THE SHOW NOTES: Venezuelan Election, Biden Turns Left, & Polling Panic?

Welcome! This was the first and last time the “Dead Loop” was allowed in Olympic gymnastics.

OLYMPICS: Why the Paris Olympic swimming pool is considered “slow.”

QUESTION: Is Google search downplaying Trump’s assassination attempt?

INFO: Here’s what all of those dings mean on an airplane. - NY Post

NEW: Paris Olympics organizers sorry for Last Supper at Opening Ceremonies - Washington Post (free)

LOL: Kamala Harris Touted a $5B Electric School Bus Program. Three Years Later, It's Produced Just 60 Buses. - Free Beacon

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Venezuelan Election

In the least surprising news of the day, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro appears to have stolen the impoverished country’s most consequential presidential election in 25 years.

Despite countless voting irregularities and abnormalities, the Maduro-controlled election authority claimed that the sitting President won the election with 51.2% of the vote. The pseudo election board refused to release printouts verifying the electronic votes at multiple precincts while instances of voter intimidation were ubiquitous throughout the day.

Maduro’s grip on power has created one of the worst migrant crises in modern history. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country over the past decade with the plurality of them making the dangerous journey across Central America and to the US border. Despite the country’s prolific abundance of natural resources, the economic devastation from Maduro’s reign has resulted in an 82% poverty rate which has inflicted cascading effects across the region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Tokyo that the White House had “serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”

Biden Turns Left

President Joe Biden is calling for sweeping changes to the Surpeme Court and a constitutional amendment that would limit the power of the executive branch.

Details: In an op-ed at The Washington Post, the President called for SCOTUS justices to be term-limited at 18 years and face an enforceable code of conduct standard. The proposed new constitutional amendment would eliminate any immunity a former president enjoys for crimes committed while in office. Vice President Harris backed the president’s position even though the changes have no viable path to passing Congress.

Polling Panic?

Donald Trump’s six-point lead over Joe Biden has evaporated into a two-point deficit according to an alarming poll from The Wall Street Journal (paywall). While the data is still within the margin of error, concerning trends are emerging in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina where nonwhite voters have turned more sharply towards Harris.

An equally alarming poll from Fox News showed a statistical tie in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Here are thoughts from polling guru Harry Enten on CNN:

Mayor Pete: We all knew about Biden’s decline.

Trending news:

• Israel-Hamas war latest: US cautions Israel over escalation with Hezbollah after weekend attack - AP

• Behind hoopla, Democrats anxious about Harris - The Hill

• Trump urges Christians to vote: 'You won't have to do it anymore' - CNN

• More than half of American renters who want to buy a home fear they’ll never afford one - CNN

• D.C. is seeing more divorces and custody battles over politics - Axios

• Djokovic beats Nadal to keep Olympic dream going - Yahoo

• In photos: U.S. wins most Olympic medals in Paris Games' first weekend - Axios

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: I have not been vetted as Kamala Harris' running mate - USA Today

• Former US ambassador says US ‘asleep’ amid Russia threat - SEMAFOR

• With Vance’s rocky debut, Republicans ask if Trump’s VP bet will pay off - Washington Post (free)

• Traffic Enforcement Dwindled in the Pandemic. In Many Places, It Hasn’t Come Back. - NYT (paywall)

Market snapshot: