Soccer, Socialism & Summer Reading • Best 60ish Seconds

In this week's Best 60ish Seconds, Charlie opens by noting next week brings America's 250th birthday and to look for next week's special Independence Day edition. First, the World Cup. The USA has been brilliant. While he's recording prior to their match with Turkey, they've topped Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia, and Charlie is excited by Pochettino's squad. On the Brazil front, Charlie is looking ahead to Monday's 1 p.m. knockout stage match and expects a strong showing from the Seleção.

Offering a brief political commentary, Charlie mentions the New York primary results this past Tuesday, where socialist-backed candidates swept all three targeted races — including defeating two sitting Democratic incumbents with the backing of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Charlie then shifts to his favorite segment of the summer — part one of his annual summer reading list. He kicks it off with Last Branch Standing by Sarah Isgur — a New York Times bestseller providing an insider's look at the Roberts Court. Next, Charlie recommends Justice on Trial, Mollie Hemingway and Carrie Severino's account of the ugliness and political warfare surrounding Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings. For sports fans, Charlie profiles Nolan by Tim Brown — the definitive biography of Nolan Ryan, published just last month. And finally, Charlie recommends Jesse Watters' Get It Together — a sharp, often funny look at America's cultural moment and a challenge to stop blaming everyone else for our problems. Stay tuned — more selections from Charlie's summer reading list are coming in the weeks ahead.