Good Wednesday morning! The calls for Biden to withdraw from presidential race are getting louder inside his own party ; Jeffrey Epstein grand jury documents released by Florida judge; and a look ahead on major elections around the 🌍

 

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Good morning,

It’s supposed to be a hot one across the East and West coasts this holiday, while the Ohio River Valley and the Northern Plains are supposed to be wet. But can we trust the predictions? A new Washington Post analysis looks at the accuracy of forecasts.

• It finds that coastal regions are easier to forecast because the ocean acts like a giant thermal regulator; while in the middle of the country, warm and cold air masses from the north and south can meet and cause unpredictable temperature swings.

• Good news: In all, there are fewer errors over the past decades.

  

  Errors have dropped. Via: Washington Post.

Have a great holiday!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

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Special Offer: 3 months free for an annual membership with the code stayinformed at mo.news/premium

📌 DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS ARE STARTING TO TURN AGAINST BIDEN

Nearly a week after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, criticism from his own party keeps growing. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) became the first sitting Democrat on Tuesday to openly say Biden should withdraw his candidacy.

It comes as new polling shows most voters — including Democrats — think the Democratic Party is more likely to keep the White House without Biden on the ticket.

WHAT LAWMAKERS ARE SAYING
It took about five days for the unity to fade. No sitting lawmakers in the House, Senate, and governors’ offices had openly called for Biden to go…but the dam appears about to burst.

• Doggett wrote that Biden “has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process." And says Biden should “make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.”

• There are apparently 25 additional House Democrats who are ready to call for Biden to withdraw from the race if they don’t get some reassurances soon.

• Also yesterday, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) criticized Biden’s "campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion."

• Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) told CNN that Biden must “be honest with himself” about how his performance can impact “not just his race but all the other [Democrat’s] races coming in November.”

• Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, who is in a competitive re-election fight herself, is choosing not to campaign with Biden when he heads to her state Friday.

THE NUMBERS
A new CNN poll shows that voters across the board think Democrats have a better shot without Biden. Just looking at Democrats, 56% agree Biden stepping aside would give the party a better shot — 43% say the party stands a better chance with him.

• Biden’s approval rating hit a new low following the debate (36%). And the poll still has him losing to Trump, who would get 49% of votes to Biden’s 43% (though, that’s the same number as before the debates).

  

  New CNN poll shows that VP Harris now does best against Trump.

• A better bet for Democrats? Well, polling finds Vice President Kamala Harris. In a hypothetical vote between her and Trump, he gets 47% and she’s at 45%.

  • That’s more than other names being tossed around: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (47% Trump to 43% Buttigieg), California Gov. Gavin Newsom (48% Trump to 43% Newsom), and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (47% Trump to 42% Whitmer).

What’s Next: Despite pleas from Democrats to conduct a press conference and answer questions in a live, unscripted setting, the White House has so far resisted putting Biden out there. All appearances since the debate have so far involved a teleprompter.

His next major test will come in a taped sit-down interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos this Friday (8 days after the debate).

In the interim, Biden is set to have a private lunch with VP Harris and hold a meeting with concerned Democratic governors later today.

We are covering it all 24/7, including the incredible leaks from inside the White House from Biden staff, on Mo News Premium Instagram all week. Join today! [Code: stayinformed for 3 months off annual memberships]

📑 EPSTEIN’S 2006 GRAND JURY DOCS SHOWS LENIENT PROSECUTION

We are getting a closer look at what a grand jury heard before Jeffrey Epstein’s 2008 extremely lenient deal with prosecutors, that allowed him to abuse young women for another decade. On Monday, a Florida judge released the transcripts from Epstein’s 2006 criminal case.

The long sought-after records show that prosecutors painted two young girls— who Epstein sexually abused as minors— as criminals rather than victims.

THE TESTIMONY
18 years ago, a grand jury heard from the two alleged victims, two police officers and an investigator with the state's attorney's office in less than four hours.

• A 15-year-old testified that Epstein, then in his 50s, molested her at age 14 and another person said Epstein raped her the day before she turned 18.

  • Epstein paid them, which the prosecution focused on — asking the girls, “You understand that you in effect were committing prostitution yourself?” and "You aware that you committed a crime?"

    • The 15-year-old replied, "Now I am. I didn't know it was a crime when I was doing it. Now, I guess it's prostitution or something like that."

• Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek asked the investigator about the girls’ Myspace accounts and “provocative photos” they had posted.

• The grand jury indicted Epstein on only a single charge of solicitation of prostitution, not mentioning the minor victims.

WHY THEY WOULD DO THAT
Epstein cut a deal with prosecutors two years later, pleading guilty to state prostitution crimes.

• He spent 13 months in jail, but left for 12 hours a day, six days a week for a work release where he could go to his office.

• Many of his victims said the financier’s wealth, estimated around $600 million, and political connections led the state attorney in Palm Beach County and the US attorney’s office in Miami to be lenient.

• Epstein killed himself before he faced the 2019 charges.

📌 HURRICANE SEASON’S HISTORIC START

Forecasters had been warning that this hurricane season will be strong, and so far, they appear to be right. Hurricane Beryl continues to churn through the Caribbean — now a powerful Category 4, after briefly getting up to a Category 5 storm.

• Breaking records: Beryl strengthened into Category 4 more quickly, and a week earlier than any storm of that strength ever observed.

Today, Beryl is expected to hit Jamaica with up to 160 miles per hour of sustained wind, four to eight inches of rain, and a storm surge could raise water levels along the coast by five to eight feet. Models show that Beryl will then cross the Yucatan Peninsula. Popular tourist destinations Tulum and Cancun could be impacted on Friday. The storm could then make a second landfall in Mexico or the Texas coast.

TRACKING THE DESTRUCTION 
Beryl has already caused widespread damage in several Caribbean island nations.

• Grenada’s Prime Minister said “There is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances, they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.”

• At least three people have been killed in the storm.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Trump hush money sentencing delayed to September, weeks before US election (REUTERS)

📌 Presidential candidate RFK Jr. responds to new Vanity Fair story: He denies eating BBQ dog; doesn’t deny sexual assault allegation (CNN)

📌Former Trump lawyer and NYC mayor, Rudy Giuliani, disbarred in New York after criminal indictments (CNBC)

📌 Supreme Court to review FDA’s power to regulate e-cigarettes and hear First Amendment case on age limits for porn sites next term (CNN)

📌 Biden administration proposes rule to protect workers from extreme heat (CBS NEWS)

📌 Rep. Lloyd Doggett is first Democrat to publicly call for Biden to step down as party’s nominee (AP)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 As Iran faces a rare runoff presidential election, disenchanted voters are staying away (AP)

📌 Viktor Orban, Putin’s greatest European ally, makes first trip to Kyiv since start of war (CNN)

📌 UK polls point to a massive win for Labour. The party doesn’t want voters to think victory is a done deal (CNBC)

📌 Israeli generals, low on munitions, want a truce in Gaza (NY TIMES)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Some antidepressants contribute to weight gain more than others, study finds (CNN)

📌 Six Flags merges with Cedar Fair to become largest amusement park operator in North America (FOX BUSINESS)

📌 CNBC launches sports vertical amid broader biz shift (AXIOS)

📌 Air France to take a $193 million hit as tourists avoid Paris Olympics (FORBES)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Jamie Foxx's mysterious health scare started with 'bad headache': 'I don’t remember anything' (EW)

📌 ‘American Idol’ judge Luke Bryan shares which stars have been ‘in the talks’ to replace Katy Perry on hit show (FOX NEWS)

📌 JoJo Siwa curses out fans after getting booed at NYC Pride (E!)

📌 Childish Gambino announces final album release date and puts out first single ‘Lithonia’ (VARIETY)

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN HOLIDAY 🇺🇸WEEKEND

• WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosheh: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

  ~ Netflix; Jill: Mosheh’s new documentary, After the War in Gaza.

• WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: When Do You Need to Get to the Airport? We Did the Math ~ WSJ’s Jacob Passy; Jill: What I Learned About Life at My 30th College Reunion ~The Atlantic’s Deborah Copaken

• WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Briermere Farms in Riverhead, New York; Jill: Peter Luger Steak House.