What's Happening

Politics

Trump Is Safe After Apparent Attempted Assassination 

What's going on: The FBI said an investigation is underway after “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, yesterday. Authorities said Trump, who is safe and unharmed, was golfing when a Secret Service agent (stationed a hole ahead of the former president) spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of a fence at the golf club. The gunman, who was only 300 to 500 yards away from Trump, fled the scene after agents “opened fire.” Police caught and arrested the suspect, who was later identified as a 58-year-old man from Hawaii. Authorities recovered an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, a camera, and two backpacks from the bushes where the gunman was hiding. The FBI is now looking into the suspect’s social media accounts. CNN reports he posted criticisms of Trump and showed support for Ukraine online.

Tell me more: Yesterday’s incident comes about two months after an attempt on Trump’s life at an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania, a security failure that put the Secret Service under the microscope. Since then, the agency has increased the former president’s security detail with more agents. While the Trump campaign is crediting the Secret Service with keeping the former president safe yesterday, other Republican leaders are asking how another gunman could’ve gotten so close to Trump again. The congressional task force investigating the July assassination attempt is now asking for a briefing of Sunday’s incident. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said the state will carry out its own investigation into what happened.

Related: The History of Assassination Attempts in America Goes Back to 1865 (AP)

International

Mexico Amends Constitution in Divisive Judicial Overhaul

What's going on: Ahead of Mexico’s Independence Day, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador enacted one of the most significant judicial overhauls ever attempted by a large democracy. The legislation replaced Mexico’s appointment-based judicial system with an electoral one. Previously, judges had to work their way up the court ladder and meet certain qualifications before getting the gavel. Now, voters will decide who sits in court, and the qualifications for the role have been relaxed. López Obrador argues the changes will help reduce corruption and hold judges more accountable for their actions. Critics, who’ve taken to the streets in mass protests and strikes, say the reforms could give López Obrador’s Morena party (which controls Mexico’s Congress and presidency) even more power before his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, takes office next month.

What it means: The new law will fundamentally change how the third-most populous country in the Americas (and the US’s neighbor) carries out justice. About 7,000 judges, from the lower courts to the Supreme Court, will have to run for office in order to keep their jobs. The first judicial elections are expected to start next year. Some legal experts warn the changes could endanger Mexico’s democracy by potentially making it easier for cartels to influence the courts. US Ambassador Ken Salazar said the overhaul is a “risk” and “threatens the historic commercial relationship” between the US and Mexico.

Related: Who is Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s First Female President? (Reuters)

US News

A Media Empire, Family Rivalry, and Succession Battle

What's going on: No, that headline isn’t about HBO’s Succession. Instead, it’s about the real-life feud involving media titan Rupert Murdoch and his four children — the family that partly inspired the show. Here’s the plot: Today, a closed-door trial over one of the world’s most powerful media empires is set to begin in Nevada. You might have heard of them: Fox and News Corporations (the parent companies of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, respectively). Rupert, who retired last year at 92, will make the case to amend his irrevocable trust so that when he dies, his eldest son (and chosen successor) Lachlan becomes his “number one boy.” The change would give Lachlan “exclusive” rights to 40% of the voting stakes in each company (read: major control of the firms). That might sound like a snooze until you get to this plot twist: Lachlan’s siblings, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence, are fighting so that they each get equal voting shares, as the trust originally states. Cue: the dramatic music.

What it means: The Murdoch media empire, valued at roughly $34 billion, has been a pillar of conservative media — with Fox News being the most-watched cable news network in recent years. The outcome of the legal clash could have significant consequences on the future of cable news, newspapers, sports media, and streaming. That’s because the root of the Murdoch family’s feud lies in political divisions. Lachlan, who stepped up as chairman of Fox Corp and News Corp last year, aligns closely with his father’s conservative political views. In contrast, his siblings lean more moderate, with James (without explicitly naming Fox News) criticizing “those outlets that propagate lies to their audience” after Jan 6. For Rupert, dividing power among his children could lead to stalemates on decisions about the companies’ future and threaten to upend his media empire, legacy, and the future of conservative media. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait for the finale.

Related: How Accurate Was Succession? (The Guardian)