The Week Evening Review
Second-guessing Vance, a 'Succession'-style battle, and Kamala Harris memes

 
Talking points

Is JD Vance the right pick for Trump's VP?

When Donald Trump selected Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R) as his vice-presidential running mate, he conferred a measure of trust, not simply as a potential presidential successor but as a campaign asset who would energize the MAGA base. Then the ground shifted under their feet. 

President Joe Biden's decision to end his campaign turned the dynamics that led Trump to select Vance upside down. At the same time, Vance's initial outings as a candidate were widely criticized as awkward and uncompelling. Has the senator become a drag on the Trump ticket, or does Vance remain a potent force on the campaign trail?

'The road got a lot harder'
Vance has contributed little to Trump's reelection campaign, say some Republicans, while introducing a host of vulnerabilities. He is the "worst choice of all the options," one anonymous House Republican said to The Hill. "He adds nothing to the Trump ticket. He energizes the same people that love Trump." If Trump were to lose in November, it would be "because of this pick," another House Republican said. 

Trump picked Vance at the "peak of the party's confidence about the 2024 election," Axios said. Trump's electoral road "got a lot harder" after Biden's decision, said one House Republican. Vance was the "only pick that wasn't the safe pick. And I think everyone has now realized that."

Vance is "barreling toward Palin territory," Josh Marshall said at Talking Points Memo, referencing 2008 vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who ran with John McCain. People have begun to "expect news about him to be weird or embarrassing. Hard to undo that once it takes hold, especially if you are super weird and embarrassing."

What matters most
As much as Vance may have struggled so far, Trump has "shown no indication that he has buyer's remorse" over his pick, Axios said. "I'd do the same pick. He's doing really well," Trump said on a recent press call, after being asked whether he would have chosen Vance knowing that Kamala Harris would be the Democratic candidate. 

Ultimately, Vance's struggles are not a liability for the Trump campaign, since he "isn't so unpopular that he would seem to be a reason for Trump-inclined voters to abandon Trump," The Washington Post said. The name on the top of the ticket is "what matters to the vast majority of voters."

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'I am shocked, I am upset, and I am disappointed in the lack of sensitivity that went into this campaign.'

Model and actor Bella Hadid issued an apology after starring in a controversial Adidas campaign that the company said had an "unintentional" connection to a massacre carried out by a Palestinian group called Black September during the 1972 Munich Olympics. "Adidas should have known, and I should have done more research so that I too would have known and understood and spoken up," she said.

 
 
The Explainer

A 'Succession'-style rift over the Murdoch empire

Ruport Murdoch is in a legal dispute with his children over who will take over his media empire when he dies, The New York Times said. In a rift reminiscent of HBO's TV series "Succession," 93-year-old Murdoch and his eldest son, Lachlan, are fighting it out in the courts to make sure the latter is able to control News Corp, the holding company of brands including Fox Corp, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. But three of Murdoch's other children are looking to take their own control. 

What is the crux of the legal battle? 
Murdoch is allegedly attempting to "preserve [his media empire] as a conservative political force," said the Times. Currently, his family trust "hands control of the family business to the four oldest children when Mr. Murdoch dies." However, Murdoch is attempting to change the terms of the trust to ensure that Lachlan "would remain in charge," arguing that "only by empowering Lachlan to run the company without interference from his more politically moderate siblings can he preserve its conservative editorial bent."

Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are battling the other three children — James, Elisabeth and Prudence — in court. A probate commissioner found last month that the "family's irrevocable trust can be rewritten if Murdoch can prove he is acting in good faith to protect the value of the trust's holdings," said The Guardian. The three children have reportedly "hired their own legal team to contest their father's plans," said Fortune. 

How could this affect the Murdoch family?
Any "restructuring of the trust would have significant implications for decision-making at the top of the Murdoch empire, including any major mergers or other strategic transactions News Corp and Fox pursue," said The Wall Street Journal. James has expressed opinions different from most News Corp brands, especially Fox News. There are views "I really disagree with on Fox," he said to The New Yorker in 2019. James eventually left his seat on News Corp's board due to editorial disagreements. Murdoch's other children have also "made it a point to distance themselves from the family business," said Business Insider. 

 
 

Statistic of the day

2.6 feet: The approximate difference in depth between prior swimming pools at the Summer Olympics and the pool at the Paris Games. The Paris pool measures 2.2 meters deep, or 7 feet, 2 inches, while prior pools have typically measured about 3 meters deep, or 9.8 feet. This has created controversy over whether this summer's pool limits athletes' abilities to swim at their peaks and break any records.  
The Wall Street Journal

 
 
In the Spotlight

Vice President Kamala Harris has proven to be highly meme-able, a distinction that has helped her sway younger generations online as she pursues the Democrats' nomination for the 2024 presidential election. The meme game surrounding Harris, which runs from coconuts to pop diva nods, is an internet marvel. 

Coconut tree
The proliferation of coconut and palm tree emojis refers to a speech the vice president gave last year in which she quoted her mother talking about younger generations. "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you," Harris said with her signature laugh. 

The clip initially went viral, with some Republicans using it to deride her. After President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance in June, the clip took on a new light, as supporters claimed to be "coconut-pilled" and all-in on Harris replacing Biden. 

'Kamala is brat'
Popular British pop singer Charli XCX led the charge into a "brat summer," and the Harris campaign is jumping in on the theme. After news of Biden's endorsement spread, the singer signaled her support by declaring "kamala IS brat" on X. The meaning of "brat" is to be "that girl who is a little messy and likes to party … feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown … is very honest, very blunt, a little bit volatile," Charli said on TikTok. 

Venn diagrams
Another meme the Harris campaign embraces stems from the vice president's love of Venn diagrams. "I love Venn diagrams," Harris said during an event in 2022. "There's just something about those three circles and the analysis of where there's the intersection, right?" 

The Republican National Committee posted the Venn diagram clip on YouTube to criticize her, but "many of those commenting on the account's posts expressed their own love for the set theory tool that shows overlapping areas of similarity," The Associated Press said. Kamala HQ posted a Venn diagram on X with "holding Trump accountable" as the intersection of both the Biden and Harris campaigns. 

 
 

Good day 

… for Apple employees. Apple has reached a collective bargaining deal with unionized employees at its Towson, Maryland, store, marking the first such agreement for any Apple employees in the U.S. The Towson employees, who joined the International Association of Machinists union in 2022, will vote on the agreement on Aug. 6. If approved, the deal will ensure an average pay increase of 10%, along with other labor benefits.

 
 

Bad day ?

… for McDonald's. The fast food company's global sales slumped in the second quarter, "marking the first decline for the fast food giant since 2020 as inflation-weary consumers pull back on eating out," CBS News said. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that some consumers no longer see McDonald's as the best deal, especially with customers shying away from higher-priced menu items, including Big Macs.

 
 
Picture of the day

Surf's way up

Brazil's Gabriel Medina celebrates in midair during a heat of the men's surfing competition at the Paris Olympics. The competition is being held in Teahupo'o on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, 10,000 miles from Paris.
Jérôme Brouillet / AFP / Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

August is when the end of summer starts to sharpen into view. This is the time to enjoy a sunny escape before the leaves start to change and warm weather retreats to a distant memory.

Almanac X Alcron, Prague
This stylish Almanac, equal parts modern and traditional, is close to the action. Filled with onyx fireplaces, marble pillars and paintings by local artists, the hotel houses an eponymous restaurant, where the chef puts a new spin on classic Czech dishes, and a similarly named art deco-inspired bar. Book the Almanac X Castle View Suite, where you need only look out your window to gawk at Prague Castle.

Huttopia Paradise Springs, Valyermo, California 
Get that camping fix without having to rough it. Up in the Angeles National Forest, this hideaway is tucked back in a canyon, with a creek running through it. Guests at Huttopia can stay at the historic one-bedroom Chaplin Cabin. This newly restored accommodation is surrounded by trout ponds and has a private patio, hot tub and stairs that were constructed by — you guessed it — Charlie Chaplin. 

Las Alcobas, Mexico City
The energy of Mexico City is palpable, especially when staying at a boutique hotel in the Polanco neighborhood. Once a private residence, this property is now Las Alcobas, home to 35 luxe suites, the lively Anatol restaurant, and the lovely Aurora spa. Because of the hotel's smaller size, the concierge is able to work with guests on personalized itineraries, guiding them to sights and restaurants based on their preferences. 

 
 

Poll watch

More than 4 in 10 American kids do not participate in summer learning activities, according to a new Gallup poll. The poll found that 45% of parents say they did not enroll their children in summer programs last year, a figure that increases to 62% among households making less than $50,000. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Southwest Airlines becomes like every other airline'
Chicago Tribune editorial board
After Southwest Airlines' decision to "do away with unreserved seating," the airline referred to itself as a "low-cost airline," but from a "customer perspective, that has not been true for a very long time," says the Chicago Tribune editorial board. By "removing its open-seating policy, its last remaining meaningful distinction, Southwest finally admits it has become just like American, Delta and United." The airline is now "disguising the true cost of a flight in reasonable comfort."

'Biden is right: End lifetime tenure on the Supreme Court' 
David Firestone at The New York Times
An "18-year maximum tenure for justices, as Biden and many others have proposed, shouldn't be ping-ponged around by whatever faction is dissatisfied with the current court," says David Firestone. It's a "good idea born of a mistake by the Constitution's drafters, who weren't able to foresee the problems caused by lifetime appointments." The nation's founders "did not fully anticipate how a justice might become insulated from reality after serving on the court for many decades."

'The US military is in a crisis of recruitment, trust and spending. The draft can fix it.'
Dennis Laich at Newsweek
The military's "recruitment crisis can be chalked up in part to views of the military itself," says Dennis Laich. The U.S. has "cultivated an image of war as easy and inexpensive," so the "reality of our many wars no longer touches the general populace." A "lottery-based draft of all eligible Americans" would "minimize military intervention, bolster national security and reduce the likelihood of nuclear war," and conscription would "make up for the deficit in recruitment."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

tyrannosaurid

A dinosaur that belongs to the Tyrannosauridae subfamily of which there are at least 30 species, including the Tyrannosaurus rex. A team of paleontologists at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History in China have reported a new species of "deep-snouted" tyrannosaurid dinosaur, which they are calling Asiatyrannus xui. The remains were uncovered at a ​​construction site in Ganzhou City in 2017.

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Shutterstock / Getty Images; David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images; Montinique Monroe / Stringer / Getty Images; Huttopia