🇺🇸 Gaetz's Gambit, McCarthy's Melancholy

Good morning, and happy Thursday. Introducing the Roomba of the seas! A robotics company is making manta ray-shaped robots, the AlgaRay, that drowns seaweed and locks away the carbon it absorbed throughout its life for hundreds of years.

Plus, An emotional support alligator walks into a ballpark ... and is asked to leave. That's the story that made headlines when Wally — a six-foot-long, 55-pound alligator showed up at a Phillies game.

Also, this exec helped launch the Nasdaq's biggest gainer since 1990. Can he do it again?

TRENDING

Right: Biden Is Playing With Fire at the Border Adam Ellwanger, The American Mind

Right: How Conservatives Outmaneuvered McConnell on Ukraine Jordan Boyd, Federalist

Right: What Is Google Hiding? Glenn Reynolds, New York Post

Left: A Key 2024 Indicator Looks Fantastic for Democrats Michael Cohen, MSNBC

Left: NH Voters Have Message for Christie: Get Off the Island Page, et al, USA Today

Left: Trump's Rhetoric Straight Out of Autocrat's Playbook Margaret Sullivan, The Guardian

QUICK CLICKS

Speaker Bids, Health Care Strike, Russian Journalist Sentenced

US: Scalise and Jordan launch bids for House speaker after McCarthy ouster (CNN)

US: Thousands of US healthcare workers go on strike in multiple states over wages and staff shortages (AP)

US: Biden says he's worried about Ukraine aid. The Pentagon warns it's running low (NPR)

Word: Iran hijab police accused of beating girl into coma (BBC)

World: Pope urges rich world to make profound changes to tackle climate crisis (The Guardian)

World: Russian journalist who staged an on-air protest against Ukraine war handed prison sentence in absentia (CBS News)

POWERED BY JIM WOODS

The Exec Who Helped Launch Monster Is Aiming for 111,000% Gains Again

Did you know The Nasdaq’s biggest gainer since 1990 isn’t Apple or Amazon? It’s an energy drink company…

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That executive is Todd Gibson, and he and his wife, Karrie are doing it again with Yerbaé Brands (OTC: YERBF). The couple founded Yerbaé Brands (OTC: YERBF) in 2017 with the goal of winning in the plant-based, natural energy drink space.

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Click here to learn how you can access this in-depth report on Yerbaé — Monster Profit Potential: The Undiscovered Beverage Company Set to Explode.

CONGRESS

Gaetz's Gambit, McCarthy's Melancholy

On Tuesday, in a historic moment, the House of Representatives voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his position as Speaker of the House. This is the first time in United States history that the House has voted to remove a speaker. The final vote on the motion was 216 to 210. All House Democrats voted in favor of the motion to vacate, joined by eight Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who brought forth the motion.

Reporting from the Right: McCarthy Ousted From Speakership After Democrats Side With Matt Gaetz (The Daily Wire)

Reporting from the Left: Far-Right G.O.P. Faction Throws House Into Chaos as McCarthy Is Ousted (The New York Times)

From The Flag: Gaetz filed the motion in response to what he deemed McCarthy’s “repeated breach of the agreement that he made in January.” The motion came after months of division and dispute between McCarthy and the right wing of the House. Here’s how both sides are covering the unprecedented development.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

House Republicans Fractured, Democrats Taking Advantage

• Republicans and Gaetz didn’t remove McCarthy. Democrats did.

• Gaetz was successful, but to what end? What does he hope to achieve moving forward? He appears to have no actionable plans.

• This maneuver by Gaetz served no purpose except to potentially help Democrats in the 2024 election.

Matt Gaetz Didn’t Oust McCarthy. He Just Helped Democrats Do It David Harsanyi, The Federalist: “It would be one thing, perhaps an admirable thing if Gaetz had gone on this crusade for a coherent ideological or principled reason. But his post-ousting demagoguery and grandstanding about issues completely unrelated to McCarthy’s job performance proved it was a personal matter. … One of the least convincing claims by Gaetz’s defenders is that McCarthy was punished for ignoring the base. “The base,” of course, is a popular euphemism for the most vociferous populist faction of the GOP. This faction enjoys blowing things up — mostly their own party’s prospects. In this case, the “base” was represented by eight Republicans and the entire Democratic Party. … Even if Gaetz had excellent reasons, Republicans did not eject McCarthy. Eight Republicans can’t do anything by themselves. No, 208 Democrats ousted McCarthy with the help of some petulant backbenchers nursing personal vendettas. It is a political coup for the Dems.

Now What? The Editors, The National Review: “Even if, for the sake of argument, we dismiss the most obvious interpretation of Gaetz’s actions — that he craves attention — and take him at his word that he has earnest concerns about the direction of policy and congressional procedure, it is hard to see how getting rid of McCarthy will advance his stated goals. Still less clear is why gaining attention for Matt Gaetz serves the interests of the other seven or their constituents, let alone the rest of the Republican conference. Gaetz complained that McCarthy worked with Democrats to avert a government shutdown (in a move supported by 126 Republicans). But Gaetz just worked with Democrats to oust McCarthy (in a move supported by just eight Republicans). Gaetz complained that the budget deal did nothing to address border security. But Gaetz refused to vote for a bill to fund the government that included border-security measures, which would have given McCarthy more leverage in negotiations with Democrats.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: Matt Gaetz Has Achieved Nothing Jim Geraghty, The National Review

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

This is Concerning

• Historians and scholars are warning that McCarthy’s removal is a warning sign, highlighting the weaknesses in our democracy.

• Gaetz had no substantive plans to improve the situation in the House and he only looked to remove McCarthy out of sadistic vendetta.

• “McCarthy’s ouster is dramatic evidence, if redundant, about the state of the modern GOP.”

Vote to oust McCarthy is a warning sign for democracy, scholars say Sarah Ellison, The Washington Post: “But historians and political scientists say it is something more: a warning sign for the health of American democracy. ‘If you want to know what it looks like when democracy is in trouble, this is what it looks like,’ said Daniel Ziblatt, professor of government at Harvard University. ‘It should set off alarm bells that something is not right.’ The vote reflected the enormous power that a small group of representatives camped on their party’s ideological fringe can wield over an entire institution, said Ziblatt… Social media and cable news incentivized politicians to perform for the camera, not for their constituents. Aggressive gerrymandering created deeply partisan districts where representation is decided in primary contests, not general elections. Weakened political parties became captive to their loudest and most extreme members. Taken together, those factors handed a small number of lawmakers the power to throw one of the three branches of government into disarray and, for now, paralysis.”

Matt Gaetz broke Kevin McCarthy for sport Jill Flipovic, CNN: “[Gaetz] is the man who led the anti-McCarthy uprising. Speaker McCarthy isn’t exactly a hero or an admirable person. He has thrown his support behind Trump, gone after Biden without evidence and for political gain, and caved time and again to the far-right wing of his party. He’s hardly a reasonable Republican. But he does at least appear to be grounded and interested in governing, not showboating. Gaetz, on the other hand, seems interested in a toxic combination of attention and destruction. That so many in his party are following him in his annihilation mission is yet another confirmation that this is not a party focused on getting things done for the American people. It’s a party focused on emulating and grabbing the attention of the reality TV star former president who may have permanently broken this country.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: The House GOP Is a Failed State John F. Harris, POLITICO

FLAG THIS

Congress Overwhelmingly Unpopular

Recent polling on Congress continues to illustrate the American public’s distrust of the legislative body. About seven in ten Americans (72%) say they have an unfavorable view of Congress, with 26% saying they have a favorable view.

While public views of Congress have been more negative than positive for over a decade, the share of Americans giving Congress an unfavorable rating is now among the highest in nearly four decades of polling (Pew Research).

FLAG FINDS

Alternative Alternatives, Budget Boost, Crypto Across Chains

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WATERCOOLER

Iran-Contra, Hum of the Universe, Accidental Fashion

On This Day in 1986: Eugene Hasenfus is captured by troops of the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. Under questioning, Hasenfus confessed that he was shipping military supplies into Nicaragua for use by the Contras, an anti-Sandinista force that had been created and funded by the United States. Most dramatically, he claimed that the operation was really run by the CIA.

BBC: The primordial hum from the beginning of the Universe

Lifehacker: All the Ways Your Smartphone Can Be a Crucial Home Maintenance Tool

The Guardian: 21 things I’ve learned about skincare

Today I learned the iconic cutoff sweatshirt look for 1983's Flashdance was created by accident. Actress Jennifer Beals accidentally shrunk her favorite sweatshirt in the dryer and cut out the neck hole to fit her head through.