Twitter Snafue – An Unfortunate Start To Ron DeSantis’ Campaign

In a highly anticipated event on Twitter, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida experienced a series of technical difficulties that marred his announcement of his 2024 candidacy. The delay lasted over 25 minutes, with long stretches of dead air and stray whispers heard before the event was finally restarted. The glitch-filled livestream left Mr. DeSantis sharing the stage with Elon Musk and dealing with widespread mockery from political opponents. The technical challenges encountered during the Twitter event obscured Mr. DeSantis’s arguments and resulted in a loss of listeners and potential donors. This unfortunate turn of events hindered his ability to convey his message effectively and presented a less-than-ideal first impression. Both former President Trump and President Biden took the opportunity to mock the troubled rollout. 

Congress Passes Debt Ceiling Bill, Avoids Global Recession

The US government has an agreement on how much debt the US Treasury can take on, known as the debt ceiling. Ever since the Republicans took control of the House, the debt ceiling has been a highly controversial issue, as the Republicans have called for spending cuts while the Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling. Raising the debt ceiling would give them more money to spend on health care, pensions, social security, and education. However, Republicans are against the raise as they believe the government should cut costs as US debt approaches a whopping $32 trillion.

If a deal between the Democrats and Republicans is not reached, the US would default on its debt, and the economy would crash. President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have finally made progress on the issue, as the Senate and House passed a bipartisan debt ceiling bill earlier this week that will now be sent to President Biden to be signed. The deal has been scrutinized by many progressive groups, who criticize aspects of the bill that would push 750,000 people off food stamps. The Biden administration, however, believes it needed to accept such a bill because of the urgency surrounding the issue. While this deal saves a global recession, the same problem will likely reappear in 2025 when a new deal must be reached.

NBA Finals Begins

The NBA Playoffs for the 2022-2023 NBA season have been eventful and highly competitive. NBA fans worldwide have been invested in this year’s playoffs as the 77th year of the NBA ends. 

In the Western Conference, the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers and talented Denver Nuggets, led by LeBron James and MVP center Nikola Jokic respectively, faced off in the Western Conference Finals. Despite close games, the Lakers’ run as a seventh seed was cut short, and the Nuggets advanced in just four games.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics advanced to the Conference Finals behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They faced off against the Miami Heat, who struggled in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the eighth seed. Behind Jimmy Butler, however, they beat Milwaukee Bucks, the 2021 champions, and the New York Knicks, advancing to the Conference Finals against all odds. Their run continued as they won the first three games of the Conference Finals. However, the Celtics battled back and won the next three games to even the series. In the history of the playoffs, no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit, but the Celtics found themselves just one game away from achieving the feat. In Game 7, the Heat finished the series by beating the Celtics and found themselves in the NBA Finals as an eight-seed. 

In Game 1 of the Finals, the Nuggets won behind a triple-double from Jokic and will look to continue their success in Game 2 on Sunday. The best-of-seven series can be watched on ABC.