NEWS AND OPINION:
For those who wonder about the whereabouts of first lady Jill Biden: She will be in Wilmington, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Columbus, Georgia, on Monday for campaign events. Yes, that’s three states in one day, according to President Biden’s reelection campaign.
Mrs. Biden has garnered considerable press coverage for her campaign activities in the last 48 hours. She has now emerged, for example, as the “defender-in-chief,” according to the Economist.
“Jill Biden stands by her man, but many wish she’d save his dignity,” advised Britain’s Sunday Times.
“First lady Jill Biden has a momentous choice to make. Does she encourage her husband to overlook his personal well-being, recover from last week’s debate debacle, and keep up the campaign until November? Or does she persuade him to step aside, and yield the nomination to someone else?” The Atlantic asks.
Meanwhile, this is not an easygoing summer as far as White House politics go. Here are a few more uneasy headlines from the last 48 hours to mull over as well:
“Biden faces new calls from Democrats to step aside after interview” (The New York Times); “Will Biden resign? President’s poor health raises hard questions” (USA Today); “Biden’s strong support in the Senate may fray after members return to Washington” (Washington Post); “Biden’s ABC interview does nothing to quell the existential crisis around his campaign” (CNN); “Biden’s ABC interview draws 8.5 million viewers” (Axios); and “Biden to campaign in battleground Pennsylvania as Democrats mull his candidacy” (Reuters).
A QUAKE IN CONGRESS
Some analysts are looking at the bigger picture on President Biden, of course.
“Democratic lawmakers have gone from shock, to sadness, to madness since the debate 10 days ago. These Democrats, further deflated by Biden’s high-stakes ABC interview, believe there’s nothing he can do to reverse the damage — or his aging,” Axios analyst Mike Allen wrote on Sunday.
“The [expletive] is going to hit the fan on Monday, when Congress returns, a House Democrat told us,” Mr. Allen noted.
“People are scared about their own races. But they’re also worried about the country, and about democracy, he said.
“Lawmakers were antsy enough about Biden during their Fourth of July break this past week. There’ll be even greater torque when they’re venting, raging and plotting in person,” Mr. Allen wrote.
A FINAL DEBATE RECAP
The debate goes on about another debate — the recent bout between President Biden and former President Donald Trump which aired on ABC on June 27. Since that time, the news media has been awash in views and analyses of the event, with an emphasis on the candidates’ prowess on the podium.
The reviews continue to surface.
“President Joe Biden clearly lost to former President Donald Trump in last week’s televised debate, according to a majority of voters, who agree that Democrats should find a replacement for Biden as their candidate,” advises a short, but telling, new poll. Here are the numbers:
“The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey found that 57% of likely U.S. voters believe former President Donald Trump won the June 27 debate, while just 22% think Biden won. Another 21% are not sure who won the debate,” the pollster said.
The survey of 1,107 likely U.S. voters was conducted June 30-July 2 and released Friday.
MEANWHILE IN COLORADO
Things are looking up for students in a certain state. Some of the state’s taxpayers, however, may not see it that way.
“Beginning this fall, Colorado students can have the first two years of their college tuition reimbursed as a tax credit under a new state law. The law covers students from public high schools whose family income is under $90,000 a year,” wrote Janae Joachim in a new report for The College Fix, a student-written news site.
“Signed on May 30 by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the Incentives for Post-Secondary Education bill establishes a tax credit covering 100% of tuition and fees, after grants and scholarships are applied, for up to 65 academic credits at trade schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions,” says Ms. Joachim, a student at Liberty University.
“After signing it, Gov. Polis, a Democrat, hailed it as a ‘bipartisan bill’ in a post on X, adding: ‘Cost should not be a barrier for people to live up to their potential, which is why we are expanding access to higher education and reducing the financial burden on students and families,’” she notes.
The bill itself defines qualified students as those with good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 2.5 in addition to family-income level.
“This is a refundable credit, meaning that even if a student earned $0 that year and paid $0 in federal taxes, they will receive the full tuition and fee payments as a refund. Even if students are listed as dependents on their parents’ taxes, students should file separately to request the tax credit,” the Colorado Department of Higher Education states on its website, according to Ms. Joachim.
“According to Gov. Polis, the goal is to help families whose household income is too high to qualify for the Pell Grant but too low to cover four years of college tuition. However, it does not come without cost. Also known as the Colorado Promise, the program is expected to cost Colorado taxpayers $40 million annually, Inside Higher Ed reported,” she wrote.
Find The College Fix at TheCollegeFix.com.
POLL DU JOUR
• 69% of U.S. adults say they talk “a lot” to close friends and family about what’s happening with them personally.
• 46% talk about jobs, work or school.
• 38% talk about movies, TV or music.
• 35% talk about their personal health.
• 33% talk about their pets.
• 30% talk about issues and problems facing the U.S.
• 21% talk about issues and problems in their local area.
• 21% talk about sports, 19% about money and personal finances.
• 18% talk about political issues, 18% talk about faith and religion.
• 6% talk about celebrities and famous people.
SOURCE: A Pew Research Center/American Trends Panel survey of 8,709 U.S. adults conducted online and released June 24. Participants could choose more than one topic of conversation.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on x @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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