title="image of ad telling women their rights, freedoms, and health is at risk" height="250" width="300" msid="111238902" hostid="261"></div>"Senate Republicans have spent years using every tool they have to take away women's right to make our own health care decisions," Annie Lentz, a spokesperson for the Senate Democrats' campaign arm, said in the press release."The anniversary of the Republican Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade underscores the stakes of this year's Senate elections and the importance of protecting Democrats' Senate majority with the power to confirm or deny Supreme Court justices," Lentz continued. "These ads will remind voters of the threat GOP Senate candidates pose to our rights, freedoms, and health and why they must be defeated in November."The debate is no longer just about abortion — it's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/us/politics/abortion-roe-wade-pregnancy.html">become about pregnancy itself</a> and access to life-saving medical care.According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/">recent poll from Pew Research Center</a>, a record-high 63% of US adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most states — 2 points higher than the months before the Dobbs decision came down in June 2022. And a record percentage of Americans — 32% — now say they would vote for a candidate solely based on their abortion stance, <a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/645836/record-share-electorate-pro-choice-voting.aspx">according to a Gallup poll</a>.Even Republican and moderate women are increasingly evolving their views away from the traditional GOP stance of a total ban — in February, 39% said their party's views on abortion are "too extreme," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/abortion-ivf-republican-women.html">The New York Times reported</a>, citing a public opinion researcher.Democrats know the issue could be a turning point for independent voters and even some Republicans, and they're using it to their advantage.Senate Democrats have been bringing more bills focused on reproductive rights to a vote — like the "Right to IVF Act," which Republicans blocked earlier this month.And President Joe Biden has made it a central point of his 2024 reelection campaign. He's hoping that the issue of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-florida-abortion-ballot-referendum-six-week-ban-democrats-trump-2024-4">abortion can turn Florida blue this fall</a>, and he's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-abortion-top-issue-2024-biden-trump-guide">repeatedly promised to restore Roe</a>.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Democrats aren't shying away from abortion talk this election &mdash; they're capitalizing on it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Support for same-sex marriage continues to fall among Republicans, new Gallup polling shows.</li><li>Overall support for same-sex marriage has seemingly plateaued at about 70%.</li></ul>Support for same-sex marriage among Republicans <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/majority-of-republicans-now-call-same-sex-relations-immoral-gallup-2023-6">continues to slide.</a>In <a target="_blank" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646202/sex-relations-marriage-supported.aspx">new polling from Gallup</a>, just 46% of Republicans said marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as legally valid.That's down from 49% last year. Support for same-sex marriage peaked at 55% among Republicans in 2021 and 2022.Just 40% of Republicans said that same-sex marriage is morally acceptable. That's a minor change from last year but represents a steep drop from 2022 when 56% of Republicans answered in the affirmative.Gallup's polling has found that overall support for the legality of same-sex marriage in America has hovered at about 70% since 2021, largely plateauing after years of steady increase.In many ways, 2022 was a high watermark for GOP support of same-sex marriage.That year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-republican-senators-vote-for-same-sex-marriage-codification-bill-2022-11">12 Republican senators</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-again-less-gop-support-2022-12">39 House Republicans</a> voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that protected same-sex marriage amid concerns about the practice's standing after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion to the ruling that overturned Roe that he believed the court's precedent on same-sex marriage <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justice-thomas-said-the-court-should-reconsider-rulings-on-same-sex-marriage-2022-6">should be revisited</a>.Since then, Republicans have waged a culture war against portions of the LGBTQ+ movement, focusing in particular on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-senators-jd-vance-criminalize-transgender-care-minors-2023-7">access to gender-affirming care</a> for transgender people.At times, that movement has spilled over into broader attacks on Pride Month and gay people in general."I think people are conflating same-sex rights with transgender rights, and they are very different issues," Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, one of the Republicans who voted for the same-sex-marriage bill, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-approval-gay-relationships-decline-senators-conflation-trans-2023-6">told Business Insider</a> last year.Mike Johnson, who has a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/charles-moran-log-cabin-republicans-mike-johnson-lgbtq-2023-11">history of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights</a>, was elected speaker by House Republicans last fall. One of the three speaker candidates who failed to win before him — Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota — lost in part due to his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tom-emmers-pro-gay-marriage-vote-may-have-cost-him-the-speakership-2023-10">support for the Respect for Marriage Act.</a>Yet Johnson hasn't taken aim at same-sex marriage in his new position, and over the weekend, he campaigned for a gay Republican candidate in a New York swing seat.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We have the support of <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeJohnson</a>, House Leadership, and thousands of New Yorkers in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NY18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NY18</a>. The commonsense wave is coming to Washington. Help us get there!! <a href="https://t.co/CueIJNlzpq">https://t.co/CueIJNlzpq</a> <a href="https://t.co/acc3VAalBb">pic.twitter.com/acc3VAalBb</a>— Alison Esposito (@EspositoforNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/EspositoforNY/status/1804936376821125239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2024</a></blockquote><meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

GOP support for same-sex marriage keeps dropping

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China officially says that supporting Taiwan's independence can be a crime.</li><li>Punishments include prison sentences of more than 10 years and even the death penalty.</li></ul>China on Friday outlined a list of behaviors that it defines as criminal acts related to supporting Taiwan's independence, saying punishments may go as far as the death penalty.Top legal bodies in the country — including its Supreme Court, national prosecutors, and three government ministries — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spp.gov.cn/xwfbh/wsfbt/202406/t20240621_657405.shtml#2">jointly issued a statement</a> telling courts and prosecutors at all levels in China to "severely punish 'Taiwan independence' diehards."These are China's first official guidelines designating support for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-warning-companies-supporting-financing-taiwan-independence-2021-11">Taiwan's independence</a> as a crime, underscoring how Beijing is hardening its stance toward the self-governed island.Taiwan declaring independence has long been a red line set by Beijing.Broad definitions of the crimes include promoting the idea of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" and creating an organization that tries to attain Taiwan's independence. Relying on "foreign forces" and institutions to achieve independence was also listed.Notably, the list criminalizes public attempts to undermine the concept that Taiwan is part of China in the "fields of education, culture, history, news media, etc."The punishments include prison sentences or detention of up to 10 years, with that limit removed for those leading organizations that try to help Taiwan secede.Crimes deemed "particularly heinous" may carry the death penalty, the authorities added.The new guidelines come just a month after Taiwan's new president, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taiwan-election-president-william-lai-ching-te-xi-china-hates-2024-1">Lai Ching-te</a>, assumed office on May 20.Lai's political faction, the Democratic Progressive Party, has focused heavily on resisting China, and his securing of power this year has prompted a building wave of aggressive posturing from Beijing.When Lai took office in May, the Chinese military <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-military-drills-near-taiwan-send-new-president-a-message-2024-5">conducted live-fire exercises around Taiwan</a>. China has also continually issued public statements and scenario videos <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-hype-video-for-mass-taiwan-attack-flexes-missile-forces-2024-5">hinting at how it may attack the island.</a>China has no legal jurisdiction in Taiwan, but recommendations like the one issued on Friday are likely to put a further dampener on Taiwanese business. Taipei has already been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/02/08/2003813242">dropping support for long-standing tourism programs to China</a>, citing worries that it may not be safe for its people to travel to the mainland.And Taiwanese investment in China, which was on the rise in the late 2000s, has plummeted to its lowest levels since 2001.In 2023, new spending in China from Taiwan dropped nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-16/taiwan-measure-of-investment-into-china-hits-two-decade-low">40% to $3.06 billion</a> despite the island reporting investment highs of $26.6 billion that year.Meanwhile, its companies rapidly expanded investment in the US from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $9.7 billion the next year.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

China is greenlighting possible death penalties for 'diehard' supporters of Taiwan gaining independence

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President Joe Biden has struggled to make his infrastructure success resonate with voters.</li><li>Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told the Times that many voters simply aren't plugged into DC.</li></ul>When Gretchen Whitmer first ran for the Michigan governorship in 2018, she pledged to "fix the damn roads."The slogan stuck and was a big part of Whitmer's winning campaign that year. So she knows a lot about effective political messaging.In a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/22/magazine/gretchen-whitmer-interview.html">interview with The New York Times</a>, Whitmer was asked why President Joe Biden has so far struggled to earn widespread credit for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">$1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a> among voters.Her response? Voters have been worn out by the pandemic and many just haven't been tuned in to what's happening in Washington."I think the pandemic's taken a toll. People are stressed out," Whitmer told the Times. "They're just trying to pay the grocery bill, get the kids off to school, show up at their job, and maybe get a little bit of sleep at night. They're not consuming everything."Whitmer, a cochair of Biden's reelection campaign and a figure often touted as a potential <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-reelection-democrats-harris-newsom-whitmer-klobuchar-booker-cooper-moore-2024-2">2028</a> presidential candidate, remarked that Democrats have to go out and effectively speak with voters about the merits of the infrastructure overhaul and laws like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chips-act-bill-to-boost-us-chipmaking-competition-with-china-2022-7">CHIPS Act</a> — which was crafted to turbocharge semiconductor manufacturing in the United States."We've got to tell that story better," the governor added.Biden counts the infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 as one of his crowning political achievements.But voters in recent surveys have only given him a slight edge on the issue compared to Trump — who floated infrastructure reforms numerous times during his presidency but failed to produce a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ceos-business-leaders-tax-cuts-regulations-infrastructure">concrete framework</a> for lawmakers.In a Politico-Morning Consult poll conducted in April, 40% of registered voters said Biden had done more on <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/poll-biden-infrastructure-clean-energy-laws-00155717">infrastructure upgrades and job creation</a>, while 37% of respondents selected Trump.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Gretchen Whitmer says Biden isn't getting credit for the infrastructure law because voters are 'stressed out'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen Z pays more in housing costs than millennials did a decade ago, according to WaPo.</li><li>In an economy battered by inflation, higher costs have created economic uncertainty for Gen Z.</li></ul>During the Great Recession and much of the 2010s, millennials bore the brunt of one of the biggest economic upheavals in generations.A tough job market — where layoffs and high unemployment sidelined many budding careers — defined the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-money-financial-economic-trauma-recession-student-debt-inflation-2022-2">earliest stages of adulthood</a> for many millennials.More than a decade after the Great Recession and over four years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Z is now enduring its own economic challenges.Gen Z is spending more on housing and car insurance than their millennial counterparts did at the same age, and the younger generation is also holding more debt than millennials did, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/06/22/gen-z-millennials-debt-inflation/">according to The Washington Post</a>.The newspaper reported that Gen Z workers are more likely to have attended college and earn higher pay than millennials, but debt is weighing them down: About 1 in 7 Gen Zers have hit their credit card limits."Gen Z consumers have seen their finances significantly impacted by the pandemic and its aftermath, even more so than the challenges faced by millennials as a result of the global financial crisis," TransUnion US research head Michele Raneri told the Post. "Both of these cohorts have emerged from a difficult financial situation, but Gen Z is having a harder time affording this new cost of living."These findings are significant as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both fight for Gen Z votes ahead of the November election.<h2 id="b8f6cb46-cd3c-40e6-9e1c-a71f25217d10">Spending more and more</h2>Gen Z is spending 31% more on housing costs compared to what millennials paid 10 years ago, a figure which also factors in inflation, according to the Post.According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, car insurance costs increased more than twofold for Americans aged 16 to 24 between 2012 and 2022, and health insurance costs spiked 46% for this group during the same time span.Debt accounted for 16% of Gen Z income at the end of 2023, whereas debt among millennials only accounted for 12% 10 years ago, the Post reported.Gen Z has seen an economic recovery since the throes of the pandemic, buoyed by a 4% unemployment rate. But with higher costs taking out a large chunk of their salaries, many Gen Z workers feel like they're falling behind.<div type="image" title="Biden Trump" height="1500" width="3000" msid="111212871" hostid="261"></div><h2 id="bd62f494-789b-4efe-bbc8-8b21f1e72225">Biden v. Trump redux</h2>In 2020, young voters overwhelmingly supported Biden. That year, the president carried <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/30/behind-bidens-2020-victory/">voters aged 18 to 29</a> by 24 points (59% to 35%) over Trump, according to Pew Research.During that cycle, the leading issues among young voters included the economy, student-loan forgiveness, reproductive rights, climate change, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequality.This year, Gen Z has once again prioritized the economy as a defining issue of the election. And Biden — already struggling with younger voters over the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-gaza-ceasefire-morehouse-college-graduation-black-young-voters-2024-5">conflict in Gaza</a> — will have to craft a persuasive defense of his policies to ensure their support.In the latest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/13/us/elections/times-siena-poll-registered-voter-crosstabs.html">New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College swing-state poll</a> conducted in late April and early May, 18% of registered voters aged 18 to 29 listed the economy as their top issue.This age group was the most pessimistic of any generation regarding the economy: 59% rated it as "poor," while 32% rated it as "only fair." About 7% of registered voters said the economy was "good."Only 1% of registered voters aged 18 to 29 rated the economy as "excellent."Trump is campaigning in cities like New York and Philadelphia to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biden-philadelphia-pennsylvania-rally-black-swing-voters-2024-6">make inroads</a> with younger and more infrequent voters to cut into the Democratic margins that are key for Biden.The struggles of Gen Z — whether it's high rents or elevated insurance costs — are poised to be a defining issue for the Biden and Trump campaigns during this critical summer stretch. And whoever finds a way to address Gen Z concerns and craft potential solutions effectively will likely emerge as the presidential victor in November.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Gen Z pays more for housing and has more debt than millennials did 10 years ago. That will likely impact the presidential race.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump said he proposed a "migrant league of fighters" to UFC president Dana White.</li><li>Trump shared his idea at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's conference in Washington.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> told an audience on Saturday that he had pitched a "migrant league of fighters" to the head of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ufc">Ultimate Fighting Championship</a> (UFC), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/dana-white">Dana White</a>.Trump was speaking to Christian conservatives at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference in Washington."Did anyone ever hear of Dana White?" Trump said at the event. "He's a legend, right?""I said, 'Dana, I have an idea," the former president continued. "Why don't you set up a migrant league of fighters and have your regular league of fighters, and then you have the champion of your league — these are the greatest fighters in the world — fight the champion of the migrants. I think the migrant guy might win; that's how tough they are.""He didn't like that idea too much, but actually it's not the worst idea I've ever had," he added.President Joe Biden's campaign reacted quickly to criticize the former president's comments."Fitting that convicted felon Donald Trump spent his time at a religious conference threatening to round up Latinos, bragging about ripping away Americans' freedoms, and promising to be even more extreme if he regains power," Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/SarafinaChitika/status/1804622153939398726">said</a>."Trump's incoherent, unhinged tirade showed voters in his own words that he is a threat to our freedoms and is too dangerous to be let anywhere near the White House again," she added.When asked about Trump's comments, White, who has led the UFC since 2001, said: "It was a joke.""I saw everybody going crazy online. But yeah, he did say it," he added.Trump has put immigration at the core of his policies since his 2016 presidential campaign and has frequently criticized Biden over the topic in his latest run for the White House.During his speech at the Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition, Trump repeated a number of dehumanizing terms he has previously used about migrants while campaigning, saying they were "nasty, mean," and "tough."In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-highlight-murder-michigan-woman-immigration-speech-2024-04-02/">speech in Michigan</a> at the beginning of April, the former president also referred to migrants as "animals" and "not human" as he ramped up his focus on border issues.Business Insider contacted the Trump campaign for comment.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

Trump says he proposed a 'migrant league of fighters' to UFC head Dana White: 'It's not the worst idea I've ever had'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some of the biggest Supreme Court cases this term remain outstanding.</li><li>A case concerning Donald Trump could become one of the nation's most important rulings.</li></ul>The Supreme Court has yet to address cases that could affect former President Donald Trump's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-key-cases-civil-criminal-investigations-lawsuits-updates-2022-7">criminal prosecutions </a>and the future of the presidency itself, the power of federal agencies that have existed for decades, and abortion rights in a post-Roe world.The nation's highest court typically wraps up its business by the end of June, but court watchers count roughly a dozen major pending decisions. Some of those expected rulings, particularly those applying to Trump, could upend the 2024 election.With that in mind, here are five major cases that we're looking out for.<h2 id="42559479-7ec6-474c-ba1a-74e45e074ad3">Trump v. United States: The Trump immunity case</h2>The implications for Trump alone made this the most closely-watched case this term. But the high court's ruling will likely stretch far beyond him, potentially making this one of the most important cases in the nation's history. As Justice Neil Gorsuch said during <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-trump-immunity-case-january-6-2024-4">oral arguments</a>, the court may write "a rule for the ages."The former president has requested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-appeals-hearing-lawyer-argues-president-rival-assassinated-congress-2024-1">sweeping immunity</a> from criminal prosecutions that touch the outermost reaches of a president's job. Oral arguments illustrated that while Trump is unlikely to get everything he desires, some justices were receptive to his fear that leaving the door open to prosecution could hamstring presidents.In contrast, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justice-jackson-trump-immunity-oval-office-criminial-activity-supreme-court-2024-4">Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson </a>warned that the Oval Office could become "the seat of criminal activity in this country" if justices go too far in protecting former presidents from criminal prosecution.Trump has already likely won, no matter what the justices decide. The immunity question <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-georgia-election-interference-fani-willis-appeals-court-2024-5">has delayed</a> Special Counsel Jack Smith's January 6-related prosecution against him. It's difficult to see how Smith will get a trial before Election Day.<div type="image" title="capitol riot january 6" height="1666" width="2500" msid="111207462" hostid="261" sizebytes="414688"></div><h2 id="52414116-2a27-4117-8cdc-d606d00a0896">Fischer v. United States: A potential lifeline for January 6 rioters</h2>Justices could disrupt Trump's prosecution and hundreds of others <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-obstruction-case-donald-trump-january-6-riot-2023-12">connected to January 6</a>, depending on how they rule in the case brought by a former Pennsylvania police officer.Joseph Fischer's lawyers argue that federal prosecutors have stretched a post-Enron collapse law too far in using it to charge Fischer and over 350 others in connection with the Capitol riot. At issue is whether prosecutors adequately applied the law when they charged rioters with obstructing an official proceeding due to the fact that Congress was forced to halt its constitutionally mandated certification of the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021.During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts joined some of the court's other conservatives in expressing skepticism about the Biden administration's defense that the provision of the 2002 law in question could be considered a catch-all.Smith's team has separately argued that their case against Trump should be unaffected even if justices narrow what prosecutors can charge as obstruction of an official proceeding. As The Washington Post pointed out, some already convicted of January 6-related offenses have been released early ahead of a ruling in the case.<h2 id="75aca988-a65b-4f99-bdc6-2740b130920b">Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo: A tiny fish could change American life as we know it</h2>The federal government has for decades regulated everything from the environment to consumer safety based on the Supreme Court's precedent that judges must defer to agencies like the EPA and FDA regarding their reasonable interpretations of vague laws.This administrative law principle, known as Chevron deference, is rooted in the Supreme Court's 1984 landmark decision in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., which could be overturned or curtailed. Business groups have fought to kill the ruling for decades. There are potentially billions at stake depending on the outcome of the case.Justices heard oral arguments in a case brought by commercial fishermen about a rule requiring them to pay for monitors that track potential overfishing. A lower court upheld the rule for Atlantic herring based on Chevron deference.The Biden administration has warned that gutting Chevron deference entirely could spark a major shock. Justice Elena Kagan said during oral arguments that 70 Supreme Court rulings and more than 17,000 lower-court decisions have relied on Chevron.<div type="image" title="Doctors advocate against an Idaho abortion ban outside of the Supreme Court" height="683" width="1024" msid="111207464" hostid="261" sizebytes="94248"></div><h2 id="a83b0a9b-692a-4c44-82b9-a6979f5f3d73">Moyle v. United States: A major abortion rights dispute in a post-Roe world</h2>Justices are weighing whether decades-old law governing hospitals that receive federal funds supersede Idaho's near-total abortion ban. The two cases at issue mark the first time the high court has considered a single-state ban passed in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark 2022 ruling, the overturned Roe.Lawyers for Idaho argued that if the Biden administration has its way, the federal government will find ways to undermine state laws restricting abortion access."There are 22 states with abortion laws on the books," Joshua Turner, who argued in defense of Idaho's law, said at the end of his oral argument. "This isn't going to end with Idaho. This question is going to come up in state after state."The Biden administration has argued that The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the law in question, should override Idaho's ban by allowing doctors to perform emergency abortions still. The state law only allows for abortions unless the mother's life is in jeopardy.Justice Elena Kagan highlighted how some patients have been airlifted to states where abortion remains legal as a result of the state's ban.<div type="image" title="Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton waves in a suit in front of an oversized American flag" height="2606" width="4048" msid="111207460" hostid="261" sizebytes="381566"></div><h2 id="dac18f3f-1537-4280-b13f-3e1503e26a22">NetChoice LLC v. Paxton: Red-state social media moderation</h2>Republican-led states, including Texas and Florida, have sought to restrict social media platforms from moderating political content. Industry groups sued to block the laws, arguing that tech giants have a First Amendment right to determine what to allow on their platforms.Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's law, which is targeted in a related case, which would fine companies if they banned active candidates for office from their platforms. Florida also made it easier for users to sue social media platforms if they feel they have been targeted for moderation, according to The Washington Post.Court watchers left oral arguments predicting that justices across the ideological spectrum would strike down the laws, but the exact future of the GOP-led effort to punish tech companies on the belief that they are biased against conservatives remains uncertain.<meta content="cms.next" name="cmsei" />

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Republicans want you to think Biden's on drugs at the debate because they've set expectations too low for him

Bryan Metzger