Sponge Cake 😱 ✡️🌻😱 🚀🚢 🏀

The Weekend That Was: First the high point: the awesome NY Knicks won in five, the ticker tape parade down the NYC Canyon of Heroes is on Thursday. Now for the rest. Trump who saw twenty-one medical specialists during his recent “annual” physical turned eighty.  His rain delayed ultimate fighting let them eat cake birthday spectacle including sweaty men and scantily dressed women, took place at the White House.  One of the fighters that Trump had specifically invited to participate called former first lady Michele Obama a man and then put a medal around a smiling Trump’s neck which is about as much as anyone needs to know about the 💩 show hosted by the 💩tiest and most embarrassing leader we’ve ever had. Moving on, Trump announced that the war with Iran is over, spoiler alert we did not win.  No one seems to know what is in the so-called unseen framework or memorandum of understanding with Iran that is now scheduled to be signed on Friday, despite earlier assertions that it would be signed yesterday.  Though there have been lots of claims that Iran has agreed to give up its nuclear program, the nuke part is to be worked out over the next sixty days, sixty days being Trump’s new two weeks.  Supposedly the Strait of Hormuz which was open before the war started and that War/Beer Pete said we never lost control of even though we most certainly did, will be reopened and toll free by week’s end.  Though Israel giving up on attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon is part of the agreement, Netanyahu, who has morphed from being Trump’s BFF to his punching bag has not agreed to do so. It’s also not clear how much money Iran will get for this deal, but it is likely they’ll get some funds “unfrozen,” maybe more than the amount that Obama got skewered for “unfreezing.” However, it’s also fair to believe that whatever Trump agrees to, he will say his deal is way better than Obama’s because of course he will. The real bottom line is that no one really knows what’s in the memorandum of understanding probably because it’s not finalized.  Also, no one knows if it the ceasefire will stick.

People: Former Senate leader Mitch McConnell is in the hospital where his spokesman says he is receiving “excellent” care whatever that means. Whether that care involves life support or something more pedestrian has not been disclosed but given that the 84-year-old Mitch has been struggling of late, his hospitalization is likely related to something serious. Kentucky’s legislature passed a law in 2024 stripping the state’s Governor of the right to appoint replacement Senators, largely because the current Governor is Andy Beshear, a Democrat, so if McConnell passes a new Senator will be selected by a special election.  McConnell has been critical of Trump but for the most part has voted with him so his absence might make it a little more difficult for Trump to get his replacement cabinet appointees confirmed, or at the very least it might mean that a few vulnerable Republicans like Maine’s Susan Collins aren’t given their usual election year passes to vote no.  Among those who will need to be confirmed are Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche, DNI nominee Jay Clayton, and another one of Trump’s lawyers, James McDonald who Trump just nominated to replace Clayton as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  McDonald, a Sullivan and Cromwell partner, is currently representing Trump in his pending appeal of his felony convictions related to his Stormy Daniels hush money payments. Curiously, there has also been some twitter chatter about RFK leaving after the fourth of July but that could just be someone’s pipe dream.  

Primaries:  Tomorrow is primary day in Alabama, Georgia, Washington DC, and Oklahoma.  Georgia’s election involves runoffs for the races where no candidate received 50% of the vote in the earlier state primary.  One of those races is for the Republican candidate for Senate where Trump just endorsed MAGA congressman Mike Collins over the former University Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley who is term limited Governor Brian Kemp’s choice.  The winner will face Democratic darling du jour Jon Ossoff in November in what was supposed to be a pick-up opportunity for Republicans but is increasingly looking to result in Ossoff’s reelection. In the Georgia governor race Kemp and Trump have both endorsed Lt Governor Burt Jones who is up against billionaire businessman Rick Jackson.  The winner will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Mayor of Atlanta in November.  Trump is threatening to take over Washington DC if Janeese Lewis George, who describes herself as a democratic socialist wins her primary. She is currently leading in the polls.  Early voting has begun in New York for its June 23 primary. If you are a NYC resident and you aren’t registered as a Democrat, you’ve screwed up because NY primaries are closed meaning that you only get to vote if you are registered in a party.  Being an independent or a Republican might make you feel good, but it renders your vote worthless because with the exception of Staten Island the winner of each of the competitive NYC Democratic primary races will cruise to victory in November’s general election. Again, if you want to have a say in New York City’s local politics or in any blue NYS districts you really should be registered as a Democrat.  Registering Democrat doesn’t mean that you give up your right to vote for a Republican or anyone else in November, but it does give you a say. You can always change your party affiliation later.  It’s too late for this cycle, but it’s not too late for future state, local, and federal elections. Please share that message with your friends and those turning eighteen because while you can complain all you want about election outcomes you don’t like, if you don’t register in your area’s dominant party and vote in primaries you are part of the problem.    

More 💩:  Trump’s name has been taken off of the Kennedy Performing Arts Center or at least that’s what the Trump administration has told the courts. The center is now shrouded in a tarp that looks like it may be permanent because if Trump can’t have his name on the building, he doesn’t want us to see the name that remains. Keep an eye on the Supreme Court because decisions in some important cases are expected shortly. The White House is convinced that the NY Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have gotten hold of tapes of the Epstein related conversations that were held in the situation room and possible in other parts of the White House because their reports are so accurate. And Elon Musk is now a trillionaire. If you have any money in an equity mutual fund, you probably own some of his newly issued Space X shares too but just to be clear you are not a trillionaire or even a billionaire as a result.