Trump’s bond set for $200,000 in Georgia election case

Donald Trump’s bond has been set at 200-thousand dollars in the Georgia election interference case. Terms have been set for the former president’s surrender this week on election interference charges in Georgia. Under the bond agreement, Trump is not allowed to communicate with witnesses or co-defendants about the case. Authorities are also prohibiting him from direct or indirect threats, including in “posts on social media.” Trump and 18 others who were indicted must surrender at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta by noon on Friday.

Trump dominates GOP field in new Iowa poll

Donald Trump has a double-digit lead over his GOP presidential rivals in a new Iowa poll. According to the first Des Moines Register/NBC News poll of the Republican primary season, Trump is ahead of his closest challenger by more than 20 percentage points. The former president is favored by 42 percent of likely GOP caucusgoers in Iowa. Ron DeSantis is second with 19 percent, followed by Tim Scott with 9 percent. Trump’s advantage is the largest Republican caucus lead in this poll since 2000.

Trump to skip opening GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee

Donald Trump will be a no-show at this week’s Republican presidential primary debate. The former president has confirmed that he’ll be skipping Wednesday night’s first GOP debate of the 2024 election season. Writing on his social media site, Trump said the public knows him and he will “not be doing the debates.” It wasn’t immediately clear if he plans to boycott more than this week’s debate in Milwaukee, but Trump has said for some time that he sees little upside in joining his Republican rivals on stage given his commanding lead in the race.

Bidens to visit fire-ravaged western Maui

President Biden and the first lady will visit Maui in the aftermath of deadly wildfires. Upon arrival in Maui, the Bidens will take an aerial tour by helicopter. Afterwards, they will visit the devastated town of Lahaina to survey the wildfire damage firsthand. While on the ground, they will get briefed by federal, state, and local officials. The first couple also will meet with emergency responders, survivors, and members of the community.

Biden closely monitoring Tropical Storm Hilary

President Biden is keeping close tabs on Tropical Storm Hilary as it lashes southern California. The president spoke with California’s governor Sunday afternoon “about the emergency preparedness measures in place, and the initial response to Tropical Storm Hilary.” In a statement, Mr. Biden said he continues to be briefed on the storm’s potential impact” He pledged additional federal assistance as requested and urged California residents “to take this storm seriously.”

Mortgage rates, gas prices bite into Biden’s econ message

Mortgage rates and gas prices are two indicators that are biting into President Biden’s economic message. Even though there’s evidence that inflationary pressures are easing, two economic indicators are causing more pain for Americans. Last week, the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped to more than 7 percent — its highest level in 20 years. That’s tough news for would-be homebuyers already facing high home prices caused by a lack of supply. And according to Triple-A, the national average price of gas has increased about 30 cents per gallon over the past month.

Poll: economists don’t expect Fed rate increases

Economists do not expect the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates over the next few months. A Reuters survey of economists shows that a strong majority believe the Fed is likely done raising interest rates. Ninety percent of 110 economists polled expect the Fed to keep the federal funds rate in the 5-and-a-quarter to five-and-a-half percent range at its September meeting. A slight majority now expect the central bank to wait at least through the end of March before cutting them. Any Fed action will depend on inflation.

Trump lawyers seek long delay in Jan. 6th federal trial

Donald Trump’s legal team is requesting a long delay in his federal trial on charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election. After Special Counsel Jack Smith proposed a trial start date of this coming January, Trump lawyers asked for the trial to begin in April of 2026. That would be nearly a year-and-a-half after the 2024 election. The former president’s legal team cited a “massive” amount of paperwork they have to review and scheduling conflicts with Trump’s other criminal cases. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is expected to set at least a tentative trial date during a court hearing at the end of this month.

US, Japan and South Korea agree to expand security and economic ties

Trump cancels “major news conference” on alleged fraud

U.S. OKs F-16s transfer from Netherlands, Denmark to Ukraine

The United States has given its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16s to Ukraine.  The F-16 approval is a major gain for Ukraine even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact on the war with Russia any time soon. Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighter to give it a combat edge. It was not immediately clear when the first F-16s might be sent, but it could be a few months, followed by several more for aircraft training. Washington’s blessing for the plane donations was needed because the aircraft are made in the United States.

Biden holds Camp David summit with Japan, S.Korea

President Biden holds a summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea. It’s the first summit of the Biden presidency and it’s being held at the Camp David presidential retreat. The president’s meeting with South Korea’s president and Japan’s prime minister comes as the U-S aims to improve security and economic cooperation between the two countries. Japan and South Korea have had a difficult history, but the relationship has improved because of their shared concerns about China’s assertiveness in the Pacific and North Korea’s persistent nuclear threats.

Focus on economy not boosting Biden’s approval

President Biden’s recent focus on the economy has not helped him in public opinion polls. The president has made the economy a central focus of his re-election campaign and he’s traveled the country touting the economic impact of his policies. But his message doesn’t appear to be resonating with the public. According to a new AP-NORC poll, the president’s overall approval number is 42 percent, but only 36 percent of adults approve of his handling of the economy.

Biden to host Japan, S.Korea summit at Camp David

President Biden is preparing to host a summit tomorrow [FRI] with Japan and South Korea. The president will meet with Japan’s prime minister and South Korea’s president at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. Mr. Biden is bringing these two world leaders together to improve relations between their countries and to discuss their shared concerns about Chinese aggression. The president hopes the history and symbolism of Camp David, plus its less formal atmosphere, will lead to productive talks.

Bidens to visit fire-ravaged western Maui next week

President Biden and the first lady will travel to Maui next week in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires. The Bidens will meet Monday with survivors of the fires, as well as first responders and other government officials. According to a statement from the White House press secretary, they will “see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires…as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery effort.” The president and his staff have been assured that a presidential visit next week would not disrupt search and recovery efforts.

Georgia’s GOP gov. disputes Trump’s election fraud claims

Biden touts economic policies in Milwaukee ahead of GOP debate

Georgia hits Trump, 18 allies with racketeering charges in 2020 probe

In the Georgia indictments, former President Trump and 18 others are charged with the state’s racketeering law. Prosecutors are using a statute normally associated with mobsters to accuse Trump, lawyers and other aides of a “criminal enterprise” to keep him in power. Among the acts cited in the nearly 100-page indictment are Trump’s recorded phone call asking Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to find enough votes for him to win — and a plot to access voting machines and steal data from a voting machine company.

Trump, 18 others charged in Georgia election scheme

Donald Trump is one of 19 people facing criminal charges in Georgia over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The former president’s fourth indictment was widely expected. But unlike the others, this set of criminal charges has a long list of co-defendants. They include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Sidney Powell, and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark. The defendants can voluntarily surrender by noon a week from Friday.

FEMA pledges help to Maui wildfire victims

Federal officials are pledging to help thousands of people displaced by the Maui wildfires. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said her agency has started to provide 700-dollars to displaced residents to cover the immediate cost of food, water, first aid, and medical supplies. In addition, there is a FEMA hotel program. In a White House briefing, Criswell said “nothing can prepare” people for the severity of destruction and loss of life — and that the U-S is mourning with the victims.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys try to revive part of plea deal

The Justice Department has until Tuesday to respond to Hunter Biden’s attorneys about reviving part of a plea deal. Hunter Biden’s legal team is pushing to keep part of a plea deal they reached with the prosecutor. His attorneys argued in court documents that an agreement sparing him prosecution on a felony gun charge still is in place even though the plea deal on misdemeanor tax offenses largely unraveled last month. The prosecutor, Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, has since been named a special counsel in the Biden investigation.

Trump, Desantis among GOP hopefuls at Iowa State Fair

Former President Trump arrived at the Iowa State Fair this weekend with a dozen Florida lawmakers. It was a move aimed squarely at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who also courted voters at the fair on Saturday. DeSantis is running a distant second to Trump, who attracted large crowds at the fairgrounds. Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy were among other GOP candidates making the rounds in Des Moines. Iowa’s state fair is a traditional stop for White House hopefuls and it comes a couple of weeks before the first Republican presidential debate. GC, Wash.

Inflation Reduction Act’s name prompts second-guessing

The Inflation Reduction Act’s name is coming under scrutiny, even from President Biden. At a fundraiser in Utah last week, the president said he wished he “hadn’t called it that,” acknowledging that the law would have “less to do with reducing inflation” than other results. When the legislation was proposed, the Congressional Budget Office said its impact on inflation would be “negligible.” And Republicans criticized the name, too. Even former Obama economic adviser Jason Furman said he can’t “think of any mechanism” by which the law would have reduced inflation.

More questions about America’s aging politicians

More and more questions are being asked about some of the country’s aging politicians. 80-year-old President Biden isn’t the only politician in Washington who’s facing scrutiny about his fitness for office. Last week, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell prompted health concerns when he froze at a press conference and was briefly unable to speak. Earlier this year, the 81-year-old McConnell was out of the Senate for almost six weeks after falling and hitting his head. And 90-year-old Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein missed more than two months as she recovered from a bout of shingles.