Walkaway Joe

Joe Biden gave his final speech in a firm voice. For once, his family and aides didn’t have to hold their breath lest he would falter. And he didn’t falter.

When you are older yourself, watching someone else end their career has a familiar, bittersweet quality. Many of us did not want to leave the stage when circumstances forced us to do so, and that is what Biden is doing.

Aging is cruel and younger people, without realizing it, are cruel about aging. But their day will come.

Biden could have been bitter. (Maybe he is.) He could have been angry. (Maybe he is.)

But he closed his remarks with a flourish by citing lyrics from “American Anthem.”

For those who think they have nothing to share,
Who fear in their hearts there is no hero there.
Know that quiet acts of dignity are that which fortifies
The soul of a nation that never dies.
Let them say of me, I am one who believes in sharing the blessings I receive.
Let me know in my heart when my days are through, America, I gave my best to you.

That he did. ‘Bye Joe.

HEADLINES:

• Biden lays out choice to ‘save democracy’ with Harris (ABC)

• The Speech Biden Never Wanted to Give (NYT)

• Hillary Clinton says it's time for Kamala Harris to break 'glass ceiling' (BBC)

• DNC joy over Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s sinking polls: Joe Biden made it all happen. (USA Today)

• How Democrats Reversed the Script on the GOP (Politico Mag)

• The Mistake That Could Cost Trump the Election (Atlantic)

• The 47 Seconds That Saved Kamala Harris’s Political Career (NYT)

• The Kamala Show (New Yorker)

• Conservative Republican endorses Harris, calls Trump a threat to democracy (CNN)

• The 2024 U.S. presidential election reflects a changing America. Expect conflict ‘for the next generation,’ say top pollsters (Fortune)

• Protesters rally outside of Democratic National Convention as Chicago officials pledge to keep peace (AP)

• Fed to deliver three 25 quarter-point rate cuts this year; recession unlikely (Reuters)

• Kursk Operation Exposes Putin’s Weakness (Forbes)

• High-stakes negotiations are underway for a cease-fire in Gaza (AP)

• Blinken warns Israel and Hamas of last chance to end Gaza war (Reuters)

• Deep in the Amazon rainforest lives a community whose hearts age more slowly (BBC)

• Ernesto Is an Ominous Sign of What’s to Come (Mother Jones)

• 74% of IT pros see AI making their skills obsolete (CIO)

• What is ‘model collapse’? An expert explains the rumours about an impending AI doom (The Conversation)

• AI Cheating Is Getting Worse (Atlantic)

• How A.I. Can Help Start Small Businesses (NYT)

• Mayoral candidate vows to let VIC, an AI bot, run Wyoming’s capital city (WP)

• Democrats Panic After Kamala Harris Ages 40 Years In Single Night (The Onion