Summer, summer, had me a blast.

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Summer’s here but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two about world events and pop culture (as well as fodder for casual banter at a cocktail party or dive bar.)

Drop me a line and let me know what I should include in the next edition.

via GIPHY

June 1: Atlantic Hurricane season officially begins.

NOAA 2019 hurricane names

June 3: U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to UK for state visit.

June 4: Eid al-Fitr which translates to “festival of breaking the fast” and the end of Ramadan.

June 7: British Prime Minister Theresa May steps down as party leader; elections triggered.

June 9: New York — 73rd annual Tony Awards

June 20: Paris — Invite-only tribute for Chanel designer and fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld to be held at the Grand Palais during Men’s Fashion Week.

June 26-27: Miami — The first DNC debate kicks off with NBC, MSNBC, and Telemundo set to partner.

June 28: Honolulu — U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting – expect to see Mayor Pete and de Blasio.

June 28: Osaka — G20. Leaders from 19 countries + the EU meet to discuss global issues e.g. climate change and food security.

July 2: Total lunar eclipse which can be seen in New Zealand while parts of Chile and Argentina will be in the path of totality.

July 4: Independence Day or as the Brits call it, Thursday. In D.C. the fireworks show will be called “A Salute to America” & held at the Lincoln Memorial (vs Capitol Hill).

July 6: Brussels — The start of Tour de France.

July 7: Mercury in retrograde through August 2. Oh, it’s a thing.

July 30-31. Detroit — Second Democratic debate – CNN to host.

August 3: DC — Congress goes into summer recess until September 9.

September 2019: Location TBA: Third Democratic debate

September 17-30: New York — United Nations General Assembly, lovingly referred to as UNGA.

October: Location TBA: Fourth Democratic debate

October 31: UK and EU deadline for Brexit.

November: Location TBA: Fifth Democratic debate

November 28: New York — Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

December 2019: Location TBA: Sixth Democratic debate

December 20: The Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX. It’s gonna break global/intergalactic box office records.

The Hunger Games, DNC edition

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Updated May 23, 2019

I work off the premise that everything usually works out in the end – except of course, when it doesn’t.

And that’s the wildly simplistic segue I’m using for the 2020 political landscape and how Tom Perez, who chairs the Democratic National Committee, is working to ensure the debates don’t turn into The Hunger Games.

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As of this writing, there are 23 Democrats running for president and to paraphrase former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, “There are known knowns and there are known unknowns.”

But there’s always a surprise and it’s not always in October.

Time is running out for those waiting in the wings as each day means hard-fought contributions and high-profile support is being sought and acquired by declared candidates. 

Case in point: former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg — both are self-effacing and intellectual powerhouses that come from humble backgrounds. Name recognition and poll numbers show these two contenders as the forerunners and while early days, this quote from Peter Kiefer’s piece in The Hollywood Reporter is the current reality: “Biden is a bona fide celebrity. Mayor Pete doesn’t have that sort of recognition,” said one political consultant.

That’s not to say Buttigieg can’t turn it around but if he’s having issues, what about the other candidates?

According to the DNC, there will be a dozen debates between now and November 2020 election. But how do you have a debate with 23 people on stage? You don’t and the DNC has promised to winnow the field to a mere 20 candidates using the following parameters: you either must have 65,000 people donate to you from across 20 states OR you receive 1 percent of support in three polls the DNC deems as qualified.

To date, that limits the field only marginally with 19 candidates assured a spot on the dais with 4 more on the verge.

The first debate will be held over two nights in Miami on June 26th and 27th with NBC, MSNBC, and Telemundo set to partner.

The second debate will be in Detroit on July 30th and 31st and hosted by CNN.

Let’s see what September brings…