Principals

1. SCOTUS watch
2. Senate Dems talk taxes
3. Good fights
4. Fox poll
5. US-Israel rift
6. House examines China’s chip investments
7. Semafor cyber event

PDB: RFK Jr. unlikely to make debate stage

EU sanctions Russian LNG for first time … Bloomberg: US intel says China has no favorite in Biden v. Trump … FT: US asks EU to put off deforestation law

— edited by Benjy Sarlin, Jordan Weissmann and Morgan Chalfant

The Supreme Court sprints to the end of the term

The Supreme Court’s term is quickly dwindling, which means there’s likely to be several bombshell opinions released later today. The remaining cases (there are 23, according to National Review, including two pairs) include disputes over federal officials’ contacts with social media companies about censoring content; whether Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution; care for patients with abortion emergencies; whether the Justice Department can charge Jan. 6 defendants with obstruction; the so-called “Chevron doctrine” on government power; and a federal law restricting gun rights of people with domestic violence restraining orders. The Trump case will attract the most attention, but keep an eye on Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the gun case: Politico chronicles signs she may break with other conservative justices because of a philosophical dispute on the bench.

Senate Dems weigh 2025 tax plans

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee are meeting today to plot a path ahead for the 2025 tax fight. “I’ve made it clear that the 2017 tax bill was deeply flawed,” Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden told Semafor. “I want a tax system that gives everybody a chance to get ahead.” Wyden says he wants to field ideas from his Senate Democratic colleagues, who aren’t always completely aligned. The spectrum ranges from the more business-friendly views of Sen. Mark Warner to the unabashed, tax-the-rich voice of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “The very corporations engaged in price-gouging the American consumer are lining up to get more tax cuts from Donald Trump,” Warren told Semafor. “That’s just not right.” A Senate Democratic aide involved in planning efforts said they expect good attendance, despite it being a fly-out day after a federal holiday.

— Joseph Zeballos-Roig

Freedom Caucus chair hangs on in GOP primary

Bob Good is down but not out. The House Freedom Caucus chair is still hanging on in the incredibly tight GOP primary race to represent Virginia’s 5th congressional district. His Trump-backed opponent, John McGuire, has less than a percentage point edge over Good with over 95% of votes counted as of this morning. The race is very likely headed for a recount, which is allowed by Virginia law if the margin is under 1%. “We are asking for full transparency from the officials involved and patience from the people of the 5th District over the coming weeks as the certification of results is completed,” Good posted on X Wednesday. “We believe we can still prevail.” As Politico notes, the race is “far closer than many expected.” McGuire still declared victory Tuesday night despite the race being too close to call.

Biden gets good news from Fox

The White House might have reason to hold its fire at the Murdochs today: A new Fox News poll has President Biden leading Donald Trump nationally among registered voters for the first time since October (though his two-point edge is within the survey’s margin of error). That’s due in part to a shift in preference from Trump to Biden among independent voters; while Trump led Biden by two percentage points among this group last month, Biden now leads by nine points. About one-third of voters in the poll say the economy is in excellent or good shape — far from a majority but the highest it’s been in Biden’s term.

Democrats criticize Netanyahu over video post

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened up a new rift with the US with his accusation about the Biden administration withholding weapons to Israel. The White House expressed confusion, and US officials told Axios that they’re worried about it hurting efforts to bring down tensions at the Lebanon border by suggesting there is “daylight” between the US and Israel. On Capitol Hill, Netanyahu’s Democratic critics used it as an opening to amplify existing concerns, while Rep. Ritchie Torres, a staunch supporter of Israel, suggested Netanyahu was trying to undermine bipartisan support. “Disagreements should be had in private. Hamas is emboldened by even the appearance of a ruptured relationship,” he posted on X. Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren told The Hill she would boycott Netanyahu’s July address to Congress.

House panel to scrutinize China’s semiconductor, drone industries

The House panel charged with examining US-China competition will turn to Beijing’s efforts to dominate key industries next week, Semafor’s Morgan Chalfant reports. The House China select committee is holding a hearing focused on semiconductors, drones, and shipbuilding with a slate of noteworthy witnesses, including “Chip War” author Chris Miller. It’s a big week for semiconductors: US-based chip manufacturer Nvidia became the most valuable company in the world amid demand for its cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips. China has been investing heavily in its own chip industry, unveiling a $47.5 billion state investment fund for semiconductors earlier this year. As the US seeks to curb China’s access to high-end chip technology, Bloomberg reports a top Commerce official is pressing Japan and the Netherlands to further restrict the export of chipmaking equipment that could fuel Beijing’s development of AI chips.

White House previews cyber rule for hospitals

The White House is close to finishing up a new cybersecurity rule for hospitals, Anne Neuberger, the White House’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said at Semafor’s cybersecurity event this week. “We’re working on that in the next few weeks,” Neuberger said, noting the rule would set minimum cybersecurity practices for hospitals. The rule has the industry on edge, but Neuberger said the White House has been “working closely” with the American Hospital Association on the final product. Other highlights: Sen. Ron Wyden indicated he is more worried about threats of violence around the 2024 election than “foreign trolls” trying to influence it. And Cait Conley, a top election security official, said the “2024 election cycle is more secure than any previous cycle” even though the US faces the “most complex threat landscape” yet.

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: The NRCC brought in $12.6 million last month, outraising the DCCC — which netted $11.9 million — for the first time this year.

Playbook: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner will argue that the Biden administration is “sleepwalking” into what could be a “Cuban Missile Crisis in space” during a speech later this morning about Russia’s nuclear threat in space.

Axios: President Biden’s team is trying to thwart “a viral internet culture that threatens his image with undecided voters.”

WaPo: The anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America hasn’t endorsed Donald Trump, and its president expressed disappointment at the former president’s declaration that abortion bans should be left up to states. But the group is still laying plans to help Trump defeat Biden, and will spend at least $92 million across eight states.

White House

• President Biden will leave Rehoboth Beach tonight for Camp David.
• The White House scrapped a meeting with Israeli officials that was supposed to be about Iran following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s video claiming the US had been withholding more military assistance. — Axios

Congress

• A bipartisan group of lawmakers including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama, despite warnings from Beijing.
• The Senate passed legislation to support the deployment of nuclear power.

Outside the Beltway

• Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill that requires public classrooms in the state to display the Ten Commandments.
• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ties to California — he owns a $7.2 million home there — have become an issue in his campaign to win the upcoming snap election. — Politico
• Silicon Valley firms are increasing security vetting for staff out of concern over possible Chinese espionage. — FT

Courts

Families who lost relatives in Boeing 737 Max crashes asked the Justice Department to fine the company the maximum $24 billion.

On the Trail

• The NRSC is planning a $100 million ad blitz in pursuit of the Senate majority. — Politico
• Some of President Biden’s aides are growing more doubtful about his theory that he can defeat Donald Trump in November by amplifying concerns about Jan. 6, threats to democracy, and Trump’s personal character. — Axios
• The Trump campaign is taking advantage of an FEC opinion sought by Democrats to boost its ground game. — The Bulwark
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not meet the ballot access requirement to make the CNN debate stage later this month. — WaPo
• Eugene Vindman, a figure in Trump’s first impeachment, won the Democratic primary for retiring Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia congressional seat.

Foreign Policy

• Iran is on a path to triple the production of enriched uranium at a key nuclear facility. — WaPo
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic pact.

• An Israeli military spokesman said that Israel can’t defeat Hamas without a postwar plan for the government of Gaza.
• A US soldier arrested in Russia earlier this year was sentenced by a Russian court to three years and nine months in prison after he was found guilty of stealing from and threatening to kill his girlfriend.
• The US is sending 1,000 small armed drones to Taiwan.
• Hungary lifted its objection to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte becoming the next head of NATO, clearing the way for him to lead the alliance.

Technology

• The Biden administration is very reluctant to call out domestic disinformation around the 2024 election. — NBC
• The FTC said it had referred a complaint against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance to the Justice Department over concerns the platform violated children’s privacy.

Media

• Washington Post editor Will Lewis advised then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other officials to “clean up” their phones as they withstood scrutiny for potential violations of COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions (Lewis and Johnson denied the report through spokespeople). — The Guardian
• Elon Musk is walking back his “go f— yourself” remark last year to advertisers who fled X amid controversial remarks by him and instances of their ads being placed next to toxic posts.

Blindspot

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed some regrets about physically shutting schools for a prolonged period of time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What the Right isn’t reading: A woman told the House Ethics Committee that Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., paid her for sex, ABC News reported.

Principals Team

Editors: Benjy Sarlin, Jordan Weissmann, Morgan Chalfant

Editor-at-Large: Steve Clemons

Reporters: Kadia Goba, Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Shelby Talcott, David Weigel

Simon Rosenberg is a Democratic strategist and the author of Hopium Chronicles on Substack.

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