THE SHOW NOTES: The War On Happiness, Russia's Wagner Saga, & Major SCOTUS Decisions
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Russia’s Wagner Saga
The Wagner Group is beginning the process of transferring its weapons to the Russian military as growing concern mounts on the fate of tens of thousands of Wagner fighters who remain in Russia. Vladimir Putin praised the Russian military for having “essentially stopped a civil war” in his first public address since the attempted coup on Tuesday morning.
Prigozhin: Russian authorities seized billions of rubles (about $48 million) from Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s St Petersburg apartment before officially dropping its criminal investigation into him. Prigozhin reiterated in an audio message from an undisclosed location that his feud was with two Russian military leaders but never aimed to topple Putin. Russian state media confirmed Prigozhin arrived in Belarus today where he will remain exiled
Why he did it: Growing consensus points to Prigozhin’s motives for the coup as twofold: ONE: The Russian military authorized a missile strike on a Wagner camp that killed 30 fighters. TWO: Military officials put a deadline in place demanding all Wagner fighters register with the military, essentially neutering Wagner’s strength.
Not enough: Loyalists to Putin are demanding that Prigozhin be killed for the coup and point to the 13 Russian airmen who lost their lives when Wagner troops shot down seven Russian helicopters. A prominent Russian official on state television said, “I am fiercely convinced that in wartime, traitors must be shot. Whatever fairy tales they tell you, the only way out for Prigozhin is a bullet in the head.”
Ukraine: Zelenskiy claims Ukrainian troops have “advanced in all directions” as Wagner and Russian forces were pulled from the region to deal with the weekend coup. Ukraine was able to retake land they have not controlled since 2014.
What happens to Wagner: While the focus on Wagner’s future has largely pertained to Russia and Ukraine, questions are being raised about Wagner’s growing influence in Africa and the Middle East. The Wagner Group serves as mercenaries for various countries in exchange for valuable mining rights. If The Wagner Group implodes, extended violence could be seen in multiple countries.
Fun fact: As Putin’s caterer, Yevgeny Prigozhin personally served wine to then-President George Bush at a dinner with Putin.
Sources: CNN, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Review, Washington Post
SCOTUS Decisions
Three SCOTUS decisions were handed down today with the most consequential coming out of North Carolina The Surpeme Court ruled in favor of the North Carolina Supreme Court which invalidated the state’s 2022 election map in a blow against Republicans. The top court ruled 6-3 that state supreme courts have the authority to make decisions in state-based election cases.
Noteworthy: Ketanji Brown Jackson was in the minority on all three cases today.
What I’m watching: The most highly anticipated cases of the year have yet to be released. The 303 Creative Case regarding a web designer who refused to set up a website for a gay wedding on religious grounds and an affirmative action case regarding race-based merits in college admissions are due later this week.
Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris is the least popular VP ever. In a new poll from NBC, Harris’ net approval rating of -17 is the lowest number earned by a sitting vice president in the poll’s history. A shocking 39% of Americans have a “very negative” view of her. Ouch.
Trump Audio
Anderson Cooper on CNN released exclusive audio that appears to be Donald Trump discussing highly classified documents regarding Pentagon plans to attack Iran with an author writing the memoir of Mark Meadows in 2021. Trump is heard in the audio saying “these are the papers” while shuffling paper is heard in the background.
Why this matters: The news complicates Trump’s claim that he did not possess classified documents and is a part of growing evidence for Jack Smith’s investigation.
Raffensperger: Brad Raffensperger is being interviewed by investigators from Special Council Jack Smith’s office in Atlanta on Wednesday over the infamous phone call where Trump said he needed Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes.
10%: The New York Times first reported that 10% of every dollar donated to Trump’s 2024 campaign is going to cover his mounting legal bill. It appears that millions of dollars have already been diverted to fund his legal defense.
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