The last vice-presidential contest gave us the fly that buzzed around the world, landing most notably on the head of then-Vice President Mike Pence, on our timelines as memes and even in a 2 Chainz song. What will the coming matchup between sitting VP Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, named this week as Donald Trump's running mate, bring? Time will tell. But as the news cycle understandably churns about the first presidential assassination attempt in recent memory, which occurred over the weekend at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, and the Republican National Convention, we should continue paying attention to other important stories that reflect the challenges of our time. This week, I want to share a couple of those pieces Reckon has published recently, then get into a few fascinating facts about U.S. vice presidents, who are first in the presidential line of succession. Finally, the second episode of Reckon True Stories is live! Read on to find out more about this week's guest and the event we have coming later this week. Let's talk about it. |
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The conspiracy theorists will tell you that what federal law enforcement agencies are describing as an attempt on former President Trump's life is but a distraction. From what? You'd have to ask them. That said, there is news of monumental importance still happening all around us. For example, amid scorching summer heat, many Texans remain without power one week after Hurricane Beryl hit areas near the Gulf of Mexico, killing at least 11 people. Beryl was the earliest Category 5 storm to develop in the Atlantic during hurricane season, making landfall in the Windward Islands on July 1. Advocates said Hurricane Beryl, “serves as a stark reminder of the realities of climate change,” underscoring how cities are unprepared to deal with the increasing risks of natural disasters. With summer and hurricane season just starting, Texans are worried their infrastructure may not be able to withstand the forces of nature. Texas regulators have launched an investigation into the storm response by utility company CenterPoint. Read more about from Reckon's Vanessa Arredondo. More states are putting abortion to a vote. Most recently, two states in the Southwest are joining the fray. The South and Midwest often serve as key battlegrounds in discussion on the U.S. abortion landscape. With abortion at the forefront of the 2024 election and potentially two swing states, Nevada and Arizona, projected to vote on reproductive rights at the polls, the Southwest offers a broader perspective on national political trends and how Americans feel about bodily autonomy. Reckon's Annabel Rocha has more about the potential impact of these measures. Then there's the absolutely gut-wrenching story about the murder of Pauly A. Likens, a 14-year-old transgender girl, in Pennsylvania. The tragedy highlights the overwhelming social and legal landscape trans youth, who have faced relentless challenges in pursuit of equality such as gender-affirming care, bathroom access, sports participation and more. Around the time of Likens’ murder, independent research organization Trans Legislation Tracker announced that the number of anti-trans bills across the U.S. in this year now totaled 617, marking the fifth consecutive record-breaking year for total bills. Last year totaled 609. Denny, Reckon's LGBTQ communities reporter and author of the QueerVerse newsletter, is covering Likens' story. |
Once upon a time, there was far less pomp and circumstance around the selection of vice presidential nominees. In fact, the guy — because they were all guys until recently — who became VP was the second-place finisher in the presidential race. In 1796, for example, John Adams, a Federalist, became the nation's second president. His vice president would be Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican. Awkward! Here are a few more interesting facts about the Office of the Vice President and some of its occupants: —There have been 49 vice presidents of the U.S. since the office was established in 1789; there have been 46 presidents — The vice president only has one official duty: to preside over the Senate and to cast a vote in the Senate if there is a tie —William R. King is the only VP sworn in on foreign soil and was the shortest-tenured veep, serving under Franklin Pierce. Sworn in while recovering from illness in Cuba in 1853, he died 45 days into his term from tuberculosis. He was also the only vice president from Alabama —The U.S. vice president is officially allocated a salary of $284,600 per year, although the actual sum the VP receives has been frozen at $235,100 since 2019. Additionally, the veep gets an expense allowance, free housing, free transportation and a staff of about 80 people (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) —Until the 1970s, vice presidents did not have an official residence. In 1974, Congress designated the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., as the official home for the vice president. The first VP to live there was Walter Mondale in 1977 (New York Times) —An official line of presidential succession wasn't created in the Constitution until the 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967 (National Constitution Center) —The longest-serving vice presidents all served two full terms under their presidents. They are: Daniel D. Tompkins, Thomas R. Marshall, Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden. Each served for 2,922 days, or 8 years. |
Roxane Gay joins 'Reckon True Stories' |
On the latest episode of Reckon True Stories, acclaimed author Roxane Gay joins Deesha and Kiese for a wide-ranging conversation about her writing journey, bringing your whole self to the page, the pressures of social media, and the value of criticism. Roxane talks about her forthcoming book on writing advice, How to be Heard, and Deesha and Kiese ask about her current pop culture influences — what she’s watching and who she’s listening to — and Deesha gets a fashionable new hint about Roxane’s nemesis. Please rate, review and share the episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify and more. |
We are days away from our live web event. At 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, I will sit down with the brilliant hosts of 'Reckon True Stories' for a conversation about the show and how essays shape our culture. |
As always, hit me up for any reason at rnave@reckonmedia.com. Peace, R.L. |
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