The Fork in the Road

Joe Biden has led a long and honorable life of public service. He has had many significant accomplishments, including the past three-and-a-half years as the president of a deeply divided country. 

But he has reached a turning point in both his life and his career.

It’s becoming clear that he can’t win re-election. The numbers are no longer with him. So, in order to give his party its best fighting chance in the down ballot races for House and Senate seats, it’s time for him to withdraw from the race.

I expect he will be doing that in the coming days. 

This is unfair to him on many levels. But he, as well as any of us, knows that life can be unfair. 

Yet even as his quest for a second term ends, the battle to stop Trump has just begun. 

HEADLINES:

• Biden calls for ban on gun used to shoot Trump (BBC)

• Thomas Matthew Crooks searched for a royal before attempting to kill the former president (Independent)

• Three days after attempted assassination, Trump shooter remains an elusive enigma (AP)

• The latest on the Trump assassination attempt investigation (CNN)

• Trump shooting: US gov’t watchdog probing Secret Service security plan (Al Jazeera)

• The dangerous story Trump fans are telling themselves at the RNC (MSNBC)

• Nearly two-thirds of Democrats want President Biden to drop out of the presidential race, new AP-NORC poll shows (AP)

• Rep. Adam Schiff calls on Biden to drop out of presidential race (WP)

• Biden tests positive for Covid, cancels speech in Las Vegas (CNBC)

• Why the far right is surging all over the world (Vox)

• Torrential rain triggered flash flooding in parts of Toronto, Canada's financial center, causing power outages, disrupting traffic and forcing airlines to curtail service. (Reuters)

• The Palestinian Authority Is Collapsing (Foreign Affairs)

• Authorities in China are focused on boosting foreign tourism, including via a new policy granting visa-free entry to tourists from several countries. But even with tourism-friendly policies, far fewer tourists are coming to China now than before the pandemic. (Reuters)

• Prime Day is mostly a good deal for Amazon, not you (WP)

• Here’s How to Create a Social Safety Net With Bipartisan Support (Bloomberg)

• Biden Circle Shrinks as Democrats Fear Election Wipeout (NYT)

• ‘It’s like the yeti’: Scientists are marveling at a potential spade-toothed whale sighting (WP)

• Google chief scientist Jeff Dean: AI needs ‘algorithmic breakthroughs,’ and AI is not to blame for brunt of data center emissions increase (Fortune)

• What Could Conquer the Superweeds? Bayer and Others Turn to AI (WSJ)

• How AI is fuelling uncertainty for game developers (BBC)

• China Puts Power of State Behind AI—and Risks Strangling It (WSJ)

• Theatrical Farce Features Teammates, Parents, Coaches Pretending Little Leaguer’s 12-Error Dribbler Was Real Home Run (The Onion)