THE SHOW NOTES: There Is No Plan B, The Bubble Wrap Strategy, & Ending Submarine Dominance

Welcome! This guy was just elected President of Argentina.

IMPORTANT: The Washington Post has been co-opted by Hamas. - Twitter

NEW: Hundreds of OpenAI employees threaten to resign and join Microsoft - The Verge

HEADLINE: Gen Z workers say they should be hired for their ‘personality,’ not productivity: We ‘set the vibes’ - NY Post

The Show Notes is my blueprint for radio but is only for subscribers. You can subscribe and listen here.

Biden’s New Low

On President Biden’s 81st birthday, new polling from NBC shows Biden’s approval rating at its lowest point in his presidency as Democrats and independent voters question the President’s handling of the economy and foreign policy. Here’s what the pollster said,

“Joe Biden is at a uniquely low point in his presidency, and a significant part of this, especially within the Biden coalition, is due to how Americans are viewing his foreign policy actions.”

Details: Only 34% of registered voters support Biden’s handling of foreign policy while only 38% support his handling of the economy. While the September edition of the NBC poll had Biden and Trump tied, voters now favor Trump by a four-point margin. Even MSNBC can’t spin these numbers:

Democrats Lose Confidence In Biden

As a deluge of negative polls continues to suggest that Biden would lose to Donald Trump if the election were held today, former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain defiantly labeled these concerns as baseless at an off-the-record meeting over the weekend leaving fellow Democrats baffled at the comments. Despite evidence to the contrary, Klain claimed his former boss is a strong nominee and that Democrats have no need for a backup plan.

The Washington Post (paywall) conducted 30 interviews with Democratic aides, strategists, and Biden campaign officials who said otherwise. Here is how high-ranking Democrats summarized their concerns regarding the 81-year-old president.

The central concern is that Biden, who turns 81 on Monday, has lost a step and is showing visible signs of aging. He has struggled to sell his economic accomplishments. And there are worries that his campaign, so far devoid of major events or organizing efforts, is not doing enough to deal with the public hand-wringing over his chances or the coming threat of Trump, 77.

Politico conducted a similar round of interviews and found the same result:

Interviews with more than a dozen Biden donors and fundraisers, Democratic strategists and party officials, many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly, revealed deep concerns that the campaign’s approach to his age isn’t enough to quell voters’ fears about it.

The New York Times (paywall) reports that anonymous White House officials are so worried about Biden’s physical health that they are engaging in a “Bubble Wrap” strategy aimed at preventing the President from taking a public fall over the next 12 months.

Asked about his forthcoming birthday, the White House did not directly address the age issue on Sunday but chose to focus on the president’s accomplishments, making the point that his long experience in Washington has paid off.

The Era of Total U.S. Submarine Dominance Over China Is Ending

For decades, the U.S. hasn’t had to worry much about China’s submarines. They were noisy and easy to track. The Chinese military, meanwhile, struggled to detect America’s ultraquiet submarines.

Now, China is narrowing one of the biggest gaps separating the U.S. and Chinese militaries as it makes advances in its submarine technology and undersea detection capabilities, with major implications for American military planning for a potential conflict over Taiwan.

Early this year, China put to sea a nuclear-powered attack submarine with a pump-jet propulsion system instead of a propeller, satellite imagery showed. It was the first time noise-reducing technology used on the latest American submarines had been seen on a Chinese submarine.

A few months earlier, satellite images of China’s manufacturing base for nuclear-powered submarines in the northeastern city of Huludao showed hull sections laid out in the complex that were larger than the hull of any existing Chinese submarine. A second modern construction hall at the plant was finished in 2021, indicating plans to boost output.

Full story at The Wall Street Journal (paywall)

Trending news:

• Layoffs and bankruptcies pile up in logistics amid shocking downturn - Freight Waves

• SpaceX’s Starship rocket reaches space but is intentionally destroyed mid-flight - CNBC

• During visit to border, Texas governor endorses Trump - Politico

• Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Passes Away at 96 - Mediaite

• Goodbye Candace - Front Page

• Yemen’s Houthi rebels hijack Israeli-linked ship in Red Sea, take 25 crew members hostage - Politico

• Charlie Munger Lost His 9-Year-Old Son To Cancer, Went Blind In One Eye, Was Left With Nothing After A Divorce And Still Managed To Become One Of The Most Successful Billionaire Investors Ever - Yahoo

• Shakira reaches deal to avoid 8 years in prison, maintains innocence in tax fraud case - Fox News

• Bond Routs Turn Explosive in 5% Rates World: Credit Weekly - Bloomberg (paywall)

• A split emerges as Biden struggles to deter attacks on U.S. troops - The Washington Post (paywall)

Market snapshot: