Good Wednesday Morning! Mo News on the ground in DC for 75th NATO Summit; Who’s on Trump’s VP shortlist; and RNC & Trump align on 2024 agenda.


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Good morning,

A sequel to ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ may be in the works. Stars Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt are said to be on board, while Anne Hathaway has not signed on (yet?).

• 👠 The original writer is in the early stages of developing the sequel with Disney. It is reportedly going to follow Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, at the end of her career with the publishing industry in decline.

• ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was nominated for two Oscars and grossed over $326 million worldwide in its 2006 debut.

That’s all.

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

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📌 NATO MARKS 75 YEARS: MO NEWS IS ON THE GROUND IN DC

President Biden welcomed world leaders to Washington for the start of the 75th NATO Summit with a forceful speech, announcing that NATO countries will provide Ukraine with five new strategic air defense systems.

The speech was as much about NATO and Ukraine as it was about convincing voters— and foreign leaders— that at 81 years old, Biden is still up to the task of continuing to lead the 32-member military alliance– and the United States for the next four years.

• “All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles and Ukrainian troops facing air attacks on the front lines, make no mistake Russia is failing in this war.” ~ Biden

HOW WILL THIS END?
It’s been two and a half years since Russia invaded Ukraine. While it’s true that most analysts thought Ukraine would fall in a matter of days, and it has stood strong with Western support, the question remains: How will this war end?

• Mo News is on the ground at the NATO Summit in DC. We asked White House NSC Spokesperson John Kirby about what he would say to Americans who are wondering how much longer this will last, and how much it will cost the US.

  • Kirby told us that the decision on when to end this war is up to Ukraine, especially with Russia still occupying about 20 percent of the country.

  • The administration argument is that what starts in Ukraine doesn’t end in Ukraine—defending the fellow democracy safeguards the rest of the world from Putin’s advance.

  • Kirby cited the famous Winston Churchill quote, “an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile-hoping it will eat him last.” Bottom line: the US argues that we can’t feed Ukraine to Putin and expect that he won’t be hungry for more.

WHAT ABOUT UKRAINE’S NATO MEMBERSHIP?
World leaders have promised that Ukraine WILL join the 32-nation bloc. But not yet.

• Not only is joining NATO a process that requires a series of steps, there’s also Article 5 of the Treaty.

  • Article 5 says that if an armed attack occurs against one or more of its member states in Europe or North America, all other members will consider it an attack against them all. That means if Ukraine were to join NATO now, NATO would be at war with Russia.

EUROPEAN VIBE CHECK
Despite Biden’s more upbeat speech to kick off the conference, there seems to be increasing worry from Europeans that he will lose the election. According to reporting from Puck News, after the first presidential debate, Europeans are starting to come to the conclusion that Biden is done for and that another Trump presidency is inevitable.

• “These officials don’t like Trump. They don’t share his world view and they worry that he doesn’t understand the profound importance of Ukraine, not only to European security but to America’s interests. But, they say, it is what it is—and this time, they’re ready for what they increasingly see as an inevitable Trump victory.”

• For his part, Trump touted Tuesday how he threatened NATO allies during his time in office to “save” the alliance.

📌 COMING SOON: TRUMP’S VP PICK ANNOUNCEMENT

Former President Donald Trump's long-awaited running mate announcement could happen this week.

• Senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News that the vice presidential choice will be out by next Monday morning — when the Republican National Convention kicks-off.

In a call to Fox News on Monday night, Trump said he would love to save the announcement for the start of the RNC next week. It’s being reported that the choices have boiled down to three…

THEN THERE WERE THREE
Top of the list: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).

• Burgum: The multi-millionaire businessman-turned politician ran (with mostly his own $) for the Republican presidential nomination this cycle. The two-term governor is not well-known on the national stage, but is well-versed in business and energy policies. He has a low-key demeanor and will not overshadow Trump (a plus!).

• Rubio: He faced-off against Trump in 2016 for the Republican presidential nomination, but once Trump was elected, became a close adviser on foreign policy and other issues. He’s viewed as a more traditional Republican on foreign policy (some people around Trump are worried about that). And, as a Cuban-American, could help appeal to Hispanic voters.

• Vance: The best-selling writer of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ has become a fixture in culture war conversations. He was critical of Trump in 2016, but has since become a MAGA loyalist. Vance would give Trump the allegiance he desires. Vance was just elected to the Senate in 2022.

• Other names are still being tossed around include Sen. Tom Cotton (AR), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Tim Scott (SC), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), and former housing secretary Ben Carson.

Trump says he still has not made his choice, and senior advisers insist they don’t know — with many thinking he really is still deciding. Regardless, Trump seems to enjoy the waiting game and media attention that’s coming with it.

WHAT’S NEXT
Whoever it is, the Trump camp is ready to go. The VP pick is set to be at a fundraiser next Monday night in Milwaukee. The AP reports the candidate’s future plane is parked in an undisclosed hangar, waiting to get the VP’s name printed on its side.

📌 RNC ADOPTS GOP 2024 AGENDA — SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES UPSET ABOUT ABORTION

Not on Trump’s short-list: His former vice president Mike Pence. Yesterday, Trump’s ex-VP and other social conservatives criticized the Republican National Committee’s updated 2024 platform that aligns with Trump’s.

For the first time in four decades, it did not include a national ban on abortion. It's a major shift for the party, where Trump and others have been trying to find a way to soften a political blow at the polls driven by reproductive rights issues.

The 16-page agenda was approved by the RNC’s panel Monday in an 84-18 vote.

• The 2024 platform also now says Republicans "will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments)."

  • That’s the only mention of abortion, which some anti-abortion conservatives do not like. Ultimately, Trump— and now the party— wants states to decide.

  • On marriage, the party used to say it was “between one man and one woman,” but now removed that language, saying “Republicans will promote a culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage.”

• Hot button issues: The agenda promised to stop federal funding for schools teaching Critical Race Theory and keep "men out of women's sports.”

  • On the Border: To “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” While the platform removes historic proposals for Medicare and Social Security reform for simply stating, “Republicans will tackle Inflation, unleash American Energy, restore Economic Growth, and secure our Borders to preserve Social Security and Medicare funding for the next Generation and beyond.”

Next week in Milwaukee, the full RNC membership will vote to officially confirm the platform from the convention floor.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, new poll finds (AP)

📌 In a first, federal regulators ban messaging app from hosting minors (THE HILL)

📌 US confidence in higher education now closely divided (GALLUP)

📌 Trump-appointed judge in Alaska resigns after investigation finds he had ‘inappropriately sexualized relationship’ (CNN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Marine Le Pen hit by shock probe into 2022 presidential campaign funding (POLITICO)

📌 Copenhagen to reward eco-friendly tourists with free food and tours (CNN)

📌 Modi bear hugs Putin in Moscow, marking deep ties between Russia and India (BBC)

📌 Cuba foils plot to sneak arms onto island from U.S., official says (NBC NEWS)

📌 Mummified body of missing American climber found 22 years after he vanished in Peru (CBS NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 How Airbnb fails to protect guests from hidden cameras (CNN)

📌 Tire falls off United Airlines plane during takeoff at LAX, 2nd time in months (FOX BUSINESS)

📌 Etsy loses its “handmade” and “vintage” labels (VERGE)

📌 Bubonic Plague strikes Colorado, health officials confirm (NEWSWEEK)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Cassie’s lawyer slams Diddy’s whitewater rafting trip: ‘shoppy waters’ are ‘ahead’ (US)

📌 At USA Basketball camp, teenage prodigy Cooper Flagg steals the show (YAHOO SPORTS)

📌 ‘You guys can’t touch me’: Novak Djokovic accuses Wimbledon crowd of disrespect after reaching quarterfinals (CNN)

📌 Joe Rogan sets live Netflix comedy event, his first special in 6 years (NBC NEWS)

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🗓 ON THIS DAY: JULY 10

• 1962: Telstar 1, the first communications satellite to transmit live television signals and telephone conversations across the Atlantic Ocean, was launched.

• 1965: The Rolling Stones topped U.S. charts for the first time with the single ‘(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.’

• 1981: Rick James released ‘Super Freak.’

• 1991: Russian politician Boris Yeltsin was sworn into office as the country's first elected president. He transformed Russia's economy into a capitalist market economy, but faced opposition. He chose Vladimir Putin to succeed him.