Good Thursday morning! Tonight’s presidential debate could make-or-break Biden& Trump; Supreme Court rules in favor of Biden Administration on social media case and accidentally posts ruling that would allow emergency abortion care.

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Good morning,

I’m excited to share a new documentary that I’ve been working on over the past several months. It looks at the state of the Israel-Hamas war and, most significantly, what may come next.

• I had the opportunity to travel to Israel and speak directly to a number of government officials, journalists, activists and family members. The doc gives you an on-the-ground look at the challenges, hopes and fears of those directly impacted by the conflict.

Thanks for watching!

Mosheh

PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!

🎤 DEBATE NIGHT: MAKE-OR-BREAK FOR THE TRUMP & BIDEN CAMPAIGNS, OR NOT?

Tonight could change the trajectory of the presidential election. That said, it could also have zero impact. We will know a lot more just after 1030pmET. 🤷‍♂️

The candidates’ mental fitness, age, and temperament will be on many voters’ minds, while issues like the border, crime, inflation and foreign wars will be among the likely topics.

• The 90-minute debate will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash starting at 9pmET. Beyond CNN, you can watch it live on dozens of networks and live streams (FOX NEWS, ABC, CBS, PBS, NBC, etc. will all be carrying the feed)

  For those looking for a ‘second screen’ experience, Mosheh will be doing live analysis and taking your questions on Instagram Live tonight. We will also be playing debate BINGO!

THE GAME PLAN
Biden, already the oldest president in American history, will need to reinforce that he is mentally fit for four more years. Beyond that, expect Biden to tout his accomplishments, and sell himself as a ‘steady hand’ vs. a chaotic Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump will argue that America and the world were more stable during his four years. It is a version of the age-old election argument, ‘are you better off than you were four years ago?’ Trump’s team wants him to focus on issues like the economy, the border, crime and inflation—all issues that poll well for him.

Here’s what we can look for:

• Immigration: Trump is likely to bring up the record-setting migrant crossings over the last two years, as well as some high-profile migrant crimes. Biden will also be looking to go on offense on the topic. He will argue that there has been a decrease in migrant crossings in recent months, and note that Trump has pushed Congressional Republicans to oppose increased border security measures.

• The Economy: Biden will tout inflation dropping to 3%, record low unemployment, and a record stock market. Trump will point to voter frustrations over grocery prices, and the impact of inflation over several years. He is also trying to appeal to working class voters by eliminating taxes on tipped wages, among other measures.

• Who They’re Talking To: About 11 percent of voters say this debate is “very likely” to change their mind. Then, there are the 25% of Americans being dubbed the “double haters,” who don’t like either man. Finally, there are the party faithful. A great performance by Biden and/or Trump can motivate their ‘base’ voters to donate and volunteer.

STRATEGY
Big question for Trump: Will he bring back the combative rhetoric from his first debate with Biden back in 2020? Look for Biden to try to trigger Trump, and make him look unhinged and unfit for office.

Big question for Biden: Can he hold his own against Trump and the moderators for 90 minutes, amid some shaky public appearances of late? To what extent will Trump highlight any Biden verbal slip-ups? And, will Biden try to remind voters that Trump has had some of his own verbal missteps of late?

A Reminder: Recent sitting presidents have historically struggled with their first presidential debate.

• Voters saw John Kerry as the 2004 debate winner against incumbent President George W. Bush.

• President Obama was “demolished” by Mitt Romney in their first debate in 2012. He appeared unprepared and did not show his usual knack for orating.

• President Trump appeared over-aggressive in his first debate against Biden in 2020.

IT’S AN ART & A SCIENCE
Both Biden and Trump are out of practice. The last time they took the debate stage was with one another back in 2020. Plus, a 90 minute debate is a marathon, not a sprint. The debate rules are unique, including muted mics for the person not speaking. Here is CNN breaking it down:

Watch along and play: We have also created Mo News Presidential Debate BINGO Cards! A real one + a “Wish List” BINGO Card. You can download both BINGO cards here. A reminder again to watch the debate with us tonight on Instagram Live at 9pmET.

⚖️ SUPREME COURT WINS FOR THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE, ABORTION RIGHTS

Among the major topics that will likely come up in tonight’s debate: The Supreme Court. Trump appointed three of the nine sitting justices to the bench and three more justices may come up for replacement in the next term.

Biden will paint the court’s conservative super majority as dangerous and a threat to women’s health. At the same time, the White House appears to have gotten two victories yesterday from the court.

First, in an unusual mistake (dare we say leak?), it appears a draft opinion for a high-stakes emergency abortion case out of Idaho was accidentally posted yesterday.

• If accurate, a 6-3 majority appears poised to rule that hospitals in states with abortion bans are required to administer abortions in emergency situations while the case continues to be litigated. The version of the opinion that was posted said it was premature to decide the case on the merits since lower courts had yet to do so. The matter will go back to a lower court, for now.

  • Still TBD: A final ruling on whether federal or state law prevails if a pregnant woman’s health is at serious risk?

SOCIAL MEDIA MISINFORMATION CASE

The Supremes also handed a major victory for the Biden administration (in a case meant to be posted!). They threw out a lower court ruling that had placed major restrictions on the ability of government officials to communicate with social media companies about content.

A 6-3 majority ruled on procedural ground that White House officials can keep alerting social media companies of posts they deem “misinformation.” The court ruled that the plaintiffs (two states and several social media users) did not have legal standing to bring the case.

• Can’t Sue: Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in the majority opinion, “Without proof of an ongoing pressure campaign, it is entirely speculative that the platforms' future moderation decisions will be attributable, even in part, to” the Biden administration officials who were named as defendants.

• To Watch: More big social media rulings on the way. The court still needs to decide whether Florida and Texas can stop social media companies from removing posts based on the views they express.

  • The private companies argued that they have the right to moderate content, the states say they are limiting free speech.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 House Democrats try bypassing GOP to force gun vote (AXIOS)

📌 Highland Park, IL parade mass shooter rejects guilty plea deal, crushing victims' families (ABC NEWS)

📌 Supreme Court overturns ex-mayor’s bribery conviction, narrowing the scope of public corruption law (AP)

📌 Paris Hilton testifies she was ‘force-fed medications and sexually abused’ while institutionalized as a teen (GUARDIAN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Soldiers storm Bolivian presidential palace in apparent coup attempt (BBC)

📌 Kenya's president withdraws tax plan after deadly protest (BBC)

📌 American reporter Evan Gershkovich arrives in Russian court for secret espionage trial (ABC NEWS)

📌 World’s first carbon tax on livestock will cost farmers $100 per cow in Denmark (CNN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 New study finds that multivitamins don’t help you live longer (NY POST)

📌 Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first (REUTERS)

📌 Oil prices move higher despite unexpected build in U.S. crude, gasoline stockpiles (CNBC)

📌 Fossilized skull of Neanderthal child with Down syndrome reveals communal caregiving among species (ABC NEWS)

📌 America’s drinking water is facing potential attack from China, Russia and Iran (CNBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Jessica Biel spotted dancing at Justin Timberlake’s concert after his DWI arrest (TMZ)

📌 Law enforcement believes 'multiple people' should be charged in Matthew Perry's ketamine death (PEOPLE)

📌 Alex Morgan doesn't make USWNT roster for Paris Olympics (USA TODAY)

📌 Actor Jeremy Renner recalls 'crushing force' of snow plow that twisted his bones 'like a pretzel' (NBC NEWS)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: JUNE 27​​

• 1844: Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was killed by a mob. He published the Book of Mormon in 1830.

• 1924: Lena Springs became the first American woman to have her name placed into nomination for VP of the US at a major-party convention. She received several votes at the 1924 Democratic National Convention.

• 1927: The U.S. Marines officially adopt the bulldog as their mascot.

• 1995: British actor Hugh Grant was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with engaging in lewd conduct with a sex worker. He admitted to doing “an abominable thing.”