Plus: Elon Musk Launches ‘America Party,’ Testing The Appetite For A Third Party —and Investor Patience

Good evening,

We are in the midst of a massive summer sales period ☀️💵 , where consumers across the country are projected to spend billions of dollars during Amazon Prime Days and with other major retailers who are running competing summer sales this week.

Amazon kicked off its 11th annual Prime Day today for Amazon Prime members. This year, Amazon has extended the length of Prime Day from two to four days for the longest sale in the retail giant’s history.
- Some say the Prime Day extension is a strategic move to stay ahead of tariffs from China; others say it’s just an excuse for Amazon to sell more stuff.
Costco, Target, and Walmart all started week-long sales on Monday as well.
- If you pay for a Costco membership, Walmart+ membership, or the Target Circle 360 program, you are eligible for perks like early access to back-to-school sales and special discounts.
Summer sales could also offer the last big bargain before tariffs potentially upend fall and winter shopping.

The retail giants aren’t for everyone. If you’re looking to support some smaller businesses this summer, check out the Mo News Shop Small business directory. All Mo News Premium members are eligible to have their shop join the directory!

Sam,
Associate Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Musk’s New ‘America Party’ Faces Major Challenges—And Unnerves Tesla Investors

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, announced this weekend that he is launching a new political party, the “America Party,” following a public fallout with President Trump.

The move comes after Musk criticized Trump’s newly signed “Big Beautiful Bill,” warning that it would add trillions to the national deficit.

Musk’s third party aims to push back against what he described as a “one-party system,” restore fiscal responsibility, and “give you back your freedom,” he said on X Saturday.

While Musk has not yet completed the legal steps to register the party with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), he says it will focus on a small number of congressional races in the 2026 midterms.

He says the party’s platform will be pro-free speech, pro-gun, pro-natalist (having more children), pro-AI, and pro-cryptocurrency, among other issues.
Musk’s strategy to focus on the midterms and select House and Senate races could undermine Republicans running for office and capture just enough votes to make a difference in battleground states like North Carolina. The split could be a boon for Democrats, especially if Musk’s party can pick up votes from Republicans. Notably, Musk has been trying to drive a wedge by blasting the Trump administration for not reveling more about Jeffrey Epstein this week.

The New Party Comes Amid Musk - Trump Feud

Once Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk had been one of the president’s most prominent supporters, but after Musk’s departure in May from the White House, the two men clashed over government spending and tax cuts.

The feud got pretty ugly with Musk suggesting Trump was a client of Jeffrey Epstein, and said the only reason Trump won the 2024 presidential election was because of him.
The feud between Musk and Trump had seemingly cooled after Musk expressed regret and deleted some of the most explosive claims he made about the president, but it reignited last week as the bill got closer to passing.
- President Trump said last week the government may reconsider its massive contracts with Musk’s companies and described the Department of Government Efficiency as a monster that may - “go back and eat Elon.”

In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said Musk had gone “off the rails.”

The Challenges Of Launching A Third Party

The two-party system in the U.S. has long been criticized by voters looking for another choice, but efforts to form a third party have not had much success.

Experts in campaign finance and political science say it is financially and legally difficult to create a new party, and voters and candidates are hesitant to join.

Musk’s party will have to comply with the varying requirements for getting on ballots which have created issues for third-party candidates in the past where they have not been able to get on the ballot in all 50 states.

The last time a presidential candidate who was not a Republican or Democrat won electoral votes was 1968, when five Southern states went for American Independent Party nominee George Wallace.

Billionaire Ross Perot ran for president as an independent in 1992, winning nearly a fifth of the popular vote, but carried no states and won no electoral college votes in the election.

Fallout For Tesla

The political announcement had immediate consequences for Musk’s business, Tesla, as the stock fell nearly 7% Monday and lost more than $68 billion in market cap amid investor concerns over his increasing political involvement.

Analysts warn that his reentry into the political arena may further distract from Tesla’s ongoing challenges, including declining vehicle deliveries and growing competition abroad.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE HAPPY ABOUT

You Can Finally Keep Your Shoes On At TSA Checkpoints

A traveler takes their shoes off at the John F. Kennedy airport in NYC.

After nearly two decades, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is already dropping one of its most hated airport rules: removing your shoes at security.

The TSA has yet to announce the move formally, but stated in a Monday press release that it is “exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”

The new shoes-on initiative is only at selected airports for now, but sources say the rules could be relaxed nationwide soon.
Among the first airports to drop the shoes-off requirement: Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Cincinnati, Portland, Philadelphia and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina.

Remember The Shoe Bomber?

We’ve had to take our shoes off at airport security checkpoints since 2006 after the so-called “Shoe Bomber” Richard Reid tried and failed to ignite homemade explosives in his shoes. That incident took place on a December 2001 American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.

According to the FBI, Reid’s shoe contained about 10 ounces of explosive material and his plan was foiled when he struggled to light a fuse attached to his shoes. He was subdued by fellow passengers and the crew and taken into custody when the plane diverted to Boston.
- He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and is currently serving a life sentence at a Supermax prison in Colorado.

If we can all leave our shoes on at security soon, PreCheck’ers will have one less thing to brag about. They will also have one less reason to renew and pay for the program.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Supreme Court allows Trump to move forward with plans for mass firings, reorganization of the federal government (ABC)
Kerr County, TX request for $1 million for flood alert sirens was repeatedly rejected over the last decade (MO NEWS)
Netanyahu surprises Trump with Nobel Peace Prize nomination (MO NEWS)
Attorney General Bondi discusses missing minute of Epstein video as Trump slams media for asking about him (MO NEWS)
Troops and federal agents briefly descend on L.A.'s MacArthur Park in largely immigrant neighborhood (NBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

3 Russian officials found dead: one by suicide, one by cardiac arrest, one falls from window (MO NEWS)
Israel outlines plans to pack Gaza’s population into a closed border zone (AP)
Acropolis closes as heatwave grips Greece (BBC)
Haiti's iconic Hotel Oloffson, long a cultural beacon, destroyed by gang violence (NPR)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

US posts highest annual measles case tally in 33 years amid Texas outbreak (GUARDIAN)
Copper prices hit record high after Trump previews 50% tariff (AXIOS)
Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner tapped to lead Hershey (CNBC)
Medical groups sue HHS, RFK Jr. over 'unlawful' vaccine changes (ABC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Country star Pat Green reveals "heartbreaking loss" after Central Texas floods (WFAA)
Cierra Ortega exits ‘Love Island USA’ villa following backlash over resurfaced racial slur posts (AP)
Taylor Fritz becomes 1st American man to reach Wimbledon semifinals since 2018 (FOX)
Scarlett Johansson becomes Hollywood’s highest grossing lead actor With ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ (THE WRAP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Can't seem to get out of bed in the mornings? That's always been a struggle for Gu Yupeng ever since he was a child, which is what inspired him to create a motorized bed that allowed him to go anywhere while staying under the covers. 🛌🚗

The "bed-car" took him one week to build and had a range of up to 31 miles. Yupeng's "bed-car" went viral on social media two week ago — we slept on this one before learning about it this week! 😴