The 24 Seven: Occupied Space

The top seven stories shaping the race for the White House

1. The elephant in the room

Abortion is now on the ballot in both swing states in the Southwest, Arizona and Nevada.

Arizona’s secretary of state, Adrian Fontes, said Monday that Proposition 139 will appear on the ballot. The measure to ensure abortion rights received a record 577,791 signatures, NBC News’s Alex Tabet reports.

It’s easy to dismiss scripted campaign stump speeches and rambling candidate talks, but they each are filled with targeted messaging which hints at both policy priorities and efforts to turn out the voters they need the most (more on that in the next item.)

It’s a big reason Trump has fought to distance himself from Project 2025, which has become something of a catchphrase this election.

And it’s why Harris in her very energetic campaign rallies in Las Vegas and Glendale, Arizona, hammered Trump repeatedly on abortion.

2. Beyond the glitch

Trump delivered some fairly substantive policy answers if you were listening (and your faithful author was, from the hold music to the anecdotes.)

In one of Trump’s many extended detours, he talked about his long-running fondness of Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump was still in the White House. (He didn’t mention holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine in 2019 in an attempt to get Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden.)

"I had a wonderful relationship with Putin" Trump said. "I know Putin very well ... we would talk a lot about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye, I said don't do it, don't do it (regarding invading Ukraine.)

Trump continued, “he said, ‘If you're my friend, I'd hate to see you as my enemy."

In another exchange, Trump seemed to give some hints at why he keeps saying that the globe is headed toward “World War III”. It is, he said, because so many foreign adversaries have access to nuclear weapons and nuclear technology.

“The biggest threat is not global warming,” Trump said. “The biggest threat is nuclear warming. … We have to not allow anything to happen with stupid people like (President Joe) Biden.”

Trump, who had guidance early in his administration from fabled former Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, architect of the global efforts to secure nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union, did negotiate with Putin at the end of his administration to extend the last major bilateral nuclear arms treaty, New START.

But in February 2023, as Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine dragged into its second year, the Russian president suspended their participation in the treaty.

In the middle of the interview, Musk tried to push Trump to promise to address the U.S. debt if returned to office, but Trump didn’t bite.

And in another exchange, Trump said he would attempt to dismantle the Department of Education, long a conservative priority and a centerpiece of Project 2025.

3. Russia plots

I wrote yesterday on Ukraine’s surprising incursion in Russian territory, taking a large swath of the Kursk region. Reuters reports today that Russia struck back with missiles and drone strikes in an attempt to retake the Ukrainian-held area.

4. Break-ins

After it was revealed that hackers infiltrated the Trump campaign and released an opposition research file put together on Sen. J.D. Vance, CNN reports that federal investigators believe alleged Iranian hackers were able to break into the campaign first by infiltrating the email of Trump’s longest serving adviser and confidant, Roger Stone.

Meanwhile, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office announced it is investigating a weekend burglary at a Northern Virginia Trump campaign office.

All of this comes as congressional and federal investigators continue their investigations of the assassination attempt against Trump last month.

5. Walz Solo

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz takes to the trail solo this week with stops from California to Massachusetts, it’s his first tour for the Democratic ticket flying solo.

Trump is hosting a pair of rallies this week, one in North Carolina and second in Pennsylvania.

6. The Body vs the Hulk

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse “The Body” Ventura endorsed Harris for president on CNN’s “The Laura Coates Show” — this after having been considered to be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate. In his interview with Coates, Ventura said he was getting older and wanted to see a woman president in his lifetime.

But your author has to wonder how much of this also stems from a decades-old wrestling fight (not the engineered kind in the ring).

Former WWE Star Hulk Hogan heartily endorsed Trump and took a starring role in the final night of the Republican convention. But speaking with fellow WWE veteran “Stone Cold” Steve Austin years ago, Ventura told the story of how Hogan ratted out Ventura to former WWE honcho Vince McMahon as the wrestlers were attempting to form a union.

Ventura, who joined the Screen Actors Guild after starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator”, attempted to bring other wrestlers onboard with the union, Wrestling Inc. writes, but McMahon found out and blocked him. In the middle of a lawsuit against McMahon, Ventura discovered it was Hogan who had ratted him out.

7. Chi-Town

If you’re heading to Chicago, it helps to know a native Chicagoan, and Chicago Sun-Times chief political reporter Tina Sfondeles knows the city inside and out. Being of both Greek and Polish heritage, I went to Tina for the goods: Where are the best places to eat there?

Tina writes: “Why yes I did miss Greek food when I lived in Washington. There are plenty of modern Greek restaurants popping up in Chicago and they are very good. I recommend Avli (multiple locations, including downtown) and Andros (2542 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Logan Square). If you're looking for more traditional Greek food, head to Greek Islands in Greektown, 200 S. Halsted St. You should obviously get a saganaki (flaming cheese) and a really nice glass of Moschofilero. 

5 Rabinitos (1758 W. 18th St.) is a very, very good no-frills Mexican restaurant in Pilsen, a neighborhood where you'll find plenty of good tacos and dive bars (Skylark) as well.

If you want to get away from downtown, hop on the Blue Line and get off at Logan Square. Go to Longman and Eagle for a perfect Old Fashioned and a good burger, Estereo for agave-forward Latin-American drinks or Lonesome Rose (closer to the California Blue Line) for A+ mezcal margaritas and tacos. If you're in Logan on Sunday, go to their amazing Farmers Market, open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

Omnomnomnomnom  

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