Wednesday, May 15, 2024

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1/ Biden and Trump agreed to a pair of presidential debates before the November election. The first debate is June 27. It’ll be hosted by CNN and will not have an audience. The second debate will be Sept. 10, and hosted by ABC News. Earlier in the day, Biden said he’d “received and accepted an invitation” from CNN to participate in a debate. “Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden said. Trump accepted the invitation shortly after, saying: “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!” Neither debate will involve the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has been organizing and hosting debates for nearly 40 years. Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – aka The Worm – accused Biden and Trump of “colluding” to exclude him from the debate stage “because they are afraid I would win.” (Politico / NBC News / Associated Press / Axios / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The Supreme Court restored a congressional voting map in Louisiana that includes two majority-Black districts. Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature drew new district lines in January after the Supreme Court found the state’s map diluted the power of Black voters in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. A federal court later blocked the new map, saying the creation of a second majority-Black district amounted to an “impermissible racial gerrymander” that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The Supreme Court order allows the use of the map with the two majority-Black districts in the upcoming elections, increasing Democrats’ likelihood of taking control of a second congressional seat in Louisiana. (Associated Press / CBS News / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

3/ Inflation climbed 3.4% in April compared with the year before – down from 3.5%...

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