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King Charles III took some time from his coronation festivities to join Lionel Richie and Katy Perry for a surprise appearance on “American Idol” Sunday night.
Charles and Queen Camilla casually strolled into the throne room at Buckingham Palace for a brief appearance with the two vocalists who had performed at the star-studded coronation concert on Saturday night.
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Overhead among the clinking of glasses and the sizzle of the family-style fajita platters at the Gang of 500’s weekly brunch at Lauriol Plaza on Sunday:
* “I was told they are no longer trying for a fabricated medical issue and are all in on a scandal of some sort now to force her to stand down.”
* “In the end, this is going to be a McHenry deal more than a Scalise deal, I can tell you that – he just needs a Democratic Senate dance partner.”
* “I know all your lobbyists say there is going to be a bipartisan package on China, but until Mike Gallagher learns to speak Brooklynese, I’m skeptical.”
* “I keep telling you, stop focusing on Garland – Lisa Monaco is going to decide this.”
* “My nephew won’t stop talking about that too! I have no idea why.”
* “Listen to me. You are thinking about this all wrong. It is not that you can’t afford them – it is that you can’t afford NOT to hire them.”
* “He just doesn’t believe in firing people — he makes W look like Montgomery Burns.”
* “If she does in fact come back, it will not end well.”
* “His name is ‘Matty Healy’ – not ‘Pat Healy.’”
* “Has there ever been a campaign shakeup before there is an actual campaign?”
* “It’s an app, for your phone, like Facebook, but for younger people.”¨
* “How long have you known me? I’m no kook. I’m telling you, Area 51 has nothing on this.”
* “Naturally, he’s using Bob Barnett for this deal.”
* “They should be very grateful Harry showed up. His presence served as the best misdirection in modern royal history.”
* “Mitch is just going to sit there, like a Bluegrass Sphinx.”
* “His stump speech makes him seem like a less charismatic Steve Forbes.”
* “He will decide for real over Thanksgiving and announce it in December, after the budget deal.”
****
KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK
Congress is back in DC.
Tuesday: President Biden hosts the four congressional leaders for fiscal talks.
Wednesday: President Biden travels to New York for fundraising and Donald Trump does his CNN town hall.
Thursday: Title 42 provisions expire.
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WHAT PASSES FOR “ESSENTIAL READING” ON A SLOW NEWS MONDAY
* Sign o’ the times: As the Never Again Trumpers look for an argument to derail the GOP presidential frontrunner (at the risk of having so many such arguments that none stick…), the Wall Street Journal ed board, channeling Bill Barr, tries a golden oldie – that the Chaos President is too shambolic and disorganized to get the job done, even if he somehow won:
Mr. Trump won’t be able to govern successfully even if he did somehow win a second term. He wouldn’t be able to deliver the conservative policy victories that most Republicans want.
* Miranda Devine has three (3!) New York Post bylines, including a piece on former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer (filled with bio stuff, including his interesting Trump ties…); a confusing piece on the alleged Biden alleged whistleblower about alleged crime allegations; and a charge that Mike Morrell didn’t do CIA pre-clearance on the Gang of 50 laptop letter in 2020.
* For the time capsule on how the Biden Era political media covered his losing a step or two: an Associated Press dispatch frames the whole question around the president’s charming capacity to joke about his age!