Day: July 3, 2024

Witnesses may testify for business owner accused of bribing Sen. Menendez  News 12 New Jersey

Armenia Genocide Mention Costs Turkey Radio Station Its Licence  Barron’s

NATO to finance €40 bln in military assistance to Ukraine for 2025  Militarnyi

Zelensky Allegedly Considering Firing PM Shmyhal  Kyiv Post

Plus: Opponents of Marine Le Pen withdraw third-place candidates from some races to prevent her far-right party from controlling the French parliament. Southwest Airlines adopts a poison pill plan to fend off activist investor Elliott Investment Management. J.R. Whalen reports.

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(NewsNation) — The White House is pushing back on claims that President Joe Biden is considering dropping out of the presidential race.

A New York Times report cited an ally of the president, who said that Biden is weighing whether he should bow out of the race if upcoming interviews and appearances don’t do enough to soothe voter fears in the wake of the presidential debate.

Democrats sounded the alarm bells after Biden’s debate performance, where he appeared to be confused at times, re-igniting concerns that he is too old to serve another term. Biden has attempted to recover in public appearances, but some Democrats have begun publicly calling for him to step aside and cede the ticket to another candidate.

White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates said on X the reports were false, tweeting “this claim is absolutely false and if we had been given more than 7 minutes we could have communicated this before it was publicized.”

On Wednesday, Biden is set to have a private meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and is also set to have a last-minute meeting with Democratic governors. That meeting is said to include several who have been named as potential replacements, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Other top Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have made comments suggesting they are open to putting another candidate on the ticket.

The Biden campaign has repeatedly pushed back on those who were disappointed in his debate performance, continuing to insist Biden is fit to run and serve a second term. Polling numbers show voters may be less convinced, the president falling behind former President Donald Trump in recent polls.

If Biden does decide to step aside or Democrats launch a push to replace him at the party convention this August, it could be a complicated process.

Biden faced no meaningful challenges during the primary, which means a majority of state delegates are already pledged to support him. While it’s not a strict requirement for delegates to adhere to the primary results of their state, it’s expected that they “in good conscience” represent the wishes of voters.

Should Biden step aside voluntarily, it’s not entirely clear what would happen with delegates already pledged to him. If he were to suggest a preference for a replacement, it’s likely that would carry heavy weight with the party.

The president is set to have several appearances and interviews in the coming days, which could prove critical when it comes to determining if he will still top the ticket in November.

(The Hill) — Inflation concerns are hitting the holiday table, with average Fourth of July cookout costs expected to soar to their highest level ever, according to new research.

This year’s American Farm Bureau Fourth of July market basket survey found that the average cost of summer cookout staples — fixings needed to feast on cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, potato chips, pork and beans, fresh strawberries, homemade potato salad, fresh-squeezed lemonade, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream — for a gathering of 10 people will set revelers back $71.22, up 5 percent from last year and up 30 percent from five years ago.

The figure has topped $7 per person for the first time ever.

The Independence Day grocery bill is in line with the increased inflation that has hit consumers over the past year.

The Farm Bureau’s experts estimate that 2 pounds of ground beef will cost an average of $12.77, an increase of about a dollar, or 11 percent, from last year. That comes despite the number of fed cattle in the supply chain this spring being higher than last year.

The overall cattle inventory is the smallest it has been in 73 years, however, and beef in cold storage is setting record lows for recent years, the bureau estimates.

Certain animal welfare laws, such as California’s Proposition 12 — which requires farmers to give their livestock a certain amount of space to graze — have also affected the supply. This is the first year that the law has been in full effect, per the bureau.

The change has had a notable impact on pork chops prices, which are up 8 percent nationally compared to last year — or about $15.49 for three pounds. Meanwhile, pork chop prices in California were about $19.91 for 3 pounds.

Another rising factor is the recent spread of the infectious avian flu (bird flu), which hit more than 40 cattle herds across the country with the virus. The bird flu has also contributed to the rising prices of poultry and eggs.

Researchers also pointed to the drop in farm income, which decreased by 17 percent last year. Another decrease is expected in 2024, with experts estimating another 25 percent drop, per the survey.

“Combined with weather uncertainty and volatile commodity prices, farmers and ranchers are vulnerable to significant impacts to their businesses’ bottom line,” experts wrote. “Higher food prices do not equal higher income for farmers; less than 15 cents of every dollar spent on food goes to the farm once you take into account processing, transportation and marketing.”

Still, consumer prices as a whole have not risen significantly in recent months, and the annual inflation rate came slower than expected in May, per recent data from the Labor Department.

В Китае начата разработка и тестирование беспилотника, похожего на иранский Shahed, пишет Bloomberg. Дроны готовятся отправить в Россию.