The Show Notes: The Special Master, More Oil Problems, & What Did (Or Didn't) Happen At BYU?
Welcome! Nearly 2 in 5 American adults regret their college degree.
Must read: The Generic Congressional Ballot and Recent History - RCP
Headline: Mayor Lori Lightfoot lashes out at Texas Gov. Abbott after 50 more migrants are bussed to Chicago.
NEW: The chips are down: Putin scrambles for high-tech parts as his arsenal goes up in smoke. - Politico
Quote from Punchbowl: “Democratic congressional leaders are considering attaching a provision codifying same sex marriage protections onto a must-pass spending bill to keep the federal government open past Sept. 30.”
Clip of the day:
While Granholm and others in the Biden administration want to ban gas-powered vehicles, mining CEOs claim there is not enough lithium available to meet their electric vehicle targets. Full story.
Trump Records
A federal judge has appointed a nonpartisan special master to review the documents seized by the FBI at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. In addition, the judge ordered the Justice Department to stop reviewing files in its possession. The designation is a much-needed win for the Trump legal team who made the request one month ago.
Biden’s War On Oil
Oil and gas drilling leases on federal land have drastically slowed as the Biden administration continues its war on fossil fuels while draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to record lows. The administration has allowed fewer acres to be leased than at any administration since since World War II.
This is from The Wall Street Journal (paywall):
“President Biden’s Interior Department leased 126,228 acres for drilling through Aug. 20, his first 19 months in office, the analysis found. No other president since Richard Nixon in 1969-70 leased out fewer than 4.4 million acres at this stage in his first term.”
The move to restrict oil leases comes as OPEC+ prepares to cut oil production which will ultimately drive up energy prices. It appears that Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia was in vain.
What Is Wrong With Germany?
Despite surging energy prices, Germany has decided to proceed with plans to phase out two of its three remaining nuclear power plants. The news comes the same day Russia halted natural gas exports through its Nord Stream pipeline. Google searches in Germany for “firewood” are at an all-time high as people search for affordable means of heating their homes this winter.
The BYU Incident
A BYU fan purportedly used a racial slur towards a Duke player during the BYU vs Duke women’s volleyball game. Outrage was swift and the fan (not a student of BYU) was banned from future events. BYU profusely appologized and opened an investigation. The South Carolina women’s basketball coach canceled a game later this year against BYU over the incident. There’s just one problem: it never happened. Here’s a tweet thread chronicling the event.
The rest of the news:
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Passes ‘Black Panther’ as Fifth-Highest Grossing Movie Ever in North America - Variety
GOP still has inside track to House majority despite Dem gains - Politico
Democrats are Setting the Terms of the Debate - The Liberal Patriot
We rated every race in play in 2022. This is who we think will win. - Politico
Photos show small crowd at Biden and Fetterman Labor Day rally - Washington Examiner
Apple’s big iPhone 14 event kicks off Wednesday. Here’s what to expect - CNBC
Nate Silver: Dems have 68% chance of winning the Senate. - FiveThirtyEight
California facing chance of blackouts amid brutal heat wave - AP News
One of the biggest strikes in US history is brewing at UPS - CNN Business
Memphis police speak after body of missing teacher is identified - CNN
Country singer Jason Aldean dropped by PR firm following backlash over wife’s comments: reports - The Hill
Consumers Feel Worse Now Than They Did During Covid Lockdowns - WSJ (paywall)
How a Record Cash Haul Vanished for Senate Republicans - NYT (paywall)
Lack of US Workers Is ‘Bigger Threat’ Than Inflation, Labor Secretary Walsh Says - Bloomberg (paywall)
California Heat Set to Peak, Driving Power Demand to Record High - Bloomberg (paywall)
Tweets that caught my eye: