More than 400 economists and former White House policy advisors announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in an open letter Tuesday.

The endorsements come as Democrats and Republicans fight to frame their respective candidates as the better option for the U.S. economy in the November election, as high costs of living remain voters’ top priority in national polls.

“The choice in this election is clear,” the letter read. “It is a choice between inequity, economic injustice, and uncertainty with Donald Trump or prosperity, opportunity, and stability with Kamala Harris.”

“Vice President Harris’ plan to invest in American innovation, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship could not stand in starker contrast to Trump’s failed record and second-term Project 2025 agenda to extend his disastrous tax scam that created new incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas and left the middle class behind.

While VP Harris has been criss-crossing the country talking to small business owners about her plan to support entrepreneurship, including a ten-fold increase in the tax deduction for starting a small business, Donald Trump and JD Vance are pushing a Project 2025 agenda that would send even more good-paying jobs overseas, cost the US over 3 million jobs, send inflation skyrocketing, and raise costs for typical middle-class families by nearly $4,000 a year while giving handouts to their billionaire buddies.

Americans are ready for Vice President Harris to chart a new path forward by creating an opportunity economy that gives everyone a fair shot to succeed – and they’ll reject Trump’s plans to take us backward.”

More than 400 economists and former White House policy advisors announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in an open letter Tuesday.

The endorsements come as Democrats and Republicans fight to frame their respective candidates as the better option for the U.S. economy in the November election, as high costs of living remain voters’ top priority in national polls.

“The choice in this election is clear,” the letter read. “It is a choice between inequity, economic injustice, and uncertainty with Donald Trump or prosperity, opportunity, and stability with Kamala Harris.”

Should Americans be bracing for bloodshed if Donald Trump loses the 2024 presidential election?

As a political scientist who studies American politics, I can easily imagine a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection – or worse – following this November’s presidential election.

With much fanfare, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced on Thursday that they will make a “multi-million dollar” investment on TV ads in Florida and Texas.

“Senate Democrats are expanding the map and going on offense,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who runs the Senate campaign operation. “All cycle long the DSCC has been preparing to take advantage of Sens. Cruz and Scott’s damaged standings in their states – and now our efforts in Texas and Florida are accelerating.”

To which I say: Maybe.

The Sludge Is the Point
—Andrew Egger

Yesterday, Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins was scrolling social media at work when he saw something that got him steamed. A nonprofit representing Haitian migrants was calling for criminal charges against Donald Trump and JD Vance in Springfield for making them the targets of a national moral panic.

So Higgins did what one does when they get mad online: He tweeted about it.

“Lol. These Haitians are wild,” Higgins wrote from the Capitol. “Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters. . . but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of the country before January 20th.”

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Indicted, Spectrum News NY1
Adams’ indictment followed a federal corruption investigation and marks the first time a New York City mayor is criminally charged while holding the position. He is claiming innocence and said he will not resign.

US And Allies Push 21-Day Ceasefire, Associated Press
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is being requested by the U.S., France, and other allies on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in fear of increasing regional escalation and with the intention to increase diplomacy.

Harris Sits for First 1:1, MSNBC
Harris used her interview with Stephanie Ruhle to emphasize her working-class background, critique Trump’s economic record, and reaffirm her stance on key issues like labor and women’s rights.

Read Report on Trump/Secret Service, Senate.Gov
The bipartisan Congressional probe into the Secret Service’s actions in the attempted Trump assassination in Butler, PA, resulted in an interim report that outlines multiple failures on behalf of the Secret Service.

Walz and Vance Soon To Square Off, Reuters
JD Vance and Tim Walz will debate on October 1. We’re likely to see Vance target Walz’s military record, while Walz counters Vance’s controversial stances to sway voters.

Ground News

A UFO Spotted in Canada Last Year?, For the Left
A newly released, highly redacted document describes a U.S. fighter jet shooting down a cylindrical, metallic, unidentified object with a package suspended below.

Chappell Roan Won’t Endorse, For the Right
The rising star in American singing and songwriting refuses to endorse Harris nor Trump, saying it’s important to question authority and information. However, Roan said she will “settle” and vote for Harris.

Thoughts on the OpenAI departures and restructuring

The OpenAI drama this week is twofold: first, several key OpenAI executives—Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, VP of Post-Training Research Barret Zoph, and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew. Second, multiple outlets are reporting that OpenAI intends to restructure itself as a for-profit Public Benefit Corporation, with CEO Sam Altman taking an equity stake in the new company (up until now, Altman had not taken any equity in OpenAI).

Every time there is OpenAI-related drama, the safety community cynically seizes the narrative. The decision to re-structure as a Public Benefit Corporation is, we are told, the “mask coming off,” even though the PBC is precisely the same structure that OpenAI rival Anthropic employs. “This is the strongest closing argument I can imagine on the need for [SB 1047],” wrote Zvi Mowshowitz. While Zvi does not directly imply that the departures are related to the restructuring, others do; the general sense I get from scanning X is that surely, these executives left because of internal struggles related to the restructuring.