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Celebrity Critique: Clooney's Call for Change
Plus, free treats for good grades.
Good morning and Happy Friday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:
US: Ocasio-Cortez introduces articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Alito (CNN)
World: Israeli snipers accused of attacking fleeing civilians in Gaza (Al Jazeera) + Bodies trapped in Gaza City under Israeli assault as mediators seek truce (Reuters)
Business: Costco membership fees are going up for the first time since 2017 (CNN)
Technology: Apple warns iPhone users in 98 countries of spyware attacks (TechCrunch)
Sports: Brawl breaks out between players and fans after Colombia-Uruguay soccer match (ABC News)
And of course, some good news: A Staten Island deli owner told a 12-year-old student he could have whatever he wanted in the store for getting good grades.
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Past performance is not indicative of future returns, investing involves risk. See disclosures masterworks.com/cd
TRENDING
Left: No Leader Is Indispensable, Jeet Heer, The Nation
Left: Why I Support--But Fear--a Harris Candidacy, Jill Filipovic, Slate
Left: Trump Glides Into RNC While Dems Devolve Into Chaos, Ingrid Jacques, USA Today
Right: When Life Gives You Lululemons, Isaac Willour, The American Mind
Right: Only One Reason Dems Oppose Proof of Citizenship To Vote, M.D. Kittle, The Federalist
Right: I Voted Biden in '20, But I Won't Vote for Dems This Year, Jennifer Sey, Washington Examiner
HOLLYWOOD
Celebrity Critique: Clooney's Call for Change
Today’s Top Story in One Sentence: On Wednesday, actor George Clooney published a New York Times op-ed joining the chorus of calls for Biden to step aside.
Reporting from the Left: George Clooney says Democrats need a new nominee just weeks after he headlined a major fundraiser for Biden (CNN)
Reporting from the Right: George Clooney urges Biden to step aside or he'll lose, says he's clearly declined (Fox News)
LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT
Democrats Need a New Nominee
The Top Argument From The Left: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee, George Clooney, The New York Times: “I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced. … But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate. … It is disingenuous, at best, to argue that Democrats have already spoken with their vote and therefore the nomination is settled and done, when we just received new and upsetting information. … We Democrats have a very exciting bench. We don’t anoint leaders or fall sway to a cult of personality; we vote for a president. We can easily foresee a group of several strong Democrats stepping forward to stand and tell us why they’re best qualified to lead this country and take on some of the deeply concerning trends we’re seeing from the revenge tour that Donald Trump calls a presidential campaign. … Let’s hear from Wes Moore and Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear and J.B. Pritzker and others. Let’s agree that the candidates not attack one another but, in the short time we have, focus on what will make this country soar. Then we could go into the Democratic convention next month and figure it out.”
Honorable Mention #1: How Hollywood quickly turned on Joe Biden, Lara Korte, Politico.
Honorable Mention #2: Obama Didn’t Even Try to Stop That Brutal Clooney Op-Ed on Biden, Hafiz Rashid, The New Republic.
RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT
A Disingenuous Performance
The Top Argument From The Right: Fraud George Clooney Delivers Most Unconvincing Performance Yet In Biden Op-Ed, M.D. Kittle, The Federalist: “Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney is one of Hollywood’s most successful actors. Maybe that’s what helps make Clooney such an extraordinary fraud. The darling of the leftist glitterati set this week joined the growing chorus of high-profile leftists looking to throw the current demented White House resident under the bus. In an op-ed in The New York Times, which itself has become No Country for a Certain Old Man, Clooney bemoans the fact that President Joe Biden is, well, President Joe Biden. … Really? Well, George, you know when it might have been a good time to ‘say it’? Minutes after the video clips of Biden freezing up on stage at ‘the single largest fund-raiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election’ that you brag about co-hosting in your op-ed. … Now Clooney comes clean. At least he acts accordingly. Tells us disastrous debate Biden was the same guy he saw at his Jimmy Kimmel-moderated political mixer. And Clooney is indignant about it. Enough with the lies and coverup, says the movie star whose money and influence helped elect the mess we’ve endured for over three and a half years.”
Honorable Mention #1: Don't be fooled by Biden bro Clooney and his Hollywood pals. They expected to keep the cover up going, David Marcus, Fox News.
Honorable Mention #2: Remember When Biden Was Perfectly Fine at the Hollywood Fundraiser? Rich Lowry, National Review.
FLAG THIS
Polls: Voter Doubts Surge
A new poll released yesterday revealed that 67% of voters believe President Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee following his debate performance against Trump. Recent Morning Consult and CBS News polls echo this sentiment, with 60% and 72% of voters, respectively, saying Biden should not run.
Among Democrats, 62% think he should withdraw. Despite concerns about age for both candidates, Biden and Trump are nearly tied in current voter preference, with Biden at 46% and Trump at 47% (Axios).
Regardless of your views on Hollywood's influence in politics, do you believe voices like Clooney's will influence Biden's decision to remain in the race? |
WATERCOOLER
Milestone Nomination, Cutting Board Declutter, Ancient Dental Hygiene
On This Day in 1984, Walter Mondale, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, announced that he had chosen Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women’s rights in Congress. Ferraro became the first female vice presidential candidate to represent a major political party.
Better Report: Why You Should Throw Out Your Plastic Cutting Boards
Today I learned toothpaste was invented by the ancient Egyptians.
POWERED BY MASTERWORKS
When incredibly rare and valuable assets come up for sale, When incredibly rare and valuable assets come up for sale, it's typically the wealthiest people that end up taking home an amazing investment. But not always…
One platform is taking on the billionaires at their own game, buying up and fractionalizing some of history’s most prized blue-chip artworks for its investors. In just the last few years, its investors have realized annualized net returns of 17.8%, 21.5%, 35% and more from these opportunities.
It's called Masterworks. Their nearly $1 billion collection includes works by greats like Banksy, Picasso, and Basquiat, all of which are collectively owned by everyday investors. When Masterworks sells a painting – like the 16 it's already sold – investors reap their portion of the profits.
Past performance is not indicative of future returns, investing involves risk. See disclosures masterworks.com/cd
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