The Heir of His Ways

Murdoch Succession, Joe Steps Aside

All politics is local. And with our current divides, it can be as local as one's own dinner table. So in some ways, the political divide in the Murdoch family isn't that different from any other. But in most ways, it's very different. Some families fight about politics. Some family fights shape politics. The lastest chapter in the Successionesque family drama: Rupert Murdoch wants to make sure his political leanings drive the news at his media properties long after he dies. That leaves the current family trust with some major daddy issues. "The trust currently hands control of the family business to the four oldest children when Mr. Murdoch dies. But he is arguing in court that only by empowering Lachlan to run the company without interference from his more politically moderate siblings can he preserve its conservative editorial bent, and thus protect its commercial value for all his heirs." (This is the first time we've associated the word trust with Murdoch news orgs.) NYT (Gift Article): The Secret Battle for the Future of the Murdoch Empire. "Mr. Murdoch has called his effort to change the trust Project Harmony because he hoped that it might head off a looming family struggle when he dies, according to a person with knowledge of the family. But it has had the opposite effect." (So has Fox News.)

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No Ordinary Joe

"I revere this office, but I love my country more." And with that, Joe Biden gave an Oval Office address that listed his accomplishments and described the stakes of the upcoming election. It's true that Biden did not step down without a lot of pushing, but this was still a remarkably unusual political act for a person who holds the most powerful position in the world. And the contrast he set up with his former opponent couldn't be more striking. David Frum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Dramatic Contrast of Biden’s Last Act. "By demonstrating that he cared about something higher than personal ambition, the president became more credible when he accused his chief opponent of caring for nothing other than personal ambition. By surrendering the power that he’d once hoped to keep, Biden condemned by contrast the predecessor who clung to the power he’d lost. Biden’s July 24 rebuked Trump’s January 6." As I explained earlier this week, Biden is now the Democratic Party’s Yoda. No one ever complained about Yoda’s wrinkles, age, ponderous pauses, or unusual speech patterns. At political rallies, Biden will be greeted like a heroic, conquering king … precisely because he chose not to be one.

+ With Biden's departure comes Kamala's ascent. And with that, as I explained yesterday, comes racism and misogyny. It's The Racism, Stupid.

My designer Bryan Bell and I decided to punctuate this long political week with a new T-shirt. Comma La!!!

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The Art of the Dealer

"Such deals are astonishingly easy – and reveal how drug traffickers are eluding efforts to halt the deadly trade behind the fentanyl crisis." Reuters investigated just how easy the deals are to make: We bought everything needed to make $3 million worth of fentanyl. All it took was $3,600 and a web browser.

+ Secret DEA files show agents joked about rape in a WhatsApp chat. Then one of them was accused of it.

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A Dry Run

"The men and women ranging in age from 19 to 69 and hailing from 21 countries and 26 U.S. states were running amid daytime temperatures as high as 120 degrees." First runners reach the finish in the annual Death Valley ultramarathon called the world's toughest.

+ Conditions out there can get a little rough... Death Valley heat melts skin off a man's feet after he lost his flip-flops in the dunes. "To make matters worse, the temperatures made the air too thin for a helicopter to fly in and help him."

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Extra, Extra

Get a Little Bit Softer Now: "America’s economy is about to stick what’s called a “soft landing,” which is when inflation returns to the Fed’s target without a recession — a feat that’s only happened once, during the 1990s, according to some economists." The US economy is pulling off something historic. The economy's growth is excellent. The tech sector's stock week? Not so much. US stocks see biggest drop in two years on tech selloff.

+ Encamp Out: "Newsom’s order is aimed at the thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, clutter shopping center parking lots and fill city parks. The order makes clear that the decision to remove the encampments remains in local hands." Gavin Newsom issues executive order for removal of homeless encampments in California.

+ Pro Hamas Protests: Protesting Netanyahu is one thing (I do it here regularly). But the vile, pro-Hamas garbage in DC was sick. Kamala Harris condemns pro-Hamas protesters who burned American flag in D.C.

+ Bullet Points: "There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear." Ultimately, it probably doesn't matter whether it was a bullet or other debris that injured Trump's ear. But it's par of the course that even the FBI can't trust the information they're getting from Trump.

+ Photo Finish: "Above the famous resort of Zermatt, the Riffelsee lake is more than picture perfect. Not only can you see the iconic Matterhorn in all its glory, you can capture its reflection in the glacial waters of the lake." And yup, now the Swiss are trying to come up with ways to limit the Instagrammers from overrunning it.

+ Flight Delay: This week, millions of people experienced air travel delays. But none quite like this. NASA says no return date yet for astronauts and troubled Boeing capsule at space station.

+ Portion Control Group: "There was never a directive to provide less to our customers. With that said, getting the feedback caused us to relook at our execution across our entire system with the intention to always serve our guests delicious, fresh custom burritos and bowls with generous portions." In a win for obsessive eaters and social media addicts (or as I like to call that group, Us), Chipotle is re-emphasizing generous portions. (I've been re-emphasizing them my whole life...)

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Bottom of the News

And just in case you were worried our political discourse couldn't get any weirder, there's this: The Associated Press removes a fact-check claiming JD Vance has not had sex with a couch. (That doesn't change the fact that, under his policies, the couch has more healthcare rights than half of Americans.)