No. 285: The Year's Biggest Studio Film

Good morning, everyone.

Yesterday, they brought up a 25-year-old former Trump aide, Cassidy Hutchinson, who claimed all kinds of things that were summarily shot down by the combined efforts of internet sleuths and the emergence of figures willing to testify under oath and contradict the hearsay she laundered. Not to mention, she reportedly applied to work with Trump after he lost re-election which means she must've been really traumatized by the whole affair. No, seriously.

The Washington Post, that last bastion of hope for this our crumbling Democracy, declared in a headline 'Pro-Trump web turns to disinfo to counter Jan. 6 testimony'. The New Yorker, that last bastion of decency and literature and all things civilized, cried out, 'Cassidy Hutchinson’s Testimony Should Be the End of Donald Trump'. And CNN, that last bastion of truth and honesty and injected straight into your veins up to the minute news, breathlessly relayed word that 'Trump aides left speechless by Hutchinson testimony'.

Would they say anything else? Of course not.

I've generally avoided mentioning the Jan. 6 trial because it's so self-evident that it's yet another act in the ongoing tragedy Democrats long to write into the mind of Americans that bringing attention to it dignifies it more than it deserves. It's grand in its ambition like an unwieldy Francis Ford Coppola romance flick, but it lacks everything else. Namely truth.

One thing that's worth noting, however, is that Trump's effort to 'Stop the Steal' looks like an indie movie compared to the DC studio production complete with tearful lamentations, young and innocent ingenues, and the looming figure of a bad guy. If anything, the knowing falsity of the trial plays second fiddle to the display of brawn expressed through the trial and its finely tuned PR rollout.

Onward.

Today, we look again at the brewing debate over bringing the RNC to town, consider whether politicians know how to do math, and explore the lives of those that built the Pyramids.

Tomorrow is the last day to get your guess in for how long it will take John Hardin to complete the Appalachian Trail. You can submit your guess here and read about his quest here.

You can follow us on Twitter (@realpamphleteer), LinkedIn (@realpamphleteer), or Instagram (@realpamphleteer) for additional content.

Also, be sure to check out our podcast. New episodes every Monday. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for reading.

IN CONVERSATION PODCAST

★ MORE ON THE RNC COMING TO TOWN

We aired some of the more out-of-touch complaints on Monday if you're interested in a recap.

As the Republican National Committee considers bringing the Republican National Convention (RNC) to Nashville in 2024, Mayor Cooper has been negotiating security and staffing for the event while Democratic and progressive Metro Council members have been airing out their complaints on any platform available.

On the heels of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, one source told the Nashville Banner regarding the timing of the debate, “A meteor could have hit the city. That would have been worse.” This brand of performative grievance will color the entire debate. I'm not sure who is and isn't a former "theater kid" in Nashville politics, but we'll have to dig into that at some point in the future. It would at least reveal to us who is prone to theatrics.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

Nashville and Milwaukee are at the top of the list to host the RNC in 2024. Milwaukee's common council has already approved the convention. Nashville Metro Council Member Robert Swope has sent in the draft agreement for review by the RNC, and Metro Council is being asked to quickly push it through the council during their July 5th meeting.

NASHVILLE DEMOCRATS' MELTDOWN

Multiple democratic and progressives in Nashville have expressed their distaste for the notion that the RNC would be hosted in their blue city. Not wanting to be associated with the matter, Councilmember O'Connell cattily tweeted:

"To be 100% clear: this is an administration bill, and the mayor’s office chose to file it on Friday. That was their choice, and it was a bad one. Let’s not pretend that #MetroCouncil or any individual member compelled the preparation of the bill."

In a separate piece by the Nashville Banner, O'Connell astutely pointed out, "The national Republican playbook is attacking Democratically led cities. Right? And so, like, this is basically the governor inviting his party to come in and take a dump on the city of Nashville.” It should be noted that O'Connell is the only known challenger to John Cooper in the upcoming 2023 mayoral election.

Councilmember Zulfat Suara added her perspective in the same Banner piece, "When I think about Roe v. Wade, I think about all the Republican justices that decided to overturn it, and so as a woman, and for women out there, I have a chance to vote for them. And that's what this vote is for me."

Despite the pushback, many Republican leaders have expressed they'd be honored and excited to accommodate the event. The Republican National Committee will make a decision on August 5th.

HEADLINES

• More than 700 guns stolen from vehicles in Nashville in 2022 (Channel 5) So far in 2022, 1,025 guns have been reported stolen and 711 guns have been taken from vehicles. In 2021 at this same time, 488 guns had been taken from vehicles and the total guns reported stolen at that time were 707.
• State outpacing last year in mediating insurance refunds to consumers (TNJ) The state has processed nearly 1,500 complaints about insurance coverage through the first half of the year, resulting in $5.4 million being returned to consumers through mediation and restitution. That compares with $8.2 million in the entire calendar year of 2021.
• Nolensville approves unique noise ordinance (Homepage) Nolensville has established that there can be no more than seven pulses of “earthborn” vibration traveling more than 50 feet beyond the boundary of one lot in a 24-hour period. The specificity of this is rivaled by Brentwood zoning that similarly accounts for 50 feet beyond a property line.
• Lane closures halted for July Fourth weekend (Main Street) The Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, July 1, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 5, to provide maximum roadway capacity for holiday travelers.

POLITICS

• Registration deadline for primary election is July 5 (TNJ) Tennesseans who want to cast a ballot in the Aug. 4 State and Federal Primary & State and County General Election must register or update their voter registration before the voter registration deadline on Tuesday, July 5.
• Almost 98% Of Tennessee Republican Primary Voters Believe Open Primaries Should Be Closed (TCN) Many Republicans in the Volunteer State have voiced significant concerns about crossover voting by Democrats in Republican primaries.  
• 6th Circuit clears way for ‘Heartbeat Bill’ to take effect in Tennessee (TNJ) “Tennesseans, through their elected representatives, passed the “Heartbeat Bill” in 2020,” said General Slatery. “With today’s unanimous decision from the full Sixth Circuit, the timing provisions prohibiting most abortions are now enforceable.”

DEVELOPMENT

• Mixed-use building project eyed for 21st Avenue scrapped (Post)
• Cocktail bar set for Cummins Station (Post)
• Midtown tower slated for restaurant (Post)
• Property near Al Menah Shrine Temple sells for $7.5M (Post)

𝓧 THE ONE-COINER TEST

Back in 2012 over in the UK, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) asked Members of Parliament a simple question: if you flip a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?

44% of Conservative MPs got the question wrong, but shockingly, 77% of the Labor Party—the more left-leaning political party roughly equivalent to American Democrats—got it wrong.

Would be interested to see the results if the same test were done in the US today. I'm assuming the split would be roughly the same.

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer.

Source: What happened when MPs took a maths exam
BBC, 2 October 2o12, Read Online

∿ GRAPH OF THE DAY: MURDER IN THE STREETS

⚔ MISSIVES ⚔

• 🇺🇸 The U.S. convened a secret meeting of top military officials from Israel and Arab countries in March to explore how they could coordinate against Iran’s growing missile and drone capabilities, according to officials from the U.S. and the region.
• 🟧 Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, months after a federal jury in New York found her guilty on five of six counts related to her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking of teenaged girls between 1994 and 2004.
• 🎖 Every branch of the U.S. military is struggling to meet its fiscal year 2022 recruiting goals, say multiple U.S. military and defense officials. Records show both a record low percentage of young Americans eligible to serve and an even tinier fraction willing to consider it.
• 🖋 A CBS News Poll released last week found that abortion didn't even rank in the five issues for voters. The leading concerns were inflation, the economy, crime, gun policy, and immigration.
• 🇸🇪 NATO formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the alliance Wednesday at a summit in Madrid, Spain, in the midst of security concerns due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
• 🔋 Tesla Inc. laid off hundreds of workers on its Autopilot team as the electric-vehicle maker shuttered a California facility, according to people familiar with the matter.

THINGS TO DO

You can view our full calendar here.

🍺 The Pamphleteer hosts Bar Hours on the third Thursday of every month at Lucky's 3 Star Bar from 6-8 PM. The first ten guests get drinks on the company tab.

🎪 Check out our favorite driving distance festivals this summer.

👨🏻‍🌾 The Pamphleteer farmer's market guide.

👂 Listen to The Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of the bands featured in this week's calendar.

⚔️ Knights in Armor at the Frist starting July 1st: European arms and armor from the renowned collection of the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy.

TONIGHT

⚙️ Federalist Society Conversation with Judge McBrayer @ Hilton Downtown, 12p, $15, Info

🎻 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info

🎙 Pat Reedy & Friends @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info

🎥 Terrible Ramen @ Love Language, 7:30p, $25, Info
+ Film by Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House

🍸 Electric relaxation @ Bar Sovereign, 9p, Free, Info

ON THE RADAR

🎹 Steely Dan @ First Bank Amphitheater, (7/13), $34+, Info

🏜 Hiatus Kaiyote @ Marathon Music Works, (8/14), $35+, Info

🐂 Professional Bull Riding @ Bridgestone, (8/19-21), $20+ Info

🐖 Roger Waters @ Bridgestone, (8/27), $39, Info

🎹 Stereolab @ Marathon Music Works, (9/6), $35, Info

🎸 My Morning Jacket @ Ascend Amphitheater, (9/23), $22.88, Info

⚔️ HELMET @ Marathon Music Works, (9/24), $35, Info

🎸 Smashing Pumpkins @ Bridgestone Arena, (10/10), $133+, Info

🎸 The Doobie Brothers @ Bridgestone Arena, (10/12), $43+, Info

MOST RECENT

Around the Web

𝓧 Cheated By Brexit Gerontocracy Rules: How Nostalgia and Sentimentality Hurt Britain

𖼥 Foreign Funding Of Nonprofits Goes Unchecked Think tanks and universities are taking millions in foreign donations, and Biden has no interest in imposing transparency.

⁕ Ways Biden's New Title IX Rules Will Eviscerate Due Process on Campus The new rules would drop live hearings, bring back the single-investigator model, and limit accused students' options.

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Words of Wisdom

“It has always been dangerous to institutionalize hope, and we no longer live in a society in which we will be allowed to institutionalize memory.”

Harold Bloom

Answer: 25%

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