| Trump And Putin Meet
By Emily Goodin
Washington’s focus was outside the Beltway this week with President Trump in Europe for the G20 meeting, members of Congress back in their districts for July 4th recess, and North Korea testing a nuclear missile.
Trump is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, their first sit down meeting since the U.S. president took office. RealClearPolitics has a live-stream of it here: http://bit.ly/2tZK2gX POTUS tweeted about his meeting Friday morning: “I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss. #G20Summit #USA🇺🇸” http://bit.ly/1Gb8pUt The White House is aware of the high stakes surrounding the meeting. Aides have been preparing for months to expect the unexpected, particularly given the personalities of the two men meeting. The House and Senate are back in Washington next week. The main focus for the upper chamber will be Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare and pass their own health care bill. That vote, originally scheduled to take place before the July 4th recess, was postponed due to a lack of GOP support. At RealClearDefense, Pentagon correspondent Sandra Erwin examines the Pentagon’s response to rising global tensions, particularly in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test: “Major ground wars are contingencies the Pentagon must plan for. And the consensus among military leaders and analysts is that the most likely adversaries would be North Korea or Russia.” http://bit.ly/2sLoOmQ Topics du Jour TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: His approval rating is at -15 points in the RealClearPolitics Polling Average. http://bit.ly/2slB9gm
TUNE IN: In episode two of the RealClear podcast “The Future of the Administrative State,” editor Tony Mills talks with the Philip Hamburger, author of “Is Administrative Law Unlawful?” http://bit.ly/2tvejkD
ON THIS DATE: RCP editor Carl Cannon has written a book based on his popular “Morning Note.” RCP co-founder Tom Bevan talks with him about what happened on this date. http://bit.ly/2suRtbi
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: RCP’s Caitlin Huey-Burns profiles Donald Trump Jr., looking at the attack-dog role he’s playing for the Republican party. http://bit.ly/2sxxFEp
GOING HIGH-TECH: RealClearDefense Pentagon correspondent Sandra Erwin reports that defense contracters are in a race to acquire hot, new tech startups. http://bit.ly/2tqur6E
In Other Originals
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: At RealClearPolicy, Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation’s Johnny Kampis points out that “an estimated 34 million Americans live in communities that still lack access to broadband” and argues, because of this, “federal, state and local governments all need to adopt a broadband deployment agenda that will bring 21st-century digital opportunity to American communities.” http://bit.ly/2sMJJku
TERROR ON RISE IN EGYPT?: At RealClearDefense, American Media Institute’s Joseph Hammond examines how two new terror groups in Egypt could have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and, “if the central Muslim Brotherhood is directing these groups, it would be the clearest example yet that the organization has changed its policy and a worrying sign for Egypt’s stability.” http://bit.ly/2tRhBBy
PRICE POINT: RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny writes on the high cost of low wages: “Henry Ford didn’t pay his employees above the market rate so that they would buy his cars, but instead did so because nosebleed rates of employee turnover at his eponymous company were costing him a fortune. Restaurants aren’t automating today to avoid paying minimum wages as much as the high rate of turnover among entry-level restaurant workers makes it too expensive to hire and train them at any price. Stating the obvious, automation speaks to freedom from the high cost of low wages.” http://bit.ly/2sRD9sI
REAGAN RISING: RCP’s Carl Cannon sits down with author Craig Shirley to discuss his biography of Ronald Reagan. http://bit.ly/2sqraTC
PLANET EARTH: RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy writes that if the earth were 50 percent larger, humans would be stuck here. http://bit.ly/2tWouSf
THE TROUBLE WITH GRONK: At RealClearSports, editor Ben Krimmel looks at the trouble allowing New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to be Gronk. http://bit.ly/2sqD1kK
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