The first 2024 debate is here: The GOP field's set to meet tonight (without Trump). But why do we do debates? Do they even matter? Sometimes, yes...a lot.

Here are 5 moments from recent primary debates that actually changed the trajectory of the nominating contest — and history. 2008: Hillary Clinton struggles to take a clear stance on giving driver's licenses to “illegal immigrants.”

Her attempt at nuance reinforced a central criticism of her candidacy — that she was overly cautious and poll-tested — helping fuel Barack Obama's ultimate victory.

Is Biden poised for a breakthrough on the economy?

Today, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points after a brief pause in June.

But by virtually any metric, inflation — and the economy as a whole — is in a very different place than when it met in July 2022. The Fed has steadily raised interest rates since March 2022, playing catchup as inflation soared to 40-year highs. After its June pause, that campaign resumed today — with yet another rate hike.

A real Fox News chyron at the end of its 8 p.m. hour. (Yes, this is real.)

Donald Trump arraignment today:
• Court appearance takes place at 3 pm ET in Miami
• Expected to plead not guilty to 37 counts
• Will voluntarily turn himself in before that
• Will be fingerprinted digitally
• Mugshot will likely not made public
• Will not be handcuffed A transcript of the hearing will be released, likely soon after the hearing.
forbes.com/sites/alisondu…

THREAD: There was backlash to the backlash at a heated school board hearing in Florida’s deep-red Hernando County on Tuesday.

You should see what teachers, students, and parents said about right-wing culture wars and anti-LGBTQ policies that are driving some educators to quit. “I have never seen such fear from my colleagues as I’ve seen in the last two months.”

— Social studies teacher Victoria Hunt says “the culture that has been created” in Hernando County, Florida, is driving teachers to leave “the county, the state, or the profession altogether.”

The timeline for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial is set: It will start no later than August 28th.

The TX Senate requires a 2/3 majority to remove Paxton. The TX House voted 121-23 for impeachment over the weekend. Some more context on the Ken Paxton impeachment proceedings:

https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1662584464050987011

“The injustice is that we continue to invest in a system and a culture of militarization and policing, again, entrenched in injustice and oppression.”

— An opponent of “Cop City,” Atlanta’s police training center, condemns the controversial project at a City Council meeting Jimmy Hill, whose son Jimmy Atchison was killed by Atlanta police in 2019, returns a proclamation the City Council gave him because it describes his family’s fight as “anti-gun violence” instead of anti-police brutality:

“Stop trying to sugarcoat it. It’s police brutality.”

"America is the least racist country in the world."

After President Joe Biden called white supremacy "the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland" at Howard University, Fox & Friends hosts go in on Biden's "pandering," how it was "cynical" and "actually evil." "What the left wants to do to restart race challenges in our country ... They want us to not get along, when our default right now as Americans is to want to love each other, want to work together, want to be together."

— Fox & Friends' Pete Hegseth

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is in custody and faces charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and more in a 13-count indictment.

Santos will see a judge later today. Former U.S. Attorney @eliehonig breaks down the 13-count indictment against Rep. George Santos (R-NY):

"Most of these charges are going to carry 20-year maximums. Now, we have to be careful whenever we talk about these maximums ... it's very rare that anyone gets the maximum."

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) following the mass killing of 8 people at an outlet mall in Texas:

"I'll be going up to Allen later today to begin the process of providing hope and healing. But I gotta tell you there are questions that are lingering that the families want answers to." Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), on proposals to reduce gun violence following the mass killing of 8 people in Allen, Texas:

"One thing that we can observe very easily and that has there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that's taking place in America."

"The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side, and she had no face."

— Heartbreaking firsthand account from Steven Spainhouer, first on the scene at the Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting More Spainhouer: "I asked him if he was OK and he said, 'My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt.' So rather than traumatize him, I pulled him around the corner sat him down and he was covered from head to toe ... like somebody poured blood on him."

More than 20 were injured during a mass shooting at a teen's Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama.

Police have not released many details at this time. WRBL is reporting several people have been killed. "The Tallapoosa County Coroner’s Office only confirmed that multiple people have been affected by the shooting."
wionews.com/world/mass-sho…

“We called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy.”

— Tennessee State Rep. @brotherjones_ (D) defends himself ahead of an expulsion vote against him and two other members for protesting gun violence on the House floor “We had a member pee in another member’s chair, in this chamber — no expulsion. In fact, they’re in leadership.”

— Tennessee State Rep. @brotherjones_ (D), ahead of expulsion vote, talks about sexual assaults and other investigations that did not get his colleagues expelled

Kansas is now the 20th state to pass a transgender student athlete ban into law.

Kansas lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's (D) veto in both chambers. The bill includes the possibility of genital inspections.
kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/bet… This marked the third straight year that Gov. Kelly vetoed the anti-trans sports bill. This year lawmakers had the votes to override it.

Three students and three adults were killed in a shooting at The Covenant School by a girl who “appears to be in her teens” and was killed by police, according to Nashville Police’s Don Aaron.

“She was armed with at least two assault-type rifles and a handgun,” Aaron says. The mass shooting happened at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school for about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. apnews.com/article/nashvi…

“You took my son away from me!”

— Parkland parents Patricia and Manuel Oliver are removed after interrupting a House hearing on Second Amendment protections Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) on gun reform protests: “Is this an insurrection? Will they be held to the same —”

Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI): “If they’re trying to overthrow the government, they oughta be held to the same standard, but ... they’re trying to express their frustrations.”

Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D), who paused her 3-week filibuster to debate anti-trans legislation, addresses her GOP colleagues:

“You are caring, kind, and compassionate people who are here to do public service… Pay attention to this conversation. Open your hearts.” Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D) made a deal Thursday with Republican colleagues to pause her three-week filibuster and resume debate on a bill that would outlaw gender-affirming care for minors.

Learn more about Cavanaugh’s fight: bit.ly/NEFilibuster

2024 candidate and former president Donald Trump posted on his social media site that he believes he will be arrested on Tuesday. Trump's Tuesday speculation here:

Oklahoma lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have banned corporal punishment for kids with disabilities in schools.

Rep. Jim Olsen (R) cites Proverbs in rejecting the ban: “The rod and reproof give wisdom. But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” Oklahoma State Rep. Jim Olsen (R): “I had a constituent that called me … He was upset because he had a special needs child, and what he told me was that this child did not respond to positive motivation, but that she responded very well to corporal punishment.”

"For people who are in their 20s, their life expectancy will probably be 85 to 90. Does it really make sense to allow someone who's in their 20s today to retire at 62?"

— Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) on why we should talk about changes to Social Security and Medicare Kennedy may eventually be right, but for the record: "Life expectancy at birth in the United States declined nearly a year from 2020 to 2021 ... That decline – 77.0 to 76.1 years – took U.S. life expectancy at birth to its lowest level since 1996."
cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom…

"You can turn a rainy day into rainbows and sunshine."

As Tennessee passes anti-LGBTQ legislation, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) has been commenting often on a gay man's racy Instagram pics.

Lt. Gov's McNally's office said "he enjoys interacting with constituents." The recipient of Lt. Gov. Randy McNally's comments and emojis commented to the media: “He did not say he wanted to date me or have sex or anything like that.”

But also:
wkrn.com/news/tennessee…