Johnson Rising Again? “When you juxtapose the events of the past 44 days in Westminster with the past six years in Washington, it’s clear that America’s democratic dysfunction is far worse. Paradoxically, Truss’s downfall shows that British democracy is still working. Polarization is so toxic in the U.S. that Trump never dipped below about 35 percent approval, no matter what he did. Truss, who was incompetent but far less dangerous, saw her approval ratings flirt with single digits before she was forced out. Her political party and political base turned on her.” Brian Klaas in The Atlantic: What Happened to Liz Truss Can’t Happen Here. That said, some weird things can happen there. Could Boris Johnson really make a comeback? As Liz Truss knows, six weeks is a lifetime in politics.

+ The Show Me State: “A Miami judge on Friday dismissed one of the 19 voter fraud prosecutions loudly trumpeted by Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, a significant development that comes as the cases draw scrutiny.” These arrests have nothing to do with the law. It’s a show.

+ Pawn Stars: “A 19-year-old chess grandmaster is seeking $100 million in a federal lawsuit alleging a rival chess player and others destroyed his career with false accusations of cheating, elevating a controversy that has roiled the chess world since September.”

+ Pickle Down Economics: “Many hop on a trend, and many trends take off in a big way, but few find themselves saying the word dink in front of titans of the film and television industry. How did he get here? ‘Marriott points and a dream,’ as he put it.” Hollywood’s Favorite Pickleball Coach Breaks Out. We’re ridiculous!