And Mo News One-On-One with Dem rising star Gov. Josh Shapiro

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Good morning,

It was good while it lasted, but Bennifer is over… again. Singer Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce Tuesday in Los Angeles from actor Ben Affleck after two years of marriage.

Lopez listed April 26, 2024 as the date of separation. The two put their Beverly Hills home on the market this summer.
Multiple outlets reported that the two do not have a prenuptial agreement. That means what they’ve earned in the couple years of marriage could be fought over — both have done multiple films.
Flashback Wednesday: The two were engaged and set to get married in September 2003 before calling it off. They rekindled 17 years later after each had been married and had children.

A sad day for the romantics—

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!

📌 OBAMAS SAY HOPE IS COMING BACK, BUT TRUMP HAS TO BE DEFEATED FIRST

Back to where their political life started, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama made their case for Vice President Kamala Harris in Chicago at the DNC Tuesday night. While they alluded to the iconic 2008 campaign slogan of hope and change, both warned about the challenge of first preventing a second Trump term.

DIFFERENT TONE
Goodbye to “when they go low, we go high.” The former First Lady’s famous 2016 line took a backseat to her swings at Trump in a DNC 2024 speech that brought the house down.

Black jobs: Outlining how Trump attacked the Obamas, she said that he felt “threatened by the existence of two hard-working and highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black." Then, she quipped, "Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those 'Black jobs'? — referring to Trump’s numerous comments saying migrants are taking ‘Black jobs.’
Failing forward: She also said that unlike Trump, who had “the affirmative action of generational wealth," Harris had to work really hard to get to the top.

And while Michelle Obama noted “something wonderfully magical” in the air, she and the former president continued to push that the race is close and people need to get out and fight to win.

Former President Obama followed his wife, with a similar message. He delivered a withering critique of Trump, who succeeded him in the White House in 2017. See the clip above for his viral attack on what he called Trump’s obsession with his crowd sizes.

“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” he told delegates. “We have seen that movie before and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”

📌 MO NEWS TALKS TO PA GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO

Pennsylvania Governor (and vice presidential “first-runner up”) Josh Shapiro spoke to Mo News this week at the Democratic National Convention. We asked him about the antisemitism he faced as he was considered for the Democratic vice presidential slot, plus how he thinks Democrats can win Pennsylvania, which could determine the winner on November 5.

🎙️ This interview has been edited for time and clarity

Mosheh: Governor, thanks for chatting. We're less than 80 days from the election. Democrats have been making the argument that the future of the country, the future of the world, is at stake. Why is this thing all tied up?

Shapiro: I don't think it's hyperbole that there's a lot on the line. I think that democracy is at risk. I think our freedoms and rights are on the line, and if Donald Trump has given the keys to the White House yet again, I think that means more chaos and less freedom. I believe that in my heart, that's why I'm working so hard for Kamala Harris to see her be the next president.

Now, the fundamental crux of your question is, why is it so close? Take a look at Pennsylvania. We are the ultimate swing state — that might be one of the few things Republicans and Democrats can agree on. And the last two presidential races have come down to 44,000 votes and 81,000 votes. In a commonwealth of 13 million people, it came down to less than 1%. This is a divided electorate and in a pretty polarized time, so it's not surprising to me that it's close.

Mosheh: How do you believe Democrats should be making the argument to voters?

Shapiro: The way I've been able to be successful in every election I've run in Pennsylvania is by showing up, meeting people where they are, talking to them on different channels, like this one. Prosecuting the case against your opponent, letting them know why your opponent is going to ultimately make their lives worse off, but also you have the burden of responsibility of offering a vision of what you think can be done to make their lives better. Folks basically want the same four things, right? They want good schools for their kids. They want safe communities. They want economic opportunity where they have a fair shot, no matter what they look like or where they come from, who they love, who they pray to. And they want their freedoms and rights protected, not limited.

Mosheh: You’ve faced scrutiny for your views on Israel despite them being aligned with most Democratic leadership. But the one difference was you're Jewish. I saw some blatantly antisemitic things happening online. What were those last few weeks during the VP vetting process?

Shapiro: I'm very proud of my faith and I draw strength from my family and my faith. Both call me to service. I wanna be very clear, I don't consult with my faith on what decision to make on a bill or a policy.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that antisemitism played absolutely no role in the dialogue I had with the Vice President. None. That’s not to say there isn’t antisemitism out there. What’s troubling is not that it is directed at me, but that it exists in our society.

I think leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity, and that means standing up against antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, all forms of hatred and bigotry. We need to condemn it. Donald Trump is someone who stokes it.

Mosheh: Trump has said Jews need to have their heads examined if they vote Democrat.

Shapiro: Right, which, like in and of itself is pretty blatantly bigoted. I do think it is important that we stand up and speak out, especially right now.

📌 RFK JR’S RUNNING MATE SAYS THEY MAY DROP OUT OF RACE AND ENDORSE TRUMP

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is considering closing up shop to “join forces” with Donald Trump, according to running mate Nicole Shanahan. She made the remarks in a new interview out Tuesday.

It follows reports that the independent candidate has reached out to both major party presidential nominees to seek a position in their administration as his support and financial backing dwindle. Trump is open to giving him a role. Harris hasn’t taken his calls.

ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Shanahan had long donated to Democratic candidates including a Super PAC that backed President Biden. But when RFK Jr. switched his bid to the White House from Democratic to Independent, she followed.

Their campaign was polling closer to 10% this spring, but is now closer to 3% in national polls. They are also struggling to get on the ballot in dozens of states. Kennedy has not made a campaign appearance since early July.
- Shanahan said the choice is between backing Trump, or staying in the race with hopes of winning more than 5% of the popular vote. Surpassing that threshold this fall could mean they have an easier time running in 2028. It would open up financing, help keep their party on state ballots, and establish their party as a real alternative option for voters.
- But, she also lamented that staying the race might hurt Trump, and lead to a Harris-Walz victory since most of their vote is coming from would-be Trump voters.
Trump said Tuesday he would “certainly” be open to Kennedy playing a role in his administration if he drops out. “I like him, and I respect him,” Trump told CNN.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Long recovery underway after deadly and destructive floods ravage Connecticut, New York (USA TODAY)

📌 Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools (ABC NEWS)

📌 Democratic delegates approve platform with mistake mentioning Biden's second term (FOX NEWS)

📌 New fencing goes up outside DNC a day after pro-Palestinian protesters breach outer barrier (CNN)

📌 Army and police missed chances to intervene before Maine mass shootings, final report says (AP)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Biden approved secret nuclear strategy refocusing on Chinese threat (NY TIMES)

📌 British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, among six missing after yacht sinks off Italy (REUTERS)

📌 Kenyan man being held over the discovery of dismembered female bodies escapes from police custody (NBC NEWS)

📌 Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, world's oldest living person, dies at 117, her family says (CBS NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Food industry pushes back against Kamala Harris’s ‘price gouging’ plan (WSJ)

📌 Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug slashes the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% in long-term trial (CNBC)

📌 Mpox "not the new COVID," World Health Organization says after declaring health emergency over Africa cases (CBS NEWS)

📌 Elon Musk’s Twitter deal may be the worst leveraged buyout deal for banks since Lehman, raising risks to Tesla (FORTUNE)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Alicia Silverstone alarms fans by appearing to eat poisonous fruit in TikTok video (NBC NEWS)

📌 World No. 1 Jannik Sinner won’t be suspended after twice testing positive for banned substance (CNN)

📌 ‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper inks multiyear deal with SiriusXM worth up to $125 million for exclusive content (VARIETY)

📌 James Taylor addresses scrapped performance at DNC 2024: 'Sorry to disappoint' (USA TODAY)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: AUGUST 21

1911: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by three Italian handymen. It was not recovered until 1913, and the media sensation helped make it one of the world's most famous paintings.
1942: The animated film Bambi debuted, becoming a Disney classic.
1959: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order making Hawaii the 50th state.
1987: 'Dirty Dancing' starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey premiered in theaters.
- 💃 DIRTY DANCING FUN FACTS:
  - The film's title was almost changed to ‘I Was a Teenage Mambo Queen’ after Dirty Dancing caused authorities at the Canadian border to hold up the dailies "because they thought it was a porn film."
  - Swayze almost turned down Dirty Dancing due to a serious knee injury, with his resume even reading "no dancing."
  - Before Jennifer Grey was cast as Baby, Sarah Jessica Parker and Winona Ryder auditioned.