..and there is YOU!!!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

	Open in app or online Where There's a Zoom, There's a Loudmouth... ..and there is YOU!!! Mark Halperin Mar 8   Save ▷  Listen   SUPPORTING ITEM: Please consider becoming a voluntary paid subscriber or contributor to support my work on Wide World of News today. What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: I still don’t get why I should pay for something I can read for free? What you should say on your morning Zoom: Reader support is the only support Mark receives for his work on the newsletter every day. To subscribe: Upgrade to paid Or you can contribute the amount of your choice through one of these methods: * Buy me a cocktail (at Davenport prices….), tax and server tip included, by clicking here. * Buy me a cup of coffee (or a week’s worth) by clicking here. * Check. Send a simple email to markhalperintalk@gmail.com and ask where you can send a check. • PayPal. markhalperinnyc@gmail.com • Venmo. Mark-Halperin-4 (telephone number ends in x3226) • Zelle. markhalperinnyc@gmail.com **** STATE OF THE STATING ITEM: Politico on the DeSantis speech opening up the legislative session in Tallahassee, says there is an inescapable buzz surrounding an expected 2024 presidential bid…. DeSantis couldn’t ask for a better runway for a national Republican primary than Florida. The Republican-dominated Legislature over the past two years has handed him almost anything he wanted as he has ascended through the national conservative ecosystem and appears poised to continue the trend. What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Clearest sign the guy is running – Politico says he has noticeably lost weight! There goes Trump’s “Meatball” nickname option. What you should say on your morning Zoom: Score every piece of legislation that gets passed not on the MAGA scale (that’s a given) but what each does to DeSantis’ capacity to simultaneously outflank Trump and Biden. He needs both more rural voters and more suburban voters to become president. **** TROLLING ITEM: Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis The only thing keeping Novak Djokovic from participating in the Miami Open tennis tournament is President Biden’s misguided and unscientific COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreigner travelers.   Mr. President – lift your restrictions and let him compete. 10:30 PM ∙ Mar 7, 2023 25,244Likes3,865Retweets What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Ladies and gents, forget Donald Trump – we have a new King of Twitter! What you should say on your morning Zoom: Watch the key new sub-Trump vs. DeSantis competition – who is better at competing with the White House, which seems happy to engage (even from the briefing room podium) with both potential rivals. The two Republicans are going to be out to show nominating voters through these virtual skirmishes that they are better equipped to debate/beat the incumbent. **** POLLING ITEM: Emerson College Polling @EmersonPolling NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL 2024 #GOP primary @realDonaldTrump 58% @RonDeSantisFL 17% @ChrisSununu 7% @Mike_Pence 4% @NikkiHaley 6% @mikepompeo 2% @SenatorTimScott 1% @KristiNoem 1% @LarryHogan 1% Someone else 3% ow.ly/jHSI50NbyBG 2:00 AM ∙ Mar 8, 2023 60Likes29Retweets What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: So much for Governor Sununu’s weekend guarantee that DeSantis would win the Granite State primary if it were today. What you should say on your morning Zoom: In 2016, Trump had one second-place and three firsts in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.  Constantly ask yourself for the next eleven months: What will DeSantis’ four showings be in 2024? **** COMPETING ITEM: The Associated Press @AP President Xi Jinping’s accusation that Washington is trying to hold China back reflects mounting frustration that Beijing’s pursuit of prosperity and global influence is threatened by U.S. curbs on access to technology, support for Taiwan and other moves. apnews.comChina accuses Washington of trying to block its developmentBEIJING (AP) — Is the United States out to sabotage China? Chinese leaders think so. President Xi Jinping accused Washington this week ... 9:33 AM ∙ Mar 8, 2023 52Likes11Retweets The Wall Street Journal: “U.S., China Plunge Further Into a Spiral of Hostility: After tiptoeing toward a rapprochement, any fence-mending now has been postponed” What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Neither party is tough enough on the Commies. What you should say on your morning Zoom: Biden, Blinken, and Sullivan want to get off the treadmill of daily events and come up with a long-term strategic plan that combines economic, military, diplomatic, and cultural, along with personal relationships. But the treadmill never stops. **** BEFRIENDING ITEM: Jomboy Media @JomboyMedia You know two dudes are best friends when they greet each other like this 11:46 PM ∙ Mar 7, 2023 302Likes12Retweets What that loudmouth will ask on your morning Zoom: Really, who cares about hockey? What you should say on your morning Zoom: There is nothing more fascinating than the sociology of a sport that combines skates, sticks, a frozen puck, and intense homoeroticism. **** UNCORRUPTING ITEM: The Wall Street Journal: A year into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko is steadily gathering enough financial aid from the U.S. and other international allies to ensure the Ukrainian state can keep functioning. His new challenge is to assuage doubts about the country’s history of corruption. Graft scandals at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and other government agencies have added to calls in the U.S. for stricter controls over assistance for Ukraine, as more American voters and lawmakers are growing skeptical about the cost of financial and military support for the country’s defense against Russia’s invasion. What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to spend…. What you should say on your morning Zoom: I agree with Mr. Borovyk: Mr. Borovyk of Transparency International said the heightened Western scrutiny of Ukraine’s government is useful. “Fighting corruption in Ukraine is like a sandwich: You need international pressure from above and civil-society pressure from below. That’s when reforms happen,” he said. Right now and for the foreseeable future, we have what they call at In-N-Out Burger an “animal-style”: the meat of corruption with no bread in sight on top or bottom. **** TUCKERING ITEM: Greg Price @greg_price11 McConnell said it was a "mistake" for Tucker Carlson to show January 6 footage that the government fought to keep hidden. 7:41 PM ∙ Mar 7, 2023 6,498Likes1,536Retweets Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson Tucker blasts DC uniparty after Chuck Schumer and McConnell call for his censorship over release of J6 tapes "They're all on the same side!... Here you have people with shared interests. The open borders people. The people like Mitch McConnell who are living in splendor on… https://t.co/JsdKhGMtCz 1:21 AM ∙ Mar 8, 2023 22,000Likes5,418Retweets Politico What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Kevin McCarthy is not big on admitting mistakes, it appears. What you should say on your morning Zoom: Mitch McConnell’s approval numbers with the base of his own party actually have the potential to get down to (to use John McCain’s old joke) paid staff and close relatives. And he doesn’t give a hoot. Now watch closely the trajectory of the McConnell-McCarthy relationship, which is vital to resolving the debt ceiling and spending. **** TEXTING ITEM: Deadline What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: Network news is like high school, with bigger salaries and more time in hair and makeup. What you should say on your morning Zoom: Primetime versus news is truly “snobs versus the slobs” redux! **** PASSING ITEM: Jomboy Media @JomboyMedia Passing the ball to the ref… ILLEGAL 3:22 AM ∙ Mar 8, 2023 837Likes29Retweets What that loudmouth will say on your morning Zoom: I love how the ref just catches it. What you should say on your morning Zoom: That is my moment of Zen for today. You're currently a free subscriber to Wide World of News. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid   Share   Read Wide World of News in the app Listen to posts, join subscriber chats, and never miss an update from Mark Halperin. © 2023 Mark Halperin Email Mark if you need his physical mailing address. Unsubscribe