Jeff’s Notes (AKA, A Brief History of the Last 24 Hours in US Politics) for August 9, 2024:

• Vice President Harris has responded to former President Trump’s statements about “agreeing” to multiple debates between the two. She said that she is pleased that Trump will appear on September 10 on ABC, as promised. (This was the previously agreed-upon match-up between Trump and President Biden, but now with Harris.) But she also added that any additional debates will be contingent on how the one on 9/10 goes. This is an adept bit of maneuvering on her part, as it pulls Trump’s desired debate on Fox off the table, and ensures gentlemanly conduct on his part for the ABC debate if he wants any more. LINK
• There’s some news on the front of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. First up, podcaster Joe Rogan announced that he’s supporting RFK’s bid, which feels like a bit of a poke in the eye to conservative-leaning members of Rogan’s audience. (LINK) Also, Harris allies have filed a legal challenge to try to keep RFK off the ballot in Pennsylvania. (LINK) And finally, if you’re curious to know more about RFK and his position on the issues, I’d recommend checking out this episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Content Warning: Oliver is not at all neutral on political topics, nor is he neutral when it comes to adult language. Be forewarned of this before watching his show!
  8/10 UPDATE: Joe Rogan has “clarified” his position on eX-Twitter: “For the record, this isn’t an endorsement. This is me saying that I like RFK Jr as a person, and I really appreciate the way he discusses things with civility and intelligence. I think we could use more of that in this world.”
• And finally, on a statistical note, it should be of interest to all parties that the number of migrants apprehended at the southwest border dropped by 50% in July, following President Biden’s executive action limiting asylum claims. LINK