US Vice President Kamala Harris will be skipped over if her running mate President Joe Biden decides to drop out of the race, attorney and civil rights organizer Robert Patillo II speculated on Sputnik's Fault Lines on Friday.

“President Biden had a very bad night. The worst part was that he reinforced the narrative about him, of being kind of this doddering old man who didn’t know where he was, couldn’t complete a sentence, kind of got lost midway through sentences, those sorts of things.”

The post-debate analysis, even on left-leaning MSNBC, focused heavily on finding a potential replacement for Biden, with the choices of Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom being floated on the air.

CNN analyst Van Jones called Biden’s performance “personally painful for a lot of people,” and openly noted that the Democrats could make a switch before the convention.

NBC analyst Chuck Todd said Democratic leaders are in “a full-on panic about this performance.” Almost 48 million viewers watched the debate, many more likely saw clips of Biden’s worst moments after they were posted online.

Patillo described Biden’s performance as “Just an old man dying in front of us,” saying that “It got uncomfortable for people watching.”

However, the Democrats may have difficulty finding a replacement for Biden because they all but shut down the party’s primary this cycle, making Harris the only potential candidate with a reasonable claim to the nomination as Biden’s running mate, but she is nearly as unpopular with the voting public as Biden is.

💬 “The problem then becomes you can’t hop over the first Black female vice president and put Gavin Newsom, let’s say, in the catbird seat,” explained Patillo, and whoever the nominee is will need support from black voters if they hope to defeat Donald Trump in November.

“The reason is you have, what? Four months that you have to get 100% name recognition around the country. You don't have time to introduce the country to Gavin Newsom. You don't have time to introduce the country to Kamala Harris, quite frankly,” he explained. “You need someone who is a known commodity that is already recognized by every single person, whether good, bad or ugly, and who has the ability to fundraise, you know, the half billion dollars they're going to need to fundraise for the course of the next several months. And the only person who fits that bill will be Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, and Michelle ain't doing it.”

“[Biden] was barely able to form a sentence last night and that is why it’s a situation that’s apocalyptic for Democrats because regardless of how much money you raise, regardless of how you try to paint Trump, if people think you’re running essentially against ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ it’s not going to really matter,” Patillo continued. “And that is why that Hillary train is going to be picking up over the course of the next several weeks.”

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The rebellious Bolivian generals, including their leader Juan Jose Zuniga, have been arrested for six months.

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💥 A Russian Iskander missile strike destroyed a Ukrainian S-300PS surface-to-air missile system in the Odessa region.

The hit took out a radar station, a low-altitude detector, and the combat control cabin.

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Washington Post criticizes Democrats for ignoring Biden's age and mental fitness, lists 10 potential replacements

The Washington Post, a major American newspaper, published a list of 10 alternative candidates to replace U.S. President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election, while also accusing the Democratic Party of "burying its head in the sand" regarding concerns about the American leader's age and mental state.

"The Democratic Party has spent much of the 2024 campaign burying its head in the sand over Americans’ concerns about President Biden’s age and mental sharpness," the publication states.

According to the publication, the most influential voices in the party portrayed the president's issues as media exaggerations. However, the stance of Biden's allies shifted after his "incoherent and almost universally criticized performance" in the debate with Donald Trump, raising the question of alternative candidates for the November election.

The newspaper lists 10 alternative candidates from the Democratic Party who could replace Biden in the upcoming election:

1️⃣ Vice President Kamala Harris, "unless she voluntarily steps aside"

2️⃣ Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, "an actually plausible alternative with looking almost ideal on paper"

3️⃣ Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, "the antithesis of Biden’s inability to drive a message against Trump"

4️⃣ Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro

5️⃣ Colorado Governor Jared Polis

6️⃣ California Governor Gavin Newsom

7️⃣ Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock

8️⃣ Michelle Obama, "the most popular former first lady, but not interested in running"

9️⃣ Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar

1️⃣0️⃣Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear

"It's truly a desperate plan and one that features many hurdles... It’s not even clear that an alternative would render the party better off," concludes the publication.

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The US has sent Israel more than 10,000 bombs and missiles since the start of Israel's military operation in Gaza, Reuters reported, citing two US officials.

The report said the weapons shipments included at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, and 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs.

The US has not made any significant changes that would limit the level of US military support provided to Israel, the report added. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Sputnik's request for comment on this matter. On Wednesday, a US official told reporters that the country has sent Israel $6.5 billion worth of weapons.

The Biden administration at present only has one shipment on temporary hold of the 2,000-pound bombs Israel has been asking for. The United States is currently reviewing this request amid concerns that Israel would use it in densely populated areas in Rafah.

However, the US is expected to release a hold soon on 500-pound bombs that have also been placed on hold, according to reports. Israel will reportedly need them in case it gets into a deeper conflict with Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon.

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💥 Russian T-80BVM and T-90 Proryv tanks have destroyed Ukrainian strongholds near Ugledar.

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❗️Five people were killed, including two small children, and two seriously injured as a result of a night attack by a Ukrainian helicopter on an apartment building in the village of Gorodishche in Russia's Kursk region, the acting head of the region, Alexei Smirnov, said.

According to him, the victims are in the hospital, they are receiving medical care.

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Biden not fit to discharge immense presidency duties — Douglas Macgregor

"The media worked closely with the White House to conceal the truth that was on display last night. President Biden is not fit to discharge the immense duties of the presidency. The alarming evidence of his cognitive decline was on display for all to witness," retired US Army Colonel and former Department of Defense adviser commented on yesterday's presidential debate.

Macgregor believes that Biden is controlled and exploited by his political advisers and allies, who have "fueled the proxy war in Ukraine" and "eroded" US moral authority and credibility by supporting Israel in its "disproportionate actions in Gaza."

"These actions drained our defense resources and compromised our moral standing in the world. Sadly, President Biden's fragile mental state was laid bare for all to see in last night's debate. His responses were frequently incoherent. He appeared lost, even confused, struggling to complete basic thoughts. It was heartbreaking, a spectacle that confirmed our worst fears about his deteriorating capacity," he concluded.

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🎓🎆Prom: Russian Style

"Scarlet Sails," a holiday dedicated to graduation, was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. The ceremony ended with the passage of the brig Rossiya (lit. Russia) along the Neva River.

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🔸NYT editorial board calls on Biden to quit election race

🔸Trump vs Biden: odds of winning US presidential election

🔸Bolivian military rebels who attempted a coup: What are they facing?

🔸Russian Navy gets scores of new vessels each year despite Western sanctions: proof

🔸In the event of real conflict, how many troops would NATO countries be able to send into battle?

🔸Watch Russian Iskander missile destroy Ukraine’s S-300PS surface-to-air missile system near Odessa

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US stealing Russian money and using Russian assets to support Ukraine — Jim Rogers to Sputnik

"Of course, it's not right … for a country just to steal someone else's assets," a well-known American investor told Sputnik, stressing that he does not approve of the seizure and does not think it should happen.

Asked whether the decision to seize Russian assets would undermine other nations' confidence in the United States, Rogers said:

"Many people see what's happening with the US dollar, they see that the US is seizing assets, that other people are seizing assets, so many people are now trying to find something else to use besides the US dollar."

Rogers noted that it is widely known that the United States is the largest debtor nation in history, and most people are trying to find another currency to use besides the US dollar.

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Masoud Pezeshkian is leading Iranian presidential election with over 14 million ballots counted.

According to the latest data from the election commission, he is supported by 5.96 million votes, while Saeed Jalili, in second place, has 5.56 million votes.

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According to the counted votes, Masoud Pezeshkian got 42.1% (10.4 million votes) and Saeed Jalili 38.3% (about 9 million votes). With neither of them getting 50% of the votes in the first round, they advance to the second round. Voter turnout was 40%.

The second round will be held on July 5, according to the Ministry of Interior, where the election commission is located.

"Due to the fact that none of the candidates was able to get a majority of votes, according to the law, the second round of elections will be held across the country on Friday, July 5," the election headquarters spokesman, Mohsen Eslami, was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.

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Two people were killed and 35 injured in a collision between a bus carrying employees of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkiye and a passenger car, local media reported.

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Following the New York Times, British newspaper The Telegraph wrote that Biden should be replaced

The newspaper reported that British ministers privately urged Democrats to "get rid" of Biden and "switch him fast" with a younger candidate with a better chance of winning against Trump.

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❗️Russian Tsentr battlegroup liberated Shumy settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic - Russian Defense Ministry

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❗️Russian forces destroyed two launchers of the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s weekly briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️Ukrainian forces lost up to 270 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Sever Battlegroup;

▪️Russia's Zapad Battlegroup destroyed two ammunition depots and defeated the formations of seven brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Territorial Defense forces and the National Guard. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 500 soldiers;

▪️Russia's Dnepr Battlegroup eliminated up to 100 Ukrainian troops in a day;

▪️Units of the Yug Battlegroup destroyed five field ammunition depots. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 430 soldiers;

▪️The Vostok Battlegroup took more advantageous positions. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 135 soldiers.

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🪖NATO vs Russia: a helmet crash-test

Rostec State Corporation – Russia’s state arms manufacturer – has conducted a crash-test of five armored helmets, including three used by NATO troops, a Russian-made protective helmet and another made by an unknown maker.

Let's see which helmet turned out to be the most reliable.

The helmets were tested for compliance with the Br-1 and Br-2 protection standards.

During the tests, Russian-made Stechkin and Serdyukov 9mm automatic pistols fired shots at a distance of five meters from the helmets, which were placed in various positions at a shooting ground.

🔹The helmet by the unknown producer, as well as a NATO-standard trophy helmet, a US-made PASGT DELTA helmet, and the Philippines-made NATO-standard AB-ACH FC helmet – were all penetrated by the bullets fired from both the Stechkin and the Serdyukov.

🇷🇺Meanwhile, the Russian-made Bars-L helmet withstood the impact of all the bullets, which only left a slight dent on the helmet’s surface.

Designed by the Research Institute of Steel (part of Rostec’s Kalashnikov concern), the Bars-L is made of titanium and composite materials, featuring increased protective characteristics. In particular, the helmet is capable of absorbing an assault rifle bullet fired from a certain distance.

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❗️P️oliceman wounded with a crossbow near the Israeli Embassy in Serbia

The perpetrator was neutralized by return fire, Serbian Interior Ministry said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and closed the diplomatic mission.

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