How J.r.r. Tolkien Found Mordor On The Western Front

“This week, one presidential candidate has called the other a loser, made fun of him for selling Bibles, and even poked fun at his hair,” the New York Times reports. “That kind of taunting is generally more within the purview of former President Donald J. Trump, whose insults are so voluminous and so often absurd that they have been cataloged by the hundreds.

Following the indictment of Donald Trump’s allies over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Arizona, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer told Margaret Hoover that those efforts came “quite close” to succeeding. Said Richer: “I think we put ourselves in a pretty perilous situation.”

“The Biden administration is reversing course on its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, after the White House weighed the potential public-health benefits of banning minty smokes against the political risk of angering Black voters in an election year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Just for members: The latest edition of Inside Elections. This issue includes a fresh look at all 11 of the races for governor happening around the country this cycle, including big races in North Carolina and New Hampshire. The edition also includes a deep dive into one of the most evenly-divided districts in the country (Arizona’s 6th), a recap of the recent primary results in Pennsylvania and the latest state in the presidential battleground series (Georgia). If you’re not a member, check out our membership options for instant access.

Donald Trump suggested someone is purposely keeping him a “freezing” courtroom for his hush money criminal trial. Said Trump: “We have another day in court, in a freezing courthouse. It’s very cold in there, on purpose I believe.”

“All charges have been declined against the 57 people arrested in connection to the Wednesday pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas,” the Austin American-Statesman reports.