Hi folks,

Congratulations on making it through another week!  What's on the schedule for the weekend?  There's nothing too crazy happening on our end, but we may take a staff field trip to see Thor: Love and Thunder once we're done here.  We've been looking forward to it for weeks, and it also wouldn't hurt to enjoy some air conditioning for a few hours.  BDH and Little Buddha are already asking if they can get popcorn and soda.  We'll see, guys.  First things first.  Let's take a peek at the headlines.  There's a fresh pot of coffee on the counter, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Friday Clutter.

President Biden is expected to sign an executive order today to try to limit the ability of anti-choice states to prosecute women who are seeking abortions, now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.  Besides the fact that forcing women to stay pregnant is abhorrent, it should have been an easy political move for Biden to stand up and say he'd fight this GOP overreach.  Instead, he had to be pressured to even take this limited step to help the women of this country.  He never would have been so passive if we were talking about men losing a constitutional right. 

At the same time, it should not be overlooked - this never would have happened without advocates calling out the administration.   Not only is it okay to demand more of your "leaders," it's a key part of a democracy, and it should never stop.

President Biden has to be pushed to do his job.  (pic via finance.yahoo.com)

Former Trump White House Counsel Pat Cipollone has reportedly agreed to meet with the January 6 House select committee today.  The interview will take place behind closed doors, but it will be taped.  This is bad news for Donald Trump.  Cipollone had an up close view of the planning to steal the 2020 presidential election and is said to have repeatedly warned of its illegality. 

What do we think the MAGA defense will be here?  Will Trump say he never heard of/barely met Cipollone?  Presumably he'll trash his own attorney, since that's one of his default moves anytime someone says something incriminating about him.  Can't wait to hear what comes out of this meeting.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is finally resigning, following a mass departure of ministers from his cabinet.  Johnson's government has been beset by scandals since he took office in 2019, and apparently his party finally had enough.  The timing of this transition seems to be a bit unclear.  Johnson said he'll remain in charge until the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, which could be this fall.  However, no one seems excited by the idea of him staying in office that long, so there may be an update next week. 

Whenever it happens, the GOP should learn from this whole saga:  It turns out you can stand up to your leader when it counts, and not just wait to sell a book once you've left your job. 

It's shocking to hear that Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while giving a speech earlier today.  Japan has some of the toughest gun laws on Earth, and they've almost literally eliminated gun deaths.  That's no exaggeration - they had three firearm deaths in 2019.  Three.  The United States may have had that many just while we've been talking.   The suspect is reportedly in custody, but no reason for the killing has been announced.

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison yesterday.   Chauvin was recently convicted in federal court for violating George Floyd's civil rights in 2019 when Chauvin killed the man by putting his knee on Floyd's neck for nine minutes until Floyd died.  The only problem is that Chauvin will serve the federal sentence at the same time as his 22 1/2 year state sentence for ending Floyd's life.  It was part of a plea deal, but this unrepentant piece of garbage should be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Concerns about a possible global recession have brought down the average price of gas in the United States.  This week's number is $4.75 per gallon, and analysts think it could fall further as fears of an economic slowdown continue.  Watch Republicans try to convince their flock that this price decline is a failure for President Biden. 

As Elon Musk continues to try to wiggle out of his agreement to buy Twitter, the question remains: Who will owe who $1 billion when this deal falls apart?

It appears the Federal Reserve won't be slowing down its fight against inflation in the immediate future.  Judging by these statements from two Fed board members, another 0.75% interest rate hike is likely later this month, and another one of at least 0.5% is on the horizon for September.  If that ends up being the case, the Clutter investment team will need a new goal for its savings account, which is finally once again earning enough money to pay for at least one coffee per month.  Our crew was wondering if that would ever happen.  What's the next goal - two coffees and a muffin? 

In any case, the current rampant inflation is a drag, but at least investors/"regular" people now have a viable conservative place to put their short-term cash.  That's been a long-needed risk-reduction option for many folks.

The Boston Red Sox lost 6-5 to the New York Yankees last night.  Returning third baseman Rafael Devers did all he could to lead the team to a win, driving in all five Boston runs with two home runs off of Gerrit Cole.  However, it wasn't enough, as the Red Sox continue to struggle against AL East opponents, with a record of 9-19.   This was a particularly frustrating loss, given that the Yankees scored a run when first baseman Franchy Cordero misplayed a routine fly ball with a runner on third and two outs in the third inning.  Boston can't afford such sloppy defense, but they've got to put last night behind them and get ready for the second game of the series.  Connor Seabold takes the mound for the Red Sox against the Yankees tonight.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale had a bad rehab outing on Wednesday, and then he had a tantrum about it.  The lefty gave up five walks in just 3 2/3 innings against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, and then trashed a TV and other items in the clubhouse because of it.  Nothing about this is encouraging.  If the guy can't keep his pitches working in AAA, what's the rush to get him back to Boston next week?  Also, once he does return to the majors, what's the over/under until his next injury, because we all know that's coming.  Does 90 innings sound too high?  Finally, having a meltdown after a poor performance isn't some hyper-competitiveness to be applauded.  It's a 33-year-old man acting like a five-year-old child.  Oh, and also, go get vaccinated if you really care about being "a good teammate."

Baker Mayfield finally escaped Cleveland.  The quarterback was traded by the Browns to the Carolina Panthers for what will either be a 4th or 5th round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  Mayfield, the #1 pick in the 2018 draft, will still have to beat out Sam Darnold, the #3 pick that same year, for the Carolina starting job.  He was given away for basically nothing, to a team who won't promise him anything.  It's a sad story, but it's also an opportunity for Mayfield to reboot his career.

Congratulations to the Las Vegas Raiders for hiring Sandra Douglass Morgan, who becomes the first Black woman in NFL history to be a team president.

Hollywood legend James Caan died Wednesday at age 82.  No cause of death was given.  We were not particularly big fans of the actor's work, but there's no doubt he had a long list of memorable films on his resume, including the first two Godfather movies, Brian's Song, Misery, Elf, and Honeymoon in Vegas, as well as the TV show, Las Vegas, among many other credits.  Caan's machismo poured off the screen, whatever the environment around him. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

The first trailer is here for director David O. Russell's new movie, Amsterdam.  We probably won't go to the theaters in November for this one, but given its impressive cast, let us know when it's available on a streaming service:

Congratulations to Wolf Van Halen and longtime girlfriend Andraia Allsop on their engagement.  The musician recently made the announcement on Instagram, and we wish the happy couple all the best.

We have no problem with the fact that Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil is apparently using a teleprompter on the band's current tour with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett.  First off, some singers need that safety net as they get older.  If it helps the 61-year-old Neil do his job, so be it.  Second, as we've stated here before, Neil's biggest issue is whether or not he can actually sing, even if he's getting help with the lyrics. 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's close things out with the latest from The Cult.  We leave you with, "Give Me Mercy" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Those guys have a timeless sound.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  BDH and Little Buddha say you're welcome to come with us to the movies if you like.  Just let us know ahead of time so we know how many seats to save.  Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day, be good, and we'll catch up with you again soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.