Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to blame the government for inflation. Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to blame corporate greed, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.

• Why it matters: Who's at fault for higher prices in post-COVID America will be a linchpin of tomorrow night's presidential debate in Atlanta.

Between the lines: On the surface, the survey's findings offer some comfort to Biden. They suggest most Democrats and half of independents still give him the benefit of the doubt, Axios' Margaret Talev and Courtenay Brown write.

• But if 1 in 4 Democrats sees the current government as the biggest driver of high prices, that could be decisive in a close election.
• "Biden, having limited room to maneuver on inflation, will try to keep hammering corporations, especially credit cards and the airlines, for hidden fees — anything to deflect," said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.

🧮 By the numbers: Party ID is the biggest predictor of blame.

• 41% of overall respondents say government spending and policies are most to blame for higher prices. 39% say companies bolstering profits were more to blame. 20% put the finger on supply chain disruptions.
• 56% of Republicans — but just 41% of independents and 26% of Democrats — blame the government.
• 54% of Democrats — but just 41% of independents and 23% of Republicans — blame businesses.

🥊 Go deeper ... Hillary Clinton writes in the N.Y. Times that she's the only person to have debated both Trump (in 2016) and Biden (in the '08 primary).

• Expectations for Trump are so low, she says,"that if he doesn't literally light himself on fire ... some will say he was downright presidential."
• Biden "starts from a disadvantage because there's no way he can spend as much time preparing as I did eight years ago. Being president isn't just a day job."

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) became the first member of the progressive Squad to lose a seat in what was the most expensive House primary in American history, Axios' Andrew Solender writes.

• Why it matters: Bowman has been one of Congress' loudest critics of Israel.

His opponent, former Westchester County Executive George Latimer, ran as a pro-Israel alternative in the heavily Jewish, affluent suburban district.

🔎 Between the lines: Some Democratic lawmakers were rattled by the unprecedented spending in the primary — at least $14.5 million — by AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel PAC.

• Even some lawmakers who are generally supportive of Israel say the money is meant to intimidate Democrats away from criticism of the Jewish state.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said it was "not necessary for AIPAC to spend so much money." He argued Bowman was "sufficiently out of step with the district" that Latimer would have won with a lot less financial support.

🔭 Zoom out: Bowman is one of just two House incumbents AIPAC has targeted this cycle, along with Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), another Squad member and one of Congress' top Israel critics.

• Both had unique scandals that weakened them: Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was censured for pulling a Capitol Hill fire alarm. Bush faces multiple investigations into her campaign finances.

Reality check: Several House Democrats argued to Axios that Bowman's personal liabilities were a far greater issue for him than AIPAC's spending.

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In a decision announced this morning, President Biden pardoned potentially thousands of veterans who were convicted, and forced out of the military, because of a former law banning gay sex, including between consenting adults.

• Why it matters: Biden's clemency includes former military members convicted under former Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 125, in effect from the 1950s to 2013, Axios' Jacob Knutson writes.

"Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves," Biden said in a "Statement on the Pardon of LGBTQI+ Service Members Wrongly Convicted."

• "This is about dignity, decency, and ensuring the culture of our Armed Forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation."

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D.C.'s hottest attraction is a melting wax sculpture of Abraham Lincoln that lost its head in the capital's triple-digit heat wave this week.

• Why it matters: The six-foot-tall statue — designed to draw attention to Civil War-era refugee camps — has become top-tier meme fodder.

CulturalDC, the organization that commissioned the sculpture, said the 3,000-pound wax sculpture "is intended to be burnt like a candle and to change over time."

• The wax used by artist Sandy Williams IV, an art professor at the University of Richmond, typically has a melting point of 140°F.
• "But with this record-level heat, Lincoln has slumped into his chair more than ever anticipated," the organization said.

Between the lines: The sculpture is located on the grounds of an elementary school that had once housed Camp Barker, a "contraband camp" where freed people who had been enslaved gathered during the Civil War.

• Lincoln was believed to have visited the camp multiple times.

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We told you yesterday about the historically low support for Donald Trump among major CEOs. Here's a look at their median since 2016.

🔢 By the numbers: In 2020, Trump's last year in office, the median S&P 500 CEO took home $12.7 million, Axios' Felix Salmon writes from Equilar data.

• That was a 10% rise over 2016, or 2.3% after adjusting for inflation.

Under Biden, CEO pay rose to $16.3 million in 2023 — a 28% rise in three years, or 8.9% with inflation.

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Newly released photos from the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago show the chaotic state in which former President Trump kept documents marked as classified, Axios' Avery Lotz writes.

• The trove of images shows boxes marked "confidential" and "secret" containing a mix of documents and a graveyard of dated newspaper clippings, golf shirts and binders.

🖼️ The big picture: The South Florida case is unlikely to go to trial before the election.

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The number of gun-rights cases in the U.S. has skyrocketed since the Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen in 2022, Felix Salmon writes from a new paper.

• Why it matters: The ruling in Bruen said courts should only uphold restrictions on the Second Amendment if there's a long history of similar regulations. That has given attorneys fresh avenues to challenge a slew of gun laws.

🔬 What they found: Federal courts handed down 865 gun-rights decisions in 2023, up from 121 in 2021, according to the paper from a trio of law professors.

• Republican appointees are slightly more likely to find in favor of gun rights: They now do so in 14% of decisions, compared to 8% for Democratic appointees.

Trump-appointed judges are much more likely to find in favor of gun rights.

• That's especially true if they're under the age of 55 and deciding cases that will be "reported" — that is, published in a regional or federal book of cases.
• Judges under 55 are "auditioners" — that is, they're looking to receive promotions. In reported cases, they find in favor of gun rights a whopping 61% of the time.

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The summer of food deals has a magic number with the $5 value meal — the fast-food industry's latest push to bring consumers back, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

• Why it matters: Restaurant chains, including McDonald's, Burger King and Starbucks, are promoting affordability as consumers trade down to eat at home.

Zoom in: The $5 price and a flurry of new discounts replace the $1 deals that were dismantled with soaring prices.

• McDonald's $5 meal launched yesterday with a choice of a sandwich (McDouble or McChicken), small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets and a small soft drink.
• Burger King rolled out its new $5 "Your Way Meal" two weeks ago, which comes with chicken nuggets, fries and a soft drink and a choice of three sandwiches.
• Starbucks released a new "Pairings Menu" that starts at $5.

Keep reading.