Paris Olympics 2024: Controversy Amid Athletic Glory

The Paris 2024 Olympics began with its opening ceremony along the Seine River on July 26. Athletes arrived by boat, passing landmarks like Notre-Dame and the Louvre, with performances by Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, as the Olympic flame lit the Olympic Cauldron, which is shaped as a hot air balloon.

The event faced challenges, however, with acts of sabotage targeting the French high-speed rail network and causing travel disruptions. The weather also posed issues, with rain starting just as the ceremony began, leading to a scramble to shelter equipment and attendees.

Reactions to the ceremonies have been mixed. While some praised the innovative artistic approach, others were frustrated by logistical problems, including long waits and overcrowding.

Controversy arose from one part of the ceremony that some viewers perceived as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper." This segment, which featured drag queens and dancers arranged along a long table, was interpreted by some as mocking Christianity. The event organizers said the scene was intended to parody the Greek myth of the Feast of Dionysius rather than the Last Supper.

Security was tight in the lead up to the games, with heavy police patrols and multiple security checks along the Seine.

Some athletes have complained about uncomfortable beds and the lack of air conditioning at the Olympic Village, with some booking hotel rooms instead.

  

Republican National Convention Concludes with JD Vance as VP Nominee

Republicans held their national convention earlier this month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following the attempted assassination of Trump, the convention featured more subdued rhetoric, aiming to demonstrate unity in preparation for the general campaign.

In a break with recent tradition, Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate while the convention was underway, rather than in the days leading up to it. Vance, a 39-year-old political newcomer and author of the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," has completed a transformation from staunch Trump critic (once referring to Trump as “reprehensible” and “cultural heroin” to a trusted ally who can carry on Trump’s vision after a possible second term.

Trump’s announcement, made via Truth Social just as the convention was kicking off, praised Vance as "the person best suited" to be his potential vice president. The former president highlighted Vance’s Marine Corps service and his memoir, positioning him as a champion for hardworking Americans, particularly in key swing states. 

Other notable speakers included UN Ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who formally endorsed Trump following their heated primary rivalry; and Peter Navarro, a former Trump trade adviser. Navarro delivered his remarks just hours after being released from federal prison, where he was held following his contempt of Congress conviction.

The convention concluded with Trump formally accepting the GOP nomination, delivering an emotional recount of the assassination attempt and calling for unity, while also touching upon familiar talking points often heard in his campaign rallies. Trump’s 93-minute speech set the record for the longest acceptance speech by a presidential nominee.

 

Investigation Continues into Motive Behind Attempted Trump Assassination

Federal investigators continue to piece together the motives behind the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. Despite extensive investigative efforts, including over 200 interviews and a thorough review of Crooks’s digital footprint, his exact motivations remain unknown.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, has been described as an intelligent yet unassuming loner with an interest in guns. He did not openly express strong political views, leading investigators to speculate whether his motives were political. Crooks may have been targeting high-profile figures, with Trump being the most accessible target due to the rally’s proximity to Crooks’s home.

Crooks had visited the rally location twice before the day of the attack and had images of both Trump and President Joe Biden on his phone. His search history included dates for the Democratic National Convention and future Trump events, providing some evidence that he was looking for high-profile opportunities to target.

 

Kamala Harris Launches Campaign GOP Retools Their Strategy

Vice President Kamala Harris has launched her campaign for the White House following President Joe Biden’s stunning withdrawal from the race on July 21. With the political landscape dramatically altered, with both the Democratic and Republican parties scrambling to adjust their strategies and messaging.

Harris wasted no time in capitalizing on the momentum generated by Biden’s endorsement, with her campaign announcing a record-breaking fundraising haul of $200 million in the 10 days after Biden’s withdrawal. This massive influx of support, much of it coming from new donors, has energized the party’s base and signaled a potential resurgence of enthusiasm among voters who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with a Biden candidacy.

Harris does face headwinds, however, as she currently polls below Trump in general election polling, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate. Harris’s supporters counter that the polling has not yet taken into account shifting voters’ attitudes now that she is the likely Democratic nominee, and they argue that she will overtake Trump as the campaign continues.

On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump and his newly minted running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, are recalibrating their approach. Trump’s recent rallies have signaled a departure from unity message that followed his assassination attempt two weeks ago, with the former president reverting to his more combative style as they seek to highlight Harris’s 2020 positions on crime and immigration. The GOP is eyeing traditionally Democratic strongholds, hoping to expand the electoral map in their favor.

Democrats are also adopting a new line of attack against the Republican ticket, characterizing Trump and Vance’s policies, as well as the men themselves, as “weird.” Harris herself has echoed this sentiment, describing Republican policies as “just plain weird” during a recent rally in Atlanta. Republicans have countered that this strategy distracts from real policy disagreements between the two candidates and from Harris’s record as vice president.

Harris has not yet selected a running mate, with possible contenders being PA Gov. Josh Shapiro, KY Gov. Andy Beshear, MN Gov. Tim Walz, and AZ Sen. Mark Kelly.

 

Supreme Court Rulings Target Federal Regulatory Apparatus

The Supreme Court issued several rulings this past week that curtails the federal regulatory system, attracting praise from conservatives and condemnation from progressives.

The most impactful decision was to overturn the Chevron deference doctrine in 6-3 decision along ideological lines, which required the federal judiciary to defer to the interpretation of regulatory agencies when interpreting ambiguous language in federal regulatory statutes passed by Congress, as long as their interpretation are reasonable.

The Chevron deference doctrine had been in force since a 1984 decision and has since been cited in thousands of cases. The Supreme Court in its majority ruling said that those case decision can stand, though the judiciary can no longer simply defer to the agencies’ interpretations in future cases and must interpret ambiguous statutes independently.

Critics of the decision says this ruling will lead to expertise being overruled by ideologically driven judges as well as leading to more regulatory uncertainty as agencies can later be overruled by judicial decisions.

Proponents of the decision dismiss the uncertainty argument, saying that regulatory interpretations are already changed as new administrations take office and that this will force Congress to use less ambiguous and tighter language when writing legislation.

The Supreme Court also ruled against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in another 6-3 decision, ruling that targets of civil enforcement can have their cases heard by a jury trial rather than by agency adjudication bodies. While in-house a judication had Congress’s approval, the majority opinion ruled that it violated the Seventh Amendment’s protection of right to trial by jury. Critics claim this ruling will stymie regulatory efforts, given the expense and length of jury trials.