OLD AND IN THE WAY: President Biden has become defiant toward fellow Democrats calling him to quit the race for re-election. Calling in to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” talk show yesterday, Biden said, “If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me.”  He declared, “Go ahead, announce for president. Challenge me at the convention.”

  In a letter to fellow Democrats yesterday, Biden said, “I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.” He said the voters have nominated him and it’s the voters who should decide. But that was before his voters saw the bewildered man who debated Donald Trump.

  Biden’s letter once again listed his accomplishments while doing nothing to vanquish doubts about his acuity and ability to do the job until he’s 86.  Adding further doubt, The NY Times reports that a doctor expert in Parkinson’s Disease has visited The White House eight times in eight months from last summer through this spring. The White House said three visits were part of the President’s annual physical.

  The Times says that at least once the doctor met with Biden’s personal physician. The White House briefing room broke into shouts yesterday as the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, repeatedly dodged and refused to answer questions about the president’s health, and whether visits by the Parkinson’s doctor were about the president.

  In a renewal of its call for Biden to bow out, The NY Times editorial board wrote: “From the grass roots to the highest levels of the party, Democrats who want to defeat Mr. Trump in November should speak plainly to Mr. Biden. They need to tell him that his defiance threatens to hand victory to Mr. Trump. They need to tell him that he is embarrassing himself and endangering his legacy. He needs to hear, plain and clear, that he is no longer an effective spokesman for his own priorities. “

  In a further test, starting today Biden hosts the 75^th NATO summit in Washington with foreign leaders worried about what happens to the alliance if Donald Trump returns to the presidency.

  As an end note, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who’s frequently mentioned as a replacement candidate for Biden, said she would not run even if he drops out. 

THE TRUMP AGENDA: The Republican Party released its 2024 platform, which sounds much like a Trump campaign speech. Here’s a quote: “But now we are a Nation in SERIOUS DECLINE. Our future, our identity, and our very way of life are under threat like never before. Today we must once again call upon the same American Spirit that led us to prevail through every challenge of the past if we are going to lead our Nation to a brighter future.”

 The only mention of abortion is, “We will oppose Late Term Abortion.”

  The platform sets out 20 promises written in Trumpian capital letters and salted with his exclamation marks. The top three:

1. SEAL THE BORDER, AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION

2. CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY

3. END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN  

IN CLOSING: Wrapping up his corruption case against New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, the prosecutor said, “Mr. Menendez sold the power of his office.”

  In closing arguments, Paul Monteleoni reminded the jury of envelopes of cash and gold bars stuffed in the senator’s clothing and closets at home. “It wasn’t enough for him to be one of the most powerful people in Washington,” Monteleoni told the jury. “It wasn’t enough for him to be entrusted by the public with the power to approve billions of dollars of U.S. military aid to foreign countries.” He said, “Robert Menendez wanted all that power. He also wanted to use it to pile up riches for himself and his wife.”

  Menendez faces 16 felony charges including bribery, conspiracy, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, extortion, acting as an agent for Egypt and other counts.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Andrea Robin Skinner, one of the daughters of revered Canadian short story writer Alice Munro, wrote an essay in the Toronto Star revealing that Munro’s husband, geographer Gerald Fremlin, had sexually molested Skinner starting in 1976, when she was 9. Munro stayed with Fremlin after Skinner told her about the abuse in a letter 16 years later.

  Skinner says Fremlin wrote letters to the Munro family, admitting to the abuse in graphic detail and blaming Skinner, describing her as a “homewrecker.” Munro, who died earlier this year, remained married to Fremlin until his death in 2013. “She was adamant that whatever had happened was between me and my stepfather,” Skinner wrote. “It had nothing to do with her.”

THE SPIN RACK: Now a tropical storm, Beryl has left millions of people in Texas without power. There’s still a danger of floods and tornadoes. — Billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $1 billion to the Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore to make it tuition free for most of the students. — Three Columbia University deans were removed from their positions because they sent text messages this past spring that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” according to the university administration. — In a setback to the prosecution, the judge in actor Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial ruled that his role as producer of the movie “Rust” is not relevant to the case. Baldwin was holding the prop gun that went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.His role as producer would have been used by the prosecution to make him more responsible for the incident. Jury selection starts today.

BELOW THE FOLD: Residents of Barcelona have become so tired of masses of tourists crowding their city and driving up prices that they marched in the streets and fired water pistols at bewildered visitors who just want a plate of paella. 

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