Monday Afternoon Update: Tourist Sub Lost, Blinken’s China Visit, Nashville Shooting Memo Update

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.

Titanic Tourist Sub Goes Missing

A submarine used to take tourists to the Titanic shipwreck went missing this morning, sparking a search by Boston and Canadian Coast Guard crews.

It’s unclear how many passengers are onboard, but the vessel holds five people. The owner of the lost submersible, OceanGate Expeditions, said in a statement that it was working to bring the crew back safely. As of 1 p.m. today, the sub had an estimated 72 hours of oxygen left. The famous Titanic wreck is located more than 12,000 feet underwater and the ascent can take up to eight hours. The experience reportedly retails for $250k.

Nashville Shooting Memo Latest

A lawyer for the National Police Association is demanding the release of the Nashville school shooter’s manifesto. School officials and a group of parents — including the shooter’s — requested the writings to remain private due to concerns about copycat crimes. However, National Police Association attorney Doug Pierce argues that Tennessee state law requires authorities to release the documents to the public. According to Pierce, public transparency of the manifesto could provide insights that might help prevent future shootings and thereby save the lives of other people, including schoolchildren, school staff, and law enforcement officers.

Blinken Blinks In China?

Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his weekend visit to China, claiming that the two countries made “progress” in several key areas. 

“During those meetings, we had a robust conversation about regional and global challenges,” he said. “That includes Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. I reiterated that we would welcome China playing a constructive role along with other nations to work toward a just peace based on the principles of the United Nations charter.”

Blinken also clarified the Biden administration’s stance toward Taiwanese-Chinese relations:

Biden Sec. of State Antony Blinken: “We do not support Taiwan independence.” pic.twitter.com/PYdxjiMt1j

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) June 19, 2023

McMaster Warns: China-U.S. Relations Worse Than In Decades

Meanwhile, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster stated that American relations with China today are “worse” than they were with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. McMaster made the remarks during an interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” Sunday.

Blinken’s visit lacked the pomp and circumstance typically associated with a state visit and comes after months of aggressive Chinese actions in the South China Sea. McMaster said that the display of strength near Taiwan was intentional.

“I think China’s sending a message, ‘Hey, we’re in charge now. You’re finished,’ to the West and to the United States,” he explained. “I think it’s indicative of what they hope to achieve, Margaret, which is to create kind of an exclusionary area of primacy across the Indo-Pacific region. They’ve laid claim to the ocean in the South China Sea, for example.”

Rogan-RFK-Hotez Debate Latest

Podcaster Joe Rogan has invited scientist Dr. Peter Hotez on his show to debate Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. after Hotez heavily criticized Rogan’s conversation with the candidate about vaccine efficacy. Rogan offered Hotez $100,000 to the charity of his choice if he would come on the program and debate Kennedy. Hotez — who’s a dean at the Baylor College of Medicine and is a director at the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development — slammed the conversation between Rogan and Kennedy, tweeting a link to an article criticizing Rogan’s show as “misinformation.” Hotez later went on MSNBC to explain why he refuses to engage with RFK Jr. despite the potential for hundreds of thousands to be raised for charity.

Kennedy has not yet responded to Hotez’s TV appearance, but did respond during the back and forth on Twitter. He said: “Peter. Let’s finally have the respectful, congenial, informative debate that the American people deserve.”

Juneteenth Shooting

Twenty-three people were shot, and one person is dead after a large crowd gathered in a strip mall parking lot southwest of Chicago to celebrate Juneteenth over the weekend. Authorities said they were monitoring the gathering Saturday evening in Willowbrook, Illinois, before an unknown number of suspects opened fire shortly after midnight. Sheriff’s deputies left the area to respond to a 911 call nearby, but they heard gunshots and immediately returned to the parking lot. The motive behind the shooting is still unclear.

Biden Fundraising Tour Begins

The 80-year-old commander-in-chief and his surrogates, including first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, will host a combined 20 fundraisers over the next few weeks. The effort comes as a whopping 71% of Americans and more than half of all Democrats say Biden is too old to hold office. The president’s main challenger on the Democratic side has been Robert F. Kennedy Jr.