President Joe Biden announced on Sunday his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden explained in a social media post. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” The decision represents the latest swerve in a wild-ride-of-an-election-year summer that has included a jaw-dropping debate performance from Biden, an unusually high number of high-profile, third-party candidates running, and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Now Americans await the prospect of something very few have ever witnessed: a brokered political convention. [I]f frailties and senility prevented Biden for running for reelection, why do not these handicaps force him to resign as president. The pressured withdrawal solves one problem. It creates many others. A Detroit Free Press poll released this weekend showed Biden down seven to Trump in, for Democrats at least, must-win Michigan. Increasingly, since the June debate in which the president exhibited what appeared to many as signs of senility, a path to victory for Biden looked closed. Democrats can now at least hope. They enjoy a fighting chance. But Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed in a statement following up the announcement ending his run, polls in the same depressing range as Biden. Dumping her risks alienating black women, one of the most loyal blocs within the party. Sticking with her looks like if not a suicide mission than at least replacing one underdog with another. The party’s bench includes politicians accustomed to working across the aisle. Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan each look capable of generating more support than Harris, a solid debater, grating and uninspiring speaker, and altogether awkward presence. As a Bay Area politician, she did not really need to speak to independents let alone Republicans to win elections. But skipping over Harris, picked as a running mate explicitly because of her race, risks sparking more chaos within the party. In other words, many Democrats who want to win in November should expect the term “racist” hurled at them should they work to dump Harris — unless, of course, they can convince Michelle Obama (a far more formidable potential candidate than Harris) to run. Beyond this, the party that has spent the better part of the last four years moralizing about the threat to democracy posed by their opponent now jettisons the primary votes of 14 million regular Democrats in favor of a few thousand elites who decide the nominee. Though Biden did not inspire loyalists among party regulars as Obama or Clinton did, they exist and his forced exit leaves them upset and disenfranchised. Bad Judgement on Biden All of the Democrats who pushed to dump Biden voted for him and urged others to vote for him during primary season. The entire episode seems a tacit admission of the bad judgment of party elites. Biden sees no shortage of Judases. More than three dozen Democrat House members and a handful of Democrat senators openly called for him to dropout. So did The New York Times, George Clooney, and countless Democrats across the country. But behind the scenes Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, and other leading Democrats orchestrated this moment. Biden, sick with Covid on the beach in Wilmington, ends a political career that started 55 years ago on a discordant note. And for his critics, the question remains: if frailties and senility prevented Biden for running for reelection, why do not these handicaps force him to resign as president of the United States as well? Biden, gone as a candidate, now morphs into a campaign issue. READ MORE from Daniel Flynn: Trump Accepts Republican Presidential Nomination The Hale–Bopp Comet Election Senility, the Press, and a Tale of Two Presidents The post Biden Unceremoniously Drops Out of 2024 Race appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

BREAKING: Joe Biden DROPS OUT! What’s Next? w/ @TheQuartering Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/wearechange Sign up - https://lukeunfiltered.com/ The shirts - https://thebestpoliticalshirts.com/ Bitcoin Conference tickets (Discount Code: WRC) - https://glnk.io/lr8q9/wrc BREAKING: Joe Biden DROPS OUT! What’s Next? This breaking news report covers Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Kamala Harris.

Watch The X22 Report On Video 2 videos found Ep 3408b – Manchurian Candidate,[HRC]-[BO] Ticket Possible?Are You Ready To Finish What We Started Ep 3408a – IMF Sends Warning To Fed About Cutting Rates, Biden Admin Will Force It Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe green agenda will increase the cost of energy because it is not efficient. Just look at the UK. NY is getting wind power, wait until the people see the truth. Real estate market falling apart. IMF sends warning about rate cuts. Biden is a Manchurian candidate, so is Obama. Biden is will not make it to the 2024 elections, either he will resign or the [DS] will remove him. Is a [HRC]-[BO] possible. yes, will the [DS] move in this direction. If so, Trump has them exactly where he wants them. Think about where all this started, Clinton and Obama, its now time to finish what was a started.   Economy This Is Why Electricity Costs Twice As Much In Britain As In The US  The new Energy Secretary Ed Milliband has just given the green light to the biggest solar farm in the U.K. He claims that building the Sunnica solar farm in East Anglia will “cut bills for families”. The peak electricity demand in Britain is in the winter when we need to heat our homes, offices, shops, warehouses, factories etc. But in the winter solar farms produce almost no electricity in Britain. This is because it is dark for around 16 hours a day and when the Sun does appear it is weak and usually hidden behind thick cloud. Solar energy may make sense in some countries, for example the countries of North Africa, but building solar farms in Britain is completely brainless. Source: zerohedge.com Nation's Largest Offshore Wind Project Breaks Ground In NY On Way To Powering 600K Homes https://t.co/jrCTLe19gS pic.twitter.com/W0CcuRh2fe — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) July 21, 2024 JUST IN: A record 6.7% of US homes listed for sale experienced price drops over the last 4 weeks. This exceeded the 4.7% and 5.6% readings seen in the weakest 4-week periods of 2023 and 2022. The share of homes with price declines grew due to a drop in demand as buyers wait for… pic.twitter.com/viT2HDoeDE — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) July 21, 2024   as buyers wait for mortgage rates and prices to fall. Most recently, 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell to 6.8% on July 17th from 7.1% two weeks earlier. Meanwhile, the median house sale price is sitting at a whopping $396,379 just $100 below last week’s all-time high. Buyers are quickly disappearing in this market IMF Suggests Raising Taxes to Pay off the $34 TRILLION US Federal Debt — Says the FED Should Wait to Drop Interest Rates  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a staff report last week, advising the Federal Reserve to wait to cut interest rates and instead suggests that the government raises taxes to combat the out-of-control federal debt. The globalist-backed report mirrors the Biden Regime’s economic narrative, recommending that the FED hold the line until interest rates dip back down to their set target of 2%. From the IMF staff report: “Directors noted that high fiscal deficits and the ongoing increase in the U.S. public debt to GDP ratio pose risks not only for the U.S. but also the global economy. They stressed the pressing need for a frontloaded fiscal adjustment, through both revenue and spending measures, while redirecting some of the fiscal savings to programs to alleviate poverty. A structural and long-term solution to address the issues related to the debt ceiling would also be beneficial…”  Source: thegatewaypundit.com Political/Rights Geopolitical/Police State War    Russia Warns It Sees ‘Concentrated Presence’ Of NATO Warships In Black Sea The Kremlin has again warned against a build-up of NATO warships in the Black Sea, while saying it is monitoring a noticeable increase in Western military vessels. “Of course, the concentrated presence of NATO ships – we are paying attention to Bulgaria and Romania, the coastal states that are members of the (NATO) alliance – of course this represents, especially in the current situation, an additional threat to Russia,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing Thursday. Via Associated Press Source: zerohedge.com ** The #CoastGuard is currently experiencing a temporary network outage **⁰⁰Radio communications are limited at this time.⁰⁰Mariners are encouraged to monitor VHF Ch16.⁰⁰All mariners are strongly encouraged to report any distress to the CG via telephone. — USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) July 19, 2024 Boris Johnson & Zelenskyy have both called on Trump to help end the war in Ukraine. This is wild. pic.twitter.com/r7bF7WzN07 — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) July 20, 2024 I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.  Q My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024  decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this. Question for the “Democratic” party elites who are engaged in a coup against their democratically elected nominee… How do you argue he’s not fit to be a candidate, while maintaining he’s still competent enough to have his finger on the nuclear button? — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 19, 2024 Everyone calling on Joe Biden to *stop running* without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism. If you can't run, you can't serve. He should resign now. — JD Vance (@JDVance1) July 20, 2024 Trump calls out the Democrat elite for “trying to overthrow the results of their party’s primary”. “The Democrat Party is not the party of democracy, they’re really the enemies of democracy.” pic.twitter.com/AIamE2p3Ty — Clandestine (@WarClandestine) July 20, 2024   "Which of the following Democrats do you think would be a better presidential candidate than Joe Biden?" Democrats Only –None of Them: 27%M Obama: 20%K Harris: 15%H Clinton: 12%G Newsom: 11%G Whitmer: 9%Not sure: 4% https://t.co/6VoX4T8cBp — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) May 13, 2024      his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! “She’s Running!” – Hillary Clinton Floated as Biden Replacement Amid Democrat Turmoil  The media is pushing Kamala Harris as the perfect alternative to Joe Biden. However, an author floated twice-failed presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton as the perfect Biden replacement in an op-ed for The Hill. Pablo O’Hana wrote an opinion piece on Saturday titled, “Ready for Round 2: Why we Need Hillary more than ever.” “The strongest argument against replacing President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee is the notion that no suitable successor exists. But there is, and not just a good one but one of the most qualified people ever to run for the office: Hillary Rodham Clinton,” O’Hana wrote. O’Hana even called Hillary Clinton “perhaps the mightiest of all” choices to replace Joe Biden. SHE’S RUNNING!!! These opinion pieces don’t happen organically – Crooked is on the move!!! “Ready for Round 2: Why we Need Hillary more than ever” https://t.co/FrXLLfR4ZX — Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) July 20, 2024 Source: thegatewaypundit.com 4083 May 03, 2020 1:55:49 PM EDT Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: 97a9d5 No. 9012163  EW4Yi21XkAkZ8Es.png https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/495580-a-hillary-clinton-barack-obama-ticket-to-replace-joe-biden Q A Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama ticket to replace Joe Biden? Is it even possible? The next obvious question is this: Does the Constitution allow Obama’s selection as a vice presidential running mate, given ambiguous language in the 12th and 22nd amendments? The 12th Amendment states that no one “ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.” The 22nd Amendment — the “not Franklin Delano Roosevelt again” amendment — states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” The operative word here might be “elected.” If Obama were selected as Clinton’s running mate, and she had to leave office for any reason, then Obama would succeed her. At least one constitutional expert is on record saying there is nothing to prevent such a scenario.  But why would Obama, who has endorsed Biden, ever entertain such a possibility? I can think of two reasons. One, he would be seen among liberal, Never Trumpers as the one who stepped up to save the nation. Two, there is no heavy lifting involved. Obama could move into the vice presidential residence at the Naval Observatory, considered some of the most beautiful, secure grounds in all of Washington, and do as much or as little work as he wanted. His only real task would be during the campaign, to push Hillary Clinton over the victory line. Some of the smart money may be placed on Joe Biden not becoming the Democrats’ nominee after all. And, at least in a few minds, it may be time for plans “C” and “O,” Democrats. https://twitter.com/JDunlap1974/status/1814792078372565468 Trump Shooter’s School Releases Statement Claiming They Have No Records of Him Trying Out for Rifle Team    The Bethel Park School District has released a statement that claims Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks never tried out for his school’s rifle team. In a press release, The Bethel Park School District wrote, “It has been reported that Thomas Crooks was a member of the Bethel Park High School rifle team or tried out for it but was dismissed due to poor performance or because the coach had character concerns.” The statement continued, “Thomas Crooks was never a member of the school’s rifle team, and we have no record of him trying out. The coach does not recall meeting him.” However, The school noted, “The coach does not recall meeting him. However, it is possible that Crooks informally attended a practice, took a shot, and never returned. We don’t have any record of that happening.”   Statement from Bethel Park School District: https://t.co/SqIT40tm6Z pic.twitter.com/yuAXfCJESx — Patrick Webb (@RealPatrickWebb) July 20, 2024 Per The Bethel Park School District:   Source: thegatewaypundit.com Trump Jr. on Shooter Flying Drone at Rally: Secret Service Stopped Me from ‘Flying My Own Drone’ near Mar-a-Lago Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying MY OWN drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house…Now we have one literally scouting his speech!!! https://t.co/M3BAENqT4f — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 20, 2024 Source: breitbart.com BREAKING. The Washington Post proves that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas *LIED* about not denying Secret Service protection to former President Donald Trump prior to last Saturday's assassination attempt. The Secret Service and DHS Secretary Mayorkas both lied to the public… pic.twitter.com/a85z7kw2BH — Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 21, 2024 about the denial of Trump team security requests. “The assertion that a member of the former president’s security team requested additional security resources that the U.S. Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security rebuffed is absolutely false,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service. The Washington Post later reported “Guglielmi said the agency had learned new information indicating the agency’s headquarters may have in fact denied some requests for additional security from Trump’s detail and was reviewing documentation to understand the specific interactions better.” The Congress already had enough justification to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas over deliberately causing a border crisis. The Secret Service’s mishandling of the Trump assassination attempt and the DHS cover-up add to the disgraceful record of one of the worst Cabinet officials in U.S. history. Mayorkas should have been removed from office a long time ago. The fact he is still there means that the Biden administration and the Congress feel they are above accountability to the American people.   The Secret Service never warned President Trump about the ongoing security threats prior to his assassination attempt: “Nobody said there was a problem and I would have waited for 15, they could have said, let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something”. pic.twitter.com/4qo974pXFP — Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) July 21, 2024   roof? —— “You had people screaming, “there’s a man on the roof who’s got a gun. That was quite a bit before I walked into the stage. So you woulda thought somebody would have done something about it,” The full interview airs Monday   WATCH: President Trump says Crooked Joe Biden has been compromised by China. "I believe they've paid him a tremendous amount of money, and he doesn't want people to find out about it." pic.twitter.com/IYeBFhy63D — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 10, 2023 TAKE A LISTEN A Manchurian candidate is a person, especially a politician, being used as a puppet by an enemy power. The term is commonly used to indicate disloyalty or corruption, whether intentional or unintentional. Manchurian candidate a person who is not loyal to, or who harms, their own country or political party because they are under the control or influence of another country or party: The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film) The plot centers on Korean War veteran Raymond Shaw, part of a prominent political family. Shaw is brainwashed by communists after his Army platoon is captured. He returns to civilian life in the United States, where he becomes an unwitting assassin in an international communist conspiracy. The group, which includes representatives of the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union, plans to assassinate the presidential nominee of an American political party, with the death leading to the overthrow of the U.S. government. 1662 Jul 01, 2018 3:23:25 PM EDT Q !CbboFOtcZs ID: 147267 No. 1987414  https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/1/us-really-did-have-MANCHURIAN-candidate-white-hous/ Q America really did have a Manchurian Candidate in the White House After returning from a tour of some of the war zones in the Middle East — which ended with the Free Iran Gathering 2018 in Paris — I am struck by the realization that America really did have a Manchurian Candidate in The White House for eight years. If you look at the evidence, there really is no other conclusion. The calamitous consequences of the Obama presidency will be felt for the   Source: washingtontimes.com       Pepperidge Farm Remembers. Coming This Week: New Data on 2020 Battleground State Mail Ballot Fraud https://t.co/f8XTk2lRRQ — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) July 21, 2024 Don't worry:The same people who pretended "Russia!" "hacked" the DNC (then testified they didn't actually know), then "accidentally" nuked global networks, are protecting our election critical infrastructure. Everything's fine. Most secure ever. Shut up, conspiracy theorist! https://t.co/Mq5dQQeiHL pic.twitter.com/qFeInYWntN — Shawn Smith – Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes (@ShawnSmith1776) July 19, 2024 Are you paying attention Maricopa County Elections put out a statement that the global tech outage is also impacting some voting locations. What is being done to ensure this doesn’t happen on Election Day? Tech outages could be the new steal. pic.twitter.com/PSXPgcFK13 — ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) July 19, 2024 Voter ID ballot initiative signatures validated in Nevada Those voting by mail would be required to provide the last four digits of their state-issued driver’s license or social security number. Signatures for a Nevada ballot initiative on voter ID have been validated. 185,573 people signed a petition from Repair The Vote PAC to get Voter ID on the ballot this November. As previously reported by The Center Square, the required number is 102,362, with an equal number of signatures coming from every congressional district. In a July 19th email to media, Repair The Vote PAC Chairman David Gibbs said his organization is “elated” to have met another milestone. “The validation of 185,573 signatures underscores the strong support from citizens across the Silver State who are committed to protecting the sanctity of our voting system,” said Gibbs. “We are one step closer to enacting this vital reform.” The initiative wants Nevadans to present photo ID when voting in person at polling places. Those voting by mail would be required to provide the last four digits of their state-issued driver’s license or social security number.  Currently, thirty-five states require voters to show identification to vote at the polls. However, only twenty-four of those require photo identification. Idaho, Utah, and Arizona fall into one of those categories. California and Oregon do not require voter ID. Source: justthenews.com 4960 Nov 07, 2022 7:20:19 PM EST Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: 000000 No. 17728969  Why do some elections take more than a day to count? Can cheating be done after the polls are closed? Who controls the pollbooks? Who controls the databases? Who controls the elections? Why are extra ballots printed? If someone doesn’t vote, can bad actors hijack their vote? How? Why did the National Guard activate CYBERsecurity teams? Who gave the order to ‘activate’ the CYBERsecurity teams? Why? To protect the elections? To claim the midterms are ‘safe’? Safe from what? Setting the stage? Watch carefully. White hats have secured many systems, but problems still remain. You have all the tools you need. Vote. Q Donald Trump talks about watching SpaceX launches and being amazed by reusable rockets: “If that were government, you wouldn’t see that for another 50-100 years.. But it was Elon” pic.twitter.com/Q1JbRw8rir — ALX (@alx) July 20, 2024 

from Off Guardian: A massive outage of Windows-based computers has impacted systems all over the world. Doctors’ surgeries, airlines, train stations, television stations, payment platforms – virtually all sectors of human society have been impacted. Traffic is backing up, flights are grounded. So far Microsoft is blaming a “third party”, and ruled out a cyber attack. […]

from The Gateway Pundit: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

Just as I predicted a few hours ago, calls are going to grow for Joe Biden to be REMOVED or RESIGN as President. If he’s unfit to run for re-election, he’s until to continue serving as President. Those calls are going to intensify, and they’ve already started. Here is Speaker Mike Johnson: At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election. Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe… — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 21, 2024 FULL TRANSCRIPT: At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election. Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite. The party’s prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris, who co-owns the disastrous policy failures of the Biden Administration. As second in command and a completely inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history. She has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve. Regardless of the chaos in the current White House, our adversaries around the globe should be reminded that the U.S. Congress, the U.S. military, and the American people are fully prepared and committed to defend our interests both at home and abroad. If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough. What do you think?

A multi-state listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat has reportedly killed two individuals and hospitalized 28 others. U.S. health officials are advising pregnant women, elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems to avoid eating sliced deli meat unless recooked in hot temperatures at home. “A dozen states in the Midwest and East Coast reported people recently became ill from listeria, a bacteria that causes potentially foodborne illnesses and is especially concerning during pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release. The deaths occurred in Illinois and New Jersey. New York has had seven cases, the most of any state, CDC data showed,” USA TODAY reports. “LISTERIA OUTBREAK: 28 people are sick, with 2 deaths, in 12 states. Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot,” the CDC said Friday. LISTERIA OUTBREAK: 28 people are sick, with 2 deaths, in 12 states. Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Read more: https://t.co/Tm4qEtusWg pic.twitter.com/4bMZg2wlap — CDC (@CDCgov) July 19, 2024 Per USA TODAY: The sick people’s samples were collected between May 29 and July 5. In interviews, 16 of 18 sick people said they ate meats sliced at deli counters – most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham, the CDC said. The CDC is currently investigating which types of meat may be contaminated. There is no evidence that prepackaged deli meats made people sick with the disease, CDC said. People at higher risk of getting sick from listeria should avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters unless they heat those meats to 165 degrees, or until they’re steaming hot, the CDC said. Listeria can cause severe illness when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body. It’s particularly concerning for pregnant women because it can cause miscarriages. Other symptoms in pregnant people include fever, fatigue and muscle aches. Anyone exposed to the disease can experience a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, as well as fever and muscle aches. WATCH: Health officials are warning of a deadly listeria outbreak linked to deli meat. The outbreak has sickened more than two dozen people in at least 12 states. Whit Johnson reports. https://t.co/OMsKjyzPk9 pic.twitter.com/XquEK3iaER — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 20, 2024 #BREAKING: 28 Sick in Listeria Outbreak Across StatesA Listeria outbreak is impacting 28 people across 12 states, with 28 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. The CDC links the outbreak to contaminated deli meats. Those at higher risk should reheat deli meats to 165°F and clean… pic.twitter.com/s3WmqZajjm — Citizen NYC (@CitizenAppNYC) July 19, 2024 From the Associated Press: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t mandate a food recall as of early Saturday, because it remains unclear what specific products have been contaminated with the bacteria now blamed for two deaths and 28 hospitalizations across 12 states. This means the contaminated food may still be in circulation, and consumers should consider their personal risk level when consuming deli meats. Federal health officials warned on Friday that the number of illnesses is likely an undercount, because people who recover at home aren’t likely to be tested. For the same reason, the outbreak may have spread wider than the states where listeria infections have been reported, mostly in the Midwest and along the U.S. eastern coast. The largest number known to get sick — seven — were in New York, according to the CDC. The people who died were from Illinois and New Jersey. Of the people investigators have been able to interview, “89% reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis,” the CDC said. And samples collected from victims from May 29 to July 5 show the bacteria is closely related genetically. “This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak. However, at this time CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of this outbreak,” the agency said in a statement published on its website Friday.

By now you likely know that Joe Biden has officially dropped out of the 2024 Presidential Race. We’ve been covering it all morning and afternoon. But what comes next? I put my thoughts down on paper here: Biden Out, Harris Endorsed — Here Are My Thoughts On What Happens Next And the other question many people (like me) have right now.... What's it like right now in D.C.? Specifically, what's happening at the White House? Can we get some boots on the ground reporting? Luckily, we can. We go to the excellent PenguinSix for this live look at everything happening right now at the Biden White House: SHARE!

I originally wrote this article when it looked like Joe Biden WOULD drop out of the Presidential Election.  Now that he has, I’m re-running it.  Ignore all future references to Joe possibly dropping out — he just made it official this morning.  Here’s what happens next…. With Joe Biden almost surely set to drop out of the race soon (or be removed, or die) you may be wondering like I was: what will happen to all his campaign contributions? Millions upon millions…. Remember just a few weeks ago when Barack Obama helped Biden raise $28 million? WATCH: President Barack Obama Has To Guide A Confused Biden Off Stage As He FREEZES Again So what happens to all that money if Biden drops out, dies or is removed? Does it all go to Kamala? Is it just transferred to whoever replaces him? Not exactly. Allow me to explain how it would be dealt with.... If Joe Biden were to drop out of the presidential race, the handling of the campaign donations would follow the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations. Here is how it would work in order of what would happen first to last (I've included citations to my sources and legal authorities): Debt Repayment: Campaign funds can be used to pay off any outstanding debts or obligations incurred during the campaign. This includes costs associated with winding down the campaign, such as office space rental, staff salaries, and office supplies​ (FactCheck.org)​​ (FEC.gov)​. Refunds: Contributions made for the general election must be refunded to the donors if the candidate drops out before the general election. This refund must occur within 60 days unless the donor gives permission to use the funds for other purposes​ (Investopedia)​. Donations to Charities or Political Parties: Leftover funds can be donated to charitable organizations or transferred to other political committees, including national, state, or local party committees​ (Investopedia)​​ (Mental Floss)​. Transfers to Other Candidates: The campaign can make contributions to other federal candidates, subject to limits (e.g., $2000 per election per candidate)​ (Mental Floss)​. Future Campaign Use: Funds can be saved for a future election campaign by the same candidate. If Biden decided to run for another office in the future, he could use the remaining funds for that campaign​ (Investopedia)​. Prohibited Personal Use: The funds cannot be used for personal expenses. Personal use includes expenses that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s campaign or duties as a federal officeholder, such as household items, personal mortgage or rent, and personal travel​ (Investopedia)​​ (Mental Floss)​. Ok, so let's dig into #4 a bit.... So let's just say that The Rock ends up replacing Joe Biden. It's true that only $2,000 of the Biden Campaign Funds can be transferred directly to The Rock's campaign, which of course is basically nothing. But that's not really the end of the story. There are many loopholes and workarounds. Here are the three biggest ones: Donations to Charities: Donate an unlimited amount to charitable organizations, provided the donation does not benefit Biden personally​ (Investopedia)​​ (FEC.gov)​. Transfers to Party Committees: Transfer unlimited amounts to national, state, or local political party committees​(Mental Floss)​​ (FEC.gov)​. Leadership PACs: Establish a leadership PAC, which can be used to support other candidates and political activities. This is more flexible but still subject to restrictions on personal use​ (Mental Floss)​. So that's probably where we'd see the bulk of it go....to places like the DNC or other PACs. Forbes recently published a similar analysis that lines up very nicely with what I've just posted above: KEY FACTS If a presidential candidate dropped out of the race, they would first need to repay all of their campaign vendors, and if the campaign ended before their parties’ respective conventions, where they officially select a nominee, they would have to refund all contributions designated to be used in the general election, elections lawyer Brett Kappel told Forbes. After that, Biden or Trump could try to use any leftover money to support their party’s new candidate—but campaign finance laws only allow them to transfer $2,000 directly to another federal campaign, so the vast majority of their eight-figure war chests would need to be given to other groups like political parties or PACs, a complicated process. The funds could seamlessly be transferred, without limits, to national, state or local party committees, such as the Democratic or Republican National Committees, which could use the money to support a replacement nominee or other Democratic candidates in federal down-ballot races—a scenario that would make the party largely responsible for funding a candidate’s presidential run, representing a break from most modern campaigns. FEC rules also permit limitless transfers to political action committees and to nonprofits, which can support candidates that align with their broader mission statement, though engaging in political campaigns cannot be their primary activity. Political action committees and super PACs supporting presidential candidates could seamlessly begin spending their money to support replacement candidates, but super PACs are legally prohibited from coordinating directly with campaigns. A presidential candidate who drops out of the race could also create what’s known as a leadership PAC, which are controlled by federal office holders and used to help other candidates for office, but leadership PACs have a $5,000 limit on donations to and from the organization, Kappel said, noting “it would be more efficient to just give [unspent campaign money] to the party committees.” CNN also had an interesting analysis more generally exploring what happens in several key things if Biden is replaced: Who could replace Biden? You can assume, for instance, that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a top contender to be on the ballot in such a scenario. But there would be other potential candidates who previously argued they could run a more effective campaign against former President Donald Trump. Would someone like California Gov. Gavin Newsom – who offered unqualified support for Biden in the wake of Thursday’s debate – challenge Harris at the convention? Settling on a replacement could be divisive and ugly. It would be up to the delegates to decide, in a series of votes after frantic lobbying, who to pick. On the Democratic side, there is also another group to consider: the “superdelegates,” a group of about 700 senior party leaders and elected officials who are automatically delegates to the convention based on their position. Under normal party rules, they can’t vote on the first ballot if they could swing the nomination, but they’re free to vote on subsequent ballots. What if a candidate left the race after the convention? It would take a drastic event for a candidate to leave the race in the few months between a party’s nominating convention in the summer and the general election in November. Democrats and Republicans have slightly different methods of dealing with this possibility. You can imagine the end result would probably be that the running mate stepped up to be on the general election ballot, but that is not necessarily guaranteed. Democrats – The Democratic National Committee is empowered to fill a vacancy on the national ticket after the convention under party rules, after the party chair consults with Democratic governors and congressional leadership. Republicans – If a vacancy occurs on the Republican side, the Republican National Committee can either reconvene the national convention or select a new candidate itself. Would the running mate automatically become the nominee? An in-depth Congressional Research Service memo also notes that if an incumbent president becomes incapacitated after winning the party’s nomination, the 25th Amendment would elevate the vice president to the presidency, but party rules would determine who rises to become the party’s nominee. Neither party, according to the CRS, requires that the presidential candidate’s running mate be elevated to the top of the ticket, though that would obviously be the most likely scenario. Has a candidate ever left the race after the convention? In modern times, per the CRS, the Democrat running for vice president in 1972, Sen. Thomas Eagleton, was forced to step aside after the convention after it was discovered that he was treated for mental illness. (1972 was a very different time! Today, thankfully, there is not nearly the stigma attached to mental health.) The DNC actually needed to convene a meeting to affirm Sargent Shriver as Democratic nominee George McGovern’s second-choice running mate. What if a president-elect was incapacitated after the election? If a president-elect was to die, timing is again important. Under the Constitution, it is electors meeting in state capitols who technically cast votes for the presidency. While some states require that they vote for the winner of the election in their state, in others they have leeway. The CRS memo, which cites several congressional hearings on the subject, suggests it would clearly make sense for a vice president-elect to simply assume the role of president-elect, but the law itself is murky. Under the 20th Amendment, if a president-elect dies, his or her running mate, the vice president-elect, becomes president. There could be some question, for instance, about when exactly a person becomes president-elect. Is it after the electors meet in December, or after Congress meets to count Electoral College votes on January 6?