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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The best inflation news in a long time: “Price increases slowed more sharply than expected in June, adding to evidence that high inflation has subsided and potentially clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates that affect everything from mortgages to credit card payments. ... From May to June, prices fell 0.1% — the first time the monthly reading meaningfully declined since May 2020, early in the pandemic.”
* There will be a lot of eyes on this press conference: “President Biden will face a moment of high stakes in his campaign for a second term on Thursday evening when he engages with reporters in an unscripted news conference at the end of a three-day NATO summit.”
* A provocative allegation: “China lashed out at NATO on Thursday, accusing it of smearing the country after the Western alliance called it a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war in Ukraine — the first time it has accused Beijing of involvement in the conflict.”
* In Ukraine: “The first American-made F-16 fighter jets committed to Ukraine are being transferred and are expected to take to the skies this summer, U.S. and European officials announced Wednesday, saying the advanced warplanes soon will provide another tool for Kyiv’s beleaguered defense in the face of relentless Russian attacks.”
* The latest Jan. 6 criminal sentence: “A Jan. 6 defendant dubbed ‘Conan O’Riot’ for his resemblance to comedian Conan O’Brien was sentenced this week to 75 days in federal prison for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack. Derek Nelson, a former Marine, was arrested in October, over two years after he was first identified by online “sedition hunters” who have aided the FBI in hundreds of arrests of Jan. 6 defendants.”
* Spartz has had such an odd career: “Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) has officially been charged in Virginia after bringing a handgun to the Dulles International Airport late last month. Spartz has been charged with carrying a weapon in an airport terminal, according to an update posted to the Loudoun General District Court docket on Thursday. The charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor in the state, which can carry a sentence up to one year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine.”
* Just when it seemed Boebert had reached the bottom of the barrel, she somehow managed to reach new depths: “Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-CO, suggested that President Joe Biden’s alleged mental decline was caused by his COVID-19 vaccination.”
See you tomorrow.