Biden To America: It Is Now Your Job to Save Democracy
Netanyahu's speech sparks protests; Backlash following police shooting of unarmed Black woman
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
Good morning,
We found out who will be next to Lebron James for tomorrow’s Olympics opening ceremony: American tennis star Coco Gauff. The 20-year-old was named Team USA’s female flag-bearer. She’s the youngest athlete and first American tennis player to carry the flag!
In just over 24 hours, the Olympic opening ceremonies begin! Cue the music….
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
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!
📌 BIDEN EXPLAINS EXIT: I REVERE THIS COUNTRY MORE THAN THIS OFFICE
President Joe Biden in an Oval Office address last night said he is passing the torch to a new generation of Democratic leadership, putting personal ambition aside for the sake of democracy.
In Biden’s first public comments since announcing his exit from the 2024 race on Sunday, he said that it is “time for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices.”
For several weeks, he remained defiant as top members of his party called on him to withdraw from the race and polling turned against him. Biden didn’t explain in detail last night what led him to change his mind, beyond saying, “in recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I revere this office. But I love my country more.”
The 11-minute speech outlined what the President hopes his legacy will be, and called for voters to take action to save the republic. He was implicitly saying that electing former President Trump threatens the future of the country. [Transcript]
“The great thing about America is that here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands,” he said.
HIS LEGACY & AGENDA
For his last six months in office, Biden still has plenty of policy ambitions. But first, he wanted to remind Americans of everything he’s accomplished in office.
Legacy: The president listed what he is most proud of from his 3+ years in office. He noted being “the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world” and appointing the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court.
Biden boasted about the US having the strongest post-COVID economy in the developed world, NATO being more robust than ever, and bringing down drug costs.
Agenda: In his remaining months in office, Biden promised to continue “calling out hate and extremism,” introduce Supreme Court reform, work to “end the war in Gaza,” and boost cancer research.
He said he wants to keep working to protect kids against gun violence and climate change.
THROWBACK: Highlights from President Harry Truman (1952), Lyndon Johnson (1968) and Biden all announcing they were not pursuing a second term in office.
📌 ISRAELI PM PRAISES US SUPPORT, SCOLDS PROTESTERS IN CONGRESSIONAL ADDRESS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress, thanking the US for its support—including President Biden and former President Trump—and arguing that the Gaza war will not end until Israel achieves ‘total victory.’
Outside, thousands of protestors took to the Capitol to condemn the war in Gaza.
About half of Democratic House members and senators — including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT)— boycotted the speech. In attendance was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian-American in Congress. She held-up a “war criminal” sign during his speech.
WHAT HE SAID
Netanyahu defended Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, denied that Israel had withheld aid from Palestinians, and vowed to press on until Hamas is gone.
Gaza after the war: Netanyahu said after Hamas is destroyed, then Gaza could have a citizen government. But vowed total victory.
Hostages: Noa Argamani, who the IDF recently rescued from Gaza (and whose image being kidnapped on the back of a motorcycle on Oct. 7 touched hearts around the world), was in the audience. There are still 120 hostages— some of whom are presumed to be dead— in Gaza. 8 Americans are still being held by Hamas.
Netanyahu said negotiations were ongoing to bring the hostages home. Hostage families, hoping he would be announcing a deal to bring their loved ones home, panned the speech, saying more needs to be done.
American protests: Netanyahu pointed to recent US intelligence that Iran has funded some protests in the US. He called the protestors, “Iran’s useful idiots” and told them to look at what Hamas has done to the LGBT+ community and to women.
Netanyahu made time in the speech to thank both President Biden (who has called himself a “proud Irish-American Zionist”) and former President Trump. The Israeli PM is scheduled to meet with Biden and Harris today, and with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
📌 VIDEO RELEASED OF UNARMED BLACK WOMAN SHOT AFTER CALLING 911
Newly released body-camera videos from two sheriff’s deputies showed one of them fatally shooting Sonya Massey, an unarmed 36-year-old Black woman. She had called 911 after midnight on July 6 to report a potential intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.
What unfolded was a chaotic scene in which Deputy Sean Grayson fired multiple shots at Massey. He has since been charged with murder.
THE VIDEO
The 36-minute video released via the Illinois State Police shows two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies at Massey’s house.
While she seemed confused and disoriented at the start, the early interactions appeared normal between the three. The officer even asked if she was ok mentally, and Massey responded, “I took my meds.”
We now know she suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.
Next, Massey was seen looking for her ID when a deputy asked her to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove.
She followed the directions, even appearing to laugh with Grayson over the “steaming hot water.”
Then, unexpectedly Massey said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” The officer yelled at Massey, “You better f**king not or I swear to God I’ll f**king shoot you in the f**king face.”
She ducked, let go of the pot, and said, “OK, I’m sorry.” THEN he fired shots at her.
Grayson’s partner offered to get his medical kit, but Grayson said there was no use because she was shot in the head.
However, noting that Massey was still breathing, the other deputy provided first aid later in the video
The response: President Biden called it a “senseless loss” and a reminder that “too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.”
NOW WHAT?
An Illinois grand jury indicted Grayson last week on first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.
Grayson worked at six law enforcement agencies in Illinois since 2020, after being charged with two DUI misdemeanor offenses.
Since the shooting, local and state officials have criticized the deputy’s actions as an unjustified use of deadly force. He has since been fired by the sheriff’s office.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Video: Trump shooter Googled “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” a week before attack (CBS)
📌 Speaker Johnson seeks to quash "DEI hire"-type attacks on Harris (AXIOS)
📌 Anti-Israel protesters release maggots, crickets in Watergate Hotel in protest of Netanyahu visit (FOX NEWS) American flags burned outside Capitol (POLITICO)
📌 Oregon fire grows large enough to create its own weather as firefighters scramble to battle Western blazes (CBS NEWS)
📌 A breaching whale capsized a boat, tossing 2 people overboard off New Hampshire coast (NPR)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Massive fires rage in Canada, sending smoke south (WASHINGTON POST)
📌 New Zealand report finds 200,000 people were abused at care facilities over decades (CBS NEWS)
📌 Plane explosion in Nepal captured on shocking video leaves 18 dead, 1 survivor (FOX BUSINESS)
📌 Discovery of poliovirus in Gaza ‘incredibly alarming’, UNICEF executive director says (GUARDIAN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Surprise Yellowstone geyser eruption highlights little known hazard at popular park (AP)
📌 CrowdStrike changes internal testing after global outage (AXIOS)
📌 A twice-yearly injection offers 100% protection against HIV, study suggests (NBC NEWS)
📌 A wipeout on Wall Street sends the S&P 500 down by 2% as Big Tech skids (AP)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Jennifer Aniston blasts JD Vance remarks about women (PEOPLE)
📌 Kevin Hart has Tom Brady roast regrets (DEADLINE)
📌 Salt Lake City confirmed as host for the 2034 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee (CNN)
📌 ‘Inside Out 2’ blows past Frozen 2 to become the biggest animated movie of all time (PEOPLE)
📌 Prince William's multimillion-dollar salary revealed after receiving new title (FOX BUSINESS)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: JULY 25
1952: Puerto Rico became a US commonwealth.
1965: At the Newport (Rhode Island) Folk Festival, Bob Dylan “went electric,” instead of using an acoustic guitar. It’s widely regarded as a pivotal moment in rock and roll history.
1980: ‘Caddyshack’ premiered in theaters.
1990: Roseanne Barr infamously performed ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ off-key, before a game between the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds at Jack Murphy Stadium.