Hi everyone,

Welcome back, and a happy Monday to you all.  How are you?  Things have still been hectic on this end.  However, I'm hopeful that we're about to start a calmer stretch soon which would allow us to hang out with you on a more regular schedule again.  (Fingers crossed I didn't just jinx that.)

BDH and Little Buddha are working on this week's to-do list to prioritize what needs to happen soon, and what can probably wait until this upcoming heat wave is over.  Those temps won't be fun.  However, what is fun is checking out the headlines with you.  The guys made coffee, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Clutter.

We have teamed up with Clearly Balanced Days, a NH-based/women-owned CBD company.  Enter promo code "cmoore" to get $5 off your next purchase!

The countdown is on:  The first debate between President Biden and convicted felon Donald Trump will be hosted by CNN on June 27, which is right around the corner.  Will this interaction alter the dynamics of the race in any significant way?  President Biden goaded Trump into accepting this debate, and he's clearly planning to hit Trump hard on his recent conviction on 34 felony counts. 

Look for Biden to also hammer Trump for his repeated mentions of retribution if Trump wins in November.  There will be no audience at this debate, and the mics will be muted, except for when one candidate is speaking.  It's a bad format for Trump.  Here's hoping President Biden makes the most of it.

It's debate between a convicted felon and a man who loves this country.  (pic via apnews.com)

The Biden campaign already has an ad out attacking felon Donald Trump as "a convicted criminal."  See for yourself:

President Biden's campaign says it raised over $30 million at a Hollywood event this past Saturday.  If that's true, it would break the record for the Democratic Party's largest fundraising event.

Donald Trump apparently failed to impress some CEO's during a meeting last week:  Trump was reportedly "meandering," which is about the kindest way you can describe his ramblings, including this recent nonsense about sharks, which apparently appeals to his base.  Just send all of them away in November.

The Department of Justice informed Congress that there will be no prosecution of Attorney General Merrick Garland, despite House Republicans voting to find in him in contempt for not turning over recordings of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur re: Biden's retention of classified documents after the Obama administration.  The DOJ said it is a longstanding policy not to prosecute cases involving executive privilege.  What they were too polite to mention is that this entire process was a sham designed to distract from Donald Trump's legal problems.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected an attempt to restrict access to mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medication abortions, last week.  However, this fight is far from over.  The court shot down the argument on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no legal standing.  However, anti-abortion zealots will never stop trying to control women, and they'll use any junk argument they can make before a sympathetic judge. 

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling for a warning label on social media apps, similar to those found on alcohol and tobacco products.  Murthy wrote in a New York Times op-ed that, "It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents."  That would require an act of Congress, and considering how much press members have gotten for criticizing Mark Zuckerberg and company, this seems like an idea that should garner bipartisan support. 

Good for Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who is about to wipe out over 175,000 convictions for low-level marijuana offenses.  This will improve the lives of over 100,000 individuals who have paid the price for a racist "war on drugs" which disproportionately impacts people of color.

This week's heat wave really sounds like it's going to be brutal.  Do what you need to do to stay cool and hydrated, friends.

Look at that - the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-3 last night to win their weekend series against their longtime rival.  Boston starter Kutter Crawford had a quality outing, giving up the three runs over six innings (while racking up nine strikeouts.)  Meanwhile, the Red Sox batters couldn't stop stealing bases.  They had nine on the night, which is a new franchise record.  The Sox have to be feeling great right now after facing the two best teams in baseball (Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies) back-to-back, and winning both series.

Next up:  The Red Sox will try to keep this momentum going, as they start a road trip by facing the Toronto Blue Jays.  Nick Pivetta gets the start for Boston tonight.

We're sorry to hear Mookie Betts broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch on Sunday.  No word on the timetable for his return yet, but we wish him a full and speedy recovery.  Baseball is better when Mookie is on the field.

The Boston Celtics have another chance to win the NBA Finals when they play the Dallas Mavericks tonight.  The Celtics have to forget about their 122-84 loss last Friday.  They're the better team, and they just need to take care of business at the TD Garden.  It's time to bring the 18th banner home.

The Kansas City Chief's legal problems continue:  Defensive end Isaiah Buggs was arrested on Sunday for the second time this offseason.  The first one was for animal cruelty, and the latest is for second-degree domestic violence burglary.  According to the linked article, this charge, "applies when the victim of the alleged crime is a parent, child or a current or former romantic partner of the suspect. The charge may also apply if the victim shares a child or a household with the suspect." 

Buggs is keeping pace with wide receiver Rashee Rice, who has been busy allegedly crashing cars and committing assault.  Of course, the Kansas City organization probably won't do much more than shrug or issue some vague statement of concern, because this is the NFL, and none of the owners care about any of this, as long as they win games.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus' new movie, Tuesday sounds fascinating.  However, it also sounds intense, and we're looking for more lighthearted fare right now, so let's get back to this one later.

EW.com has an enlightening interview with Alan Cumming which focuses on the impact the actor's bisexuality has had on his career.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo recently discussed how trust issues will be at the heart of the upcoming Paramount+ series.  Some major lies were told at the end of Ziva's time on NCIS, so it makes sense there would still be some fallout.  As much as we love the NCIS mothership, this show still isn't enough to get us to add another streaming service right now.  However, we're curious to see how it performs, and  if the two actors can reestablish their chemistry.  According to the linked article, filming on the 10 episodes starts later this year.

We would have loved to have been in the audience when R.E.M performed live last week for the first time since 2008 as part of their induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  The group broke up in 2011, but it seems like all of the members are on good terms.  Maybe they won't fully reunite in the future, but it would be a treat to hear more occasional performances like this now and again. 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here is the Offspring to close things out with, "Make it All Right" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, folks.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, stay cool, 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.