©  AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Former President Trump is facing his possible third criminal indictment this year amid Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump and his team reportedly met with prosecutors working with Smith on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Reporters are staking out the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in the city, where a grand jury was meeting to review evidence in the case.

Trump disclosed earlier this month that he received a letter notifying him that he is a target of Smith’s long-running investigation.

The former president has faced multiple legal issues since he left office in January 2021, when he refused to conduct the normal peaceful transfer of power at the inauguration and instead went to his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

Smith has been investigating Trump and his allies’ efforts to upend the 2020 election, from pushing false claims about election fraud, pressuring Justice Department officials to take action and asking former Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden’s win. Pence and Trump are now running against one another for the 2024 GOP nomination.

And there’s much more going on. The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch has you covered.

It’s Thursday, July 27. I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Send me your tips: ecrisp@digital-staging.thehill.com and follow me on Twitter @elizabethcrisp. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is doing OK after a concerning moment at a press conference at the Capitol yesterday, his office says, though they’ve declined to elaborate on what caused him to freeze up and be taken aside during the briefing. 

McConnell, 81, fell and suffered a concussion earlier this year, and it’s also been reported that he has experienced other health issues. The minority leader, a polio survivor, has always been guarded about his health, but he appeared to return to his duties shortly after the mysterious public incident Wednesday. 

Remember: In 2021, the GOP-controlled Kentucky state legislature, peeved over having a Democrat, Andy Beshear, as governor, literally changed state law regarding how the governor could replace a Kentucky senator for whatever reason if they need to leave office early. 

The law now says that a governor has to replace a vacant Senate seat with a candidate chosen from a list of three people the leaders of the outgoing senator’s political party have picked. Basically: It means Beshear won’t be able to pick a Democrat. 

The White House has largely stayed mum on President Biden’s son Hunter’s ongoing legal issues. 

Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to tax evasion charges, but the deal is being hung up over the judge’s concerns related to a felony gun charge. 

Where the president stands: The White House has maintained that it won’t comment on Hunter’s issues, calling him a “private citizen,” even as he publicly appears at the White House, attends state dinners and travels aboard Air Force One with the president.  

President Biden has always described himself as being Hunter’s chief defender and publicly said he’s “proud” of his son, who has admitted to struggling with drug addiction in the past and recently settled a child support dispute over a young child the family has not publicly acknowledged after a monthslong legal battle. (The Hill) 

This is creating more drama for President Biden as he seeks a second term in office.

“It’s a major distraction for the White House to have to manage,” GOP strategist Ron Bonjean told The Hill’s Niall Stanage. “Instead of really talking about what they would rather discuss, they are going to have to play defense on Hunter Biden matters.” (The Hill 

Meanwhile … There are more “dog bites man” stories coming from the White House. (The Hill) 

It’s not just the weather … The GDP came in hot for the second quarter, growing at 2.4 percent rate and marking the fourth straight quarter of positive growth — a clear mark of a rebounding economy.  

Bloomberg polled economists who had been expecting GDP growth of around 1.8 percent, so the 2.4 percent growth was a pleasant surprise — especially with other slowing inflation signs. (The Hill) 

The news comes as the president and top officials have traveled to tout Biden’s economic agenda under a new “Bidenomics” slogan, which expected to be a major part of his reelection campaign. 

Sorry to the Golden State. President Biden won’t visit until Hollywood get its act together with this ongoing strike. And Vice President Harris, a California native, is dropping events amid the strike, as well. 

(LIZ note: I just hope that we will have movies and TV not limited to the weird reality stuff that has gotten us to where we are today…) 

As TMZ first reported: “Biden will not come to the L.A. area until the actors’ and writers’ strikes are resolved.”  

Meanwhile … California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s ready to help facilitate a deal. 

This month is on track to be the hottest ever recorded as another boiling weekend looms. 

Just stay inside if you can. Here in D.C., the meteorologists at FOX 5 and other local outlets say it will be very unpleasant this weekend, and probably dangerous… 

The D.C. weather gurus report: “The last time D.C. saw temperatures above 100 degrees was August 15, 2016. The record high on both Thursday and Friday is 100 degrees, so we do have the chance to break those records both those days … The heat wave continues into the weekend, with Friday likely to be the hottest day of the summer so far.” 

I’ve encouraged my husband not to run outside and instead run around cleaning the house (ba dum tss). 

It’s bad: We’re under what the mayor is calling a “Weather Emergency” through Sunday. Keep an eye on your neighbors or others around, because this is serious weather that quickly leads to heat stroke and/or death. Here are local cooling shelters. 

Keep it cool: The Biden admin is trying to help workers in the heat and bolster enforcement against employer heat safety violations. (The Hill) 

The House and Senate came in at 10 a.m.. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in D.C. 

• 9 a.m.: President Biden received the Presidential Daily Briefing. 
• 11:45 a.m.: Biden announced plans to protect communities from extreme heat. 
• 3 p.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. 
• 7 p.m.: Biden will leave the White House en route to the National Archives, where he will address the Truman Civil Rights Symposium. 
• 8:20 p.m.: Biden will be back at the White House. 

All times Eastern. 

Check out the full list of Congressional hearings today here. 

• 1:30 p.m.: Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters. (Watch here)

Today is National Chili Dog Day! Personally, I prefer a Chicago dog when I’m getting my frank on. I also have enjoyed a French Quarter cart Lucky Dog from time to time.  

BUT: Today’s the day to enjoy a good chili dog and the mind-your-own-business feeling that it gives you to chow down on one!  

Fun trivia: I’m gonna give you a little insight into why it’s annoying when you want to match things up: Hotdogs typically come in packs of 10 and buns in packs of eight. It’s because of baking pan limitations of the past. Blame it on the companies keeping this tradition going. 

And because you made it this far, watch these little ducklings that flipped the script and adopted their unlikely parent… 

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