This is the July 17, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter.Subscribe hereto get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.
It’s the final weekend of the World Cup. France and England for third place tomorrow in Miami. Argentina and Spain for the whole thing Sunday at MetLife Stadium, with Lionel Messi chasing a repeat no one’s pulled off since 1962. Olé olé, one last time.
In Brooklyn tonight, dance music legend Tiësto headlines the Breakaway Festival under the Kosciuszko Bridge, with the expressway roaring overhead.
Take a moment to smell the lilies in the nation’s capital. The Lotus and Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is in peak bloom — free yoga, forest bathing, live music, and water blossoms all weekend.
Calling all Bostonians by the beach: The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival runs through Sunday, with world-class sculptors, fireworks Saturday night, and a theme for the moment: “Boston Welcomes the World.”
In Chicago, a “Bear”-inspired food tour will take you inside the city’s restaurant scene — fine-dining stops, the original Italian beef shop that inspired Mr. Beef, and all the reverence for Chicago’s kitchen culture that the show demands. Yes, Chef.
Out west in Oakland, it’s time to “lose your musical marbles” at Mosswood Meltdown. Iggy Pop headlines Saturday. Bikini Kill closes it out Sunday. John Waters returns as emcee for a 12th year. Go get punked.
If jazz or chamber music is more your speed, head to San Antonio, where the 33rd Annual Balcones Heights Jazz Festival kicks off tonight under the Texas stars, and the Cactus Pear Music Festival wraps its 30th-anniversary season with its closing concerts.
And finally, “Sing to me, O Muse, of the man” — and pass the popcorn. Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic opens in theaters today. Shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, and roughly half of Hollywood. Keep an eye out for a discussion with the legendary director on “Morning Joe” this week!
MAILBAG
It seems that the Democrats need to craft a firm platform for midterms and 2028. With most of the population concerned about “affordability,” why not run on a platform which, quite simply, promises to reverse the tax breaks to the rich, restore Obamacare subsidies and an immigration policy which gives a path to citizenship to those in the country, legal or not, without criminal records, but at the same time maintaining the restrictions at the border?
— W. Alex Kyle, Stony Creek, Ontario
Alex, I think most Americans would support your approach to rebuilding the new Democratic platform.
Tackling affordability is the top priority.
Then, ending the Republicans’ radical redistribution of wealth that transferred trillions of dollars from middle-class Americans to the world’s richest billionaires is a good next step.
Then, Democrats need to focus on keeping America out of foreign wars, and it needs a Pentagon budget it can afford.
Our military must meet the challenges of the next war instead of the last century. Too many of our most expensive weapons systems are obsolete and incapable of handling the challenges of asymmetrical warfare. Bloated military budgets must come to an end.
Democrats should respect the special place immigrants have in American history, while respecting the law. This means being more compassionate, moving forward while continuing to keep the southern border secure.
There are so many other areas Democrats need to focus on, like civil rights, education, the environment, anti-corruption, campaigns, and the protection of American democracy. But your ideas are a good place to start.
Joe, are you worried about this administration trying to federalize everything including elections?
— Christine F., Arlington, Ill.
Christine, I spoke at length about this topic earlier this week. The great irony is that a party that once championed states’ rights is now led by a president who wants to federalize just about everything. The biggest threat right now is his desperate effort to federalize elections. Despite everything he said in his speech last night, the United States Constitution is clear: Elections are constitutionally run by the states. There is nothing Donald Trump can do to change that.
I would like to ask Joe how he would rate Neil Peart among the greatest drummers and his feelings about the Guess Who being refused consideration for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
— Dan H., Woodstock, Ontario
Dan, he would be at the top of any serious list of the most technically accomplished rock drummers. He was capable of playing his set in ways that few others could match physically or technically. Though Rush is not one of my favorite bands, their musicianship is as good as it got in the rock era. Along with Peart, most great drummers and music critics would name Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, and Keith Moon to make up the rest of their top five. Where you rank them depends on your tastes and how you think a drummer should complement a band.
As for the Guess Who, they deserve a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The fact that they haven’t even been nominated is a joke. Burton Cummings and the band put together a collection of great songs in a catalog that easily matches the output of other HOF members. They need to get nominated the next time the chance arises.
LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
I just want to let Joe know that I was driving yesterday in Madison, Alabama. In front of me was not a Maserati, but a white Ferrari convertible sporting a “DON’T TREAD ON ME” tag. I laughed out loud! Keep up the good work, y’all.
— Karl Z., Madison, Ala.
I’m a retired law enforcement officer who has been involved in a number of shootings. These cases were brought before a grand jury and they were ruled justifiably. These people need to be held accountable in state and federal courts.
— Gary L., Chicago Ridge, Ill.
Thank you, Joe, for this morning’s thoroughly justified and well-aimed diatribe against Mike Johnson. He is just as complicit as Trump for the latest two deaths at the hands of totally irresponsible and ill-trained ICE agents. And then Trump has the gall to say, “The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done.” Neither half of that sentence is true. If I were driving to work at 7 a.m. and an unmarked black SUV suddenly tried to force me off the road, you damn well better believe that I would be trying to escape!
— Peter H., Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Your comments about Lindsey Graham were fair and accurate. Unlike others who gloss over Graham’s lack of principles and hypocrisy. Yet you balanced your comments recognizing human values. Thank you!
— Mike F., Brookline, Mass.
Just wanted to say what a great interview this morning with James Talarico! Bravo! 
— Susan M., Salisbury, Vt.
I loved how you spoke today with a touch of fire in your voice about the senseless, unethical, and illegal killing of another law-abiding person on U.S. soil. That and the other recent incident has me so incredibly upset (and even angry) that I’m ready for another peaceful protest against ICE and Trump. But I need the inspiration. Today, even with that tone of anger, you still spoke so eloquently and forcibly. I’m sure you learned that from the fire-and-brimstone sermons you heard as a child, and I would love to hear more from you in that same manner.
— Wilson H., Rock Hill, S.C.
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