Top of the Fold

• Biden: U.S. to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes”: On Thursday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ended its summit in Madrid, Spain, having secured a significant preliminary agreement for accepting Finland and Sweden’s request to join the alliance. Meanwhile, Joe Biden reiterated his stance that the U.S. would support Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” While Biden’s expressed sentiment of “being there” for Ukraine in its fight against Vladimir Putin’s aggression may be important for Ukrainian resolve, the message it sends to Americans back home is less clear. For example, Biden has disingenuously and yet continuously blamed sky-high prices at the pump on Putin rather than admit where the lion’s share of the blame belongs — his own anti-fossil fuel policies. Therefore, the memo he’s sending stateside is that as long as the war continues, the price of gas will remain high because of Putin. He’ll then continue moving forward with his anti-fossil fuel agenda and blame Russia every time people object to the high prices at the pump.

• Fewer fireworks thanks to Biden economy: Multiple cities and towns across America are either delaying or canceling Independence Day fireworks shows due to the ongoing supply chain crisis. Thanks to pandemic-related lockdowns that created the problem — which was then exacerbated by politicians such as Joe Biden, who used the pandemic as an excuse to engage in more top-down power grabs — Ottawa, Kansas, has had to postpone its fireworks show until the day before Labor Day. “We hate to break tradition,” lamented Ottawa festival co-chair Tiffany Evans. “Even though it’s out of our control, it feels like we’re letting the community down.” Some cities such as Phoenix and Minneapolis have canceled the fireworks shows altogether, the former for lack of fireworks and the latter for lack of employees. National Fireworks Association President Steve Houser observed, “A lot of these shooters, they could be doctors or dentists by day, and for two days a year they’re a pyrotechnician who’s shooting a firework show.” Then there’s Bidenflation, now at 8.6%, which has raised the average price of Independence Day cookout celebrations by roughly 17% over last year.

• White House targets minors with pro-abortion message: On the same day that the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on Dobbs that overturned Roe, the White House promoted a pro-abortion message that linked to an organization directing minors on how to have abortions without their parents’ consent. The message read: “While Roe v. Wade has been overturned, many reproductive healthcare services remain protected by law. Swipe to learn more on the rights you still have to birth control and other preventative health services — regardless of your health insurance status.” The advertised link was to an outfit that specifically targets girls ages 14 to 16. The website states: “If you’re younger than age 18, consider that many states require you to get permission from a parent or guardian to get an abortion. If you plan to travel to a state that requires the involvement of a parent or guardian and you need to avoid that, you could see if you’re eligible to get a judicial bypass. For more information about getting a judicial bypass contact the If/When/How Judicial Bypass (JB) Helpline.” The message includes a phone number or the option for an online request. This is how Joe Biden “empowers” women.

Headlines

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in (Fox News)

• SCOTUS handed us one more pro-life victory Thursday afternoon (Not the Bee)

• Judge blocks Florida’s 15-week abortion ban (Townhall)

• George Soros-funded prosecutors pledge to defy pro-life laws (Free Beacon)

• FOIAs reveal progressive money fueling FBI, DOJ, leftist activist, and election official coordination (PJ Media)

• Jordan Peterson suspended from Twitter for “misgendering” (Not the Bee)

• Governor Kathy Hochul rejects needing data to support passing strict gun control measures (Townhall)

• Man charged with hate crime for allegedly drawing swastika on New York gubernatorial candidate’s campaign sign (NR)

• LA County returns Bruce’s Beach to black family 90-plus years after Manhattan Beach took it (Orange County Register)

• Policy: Adoption after Dobbs: It should be presented as a viable, even empowering, option for unprepared mothers (City Journal)

• Satire: No one else at Vatican able to receive communion after Pelosi drinks all the wine (Babylon Bee)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.