It’s Wednesday. The Congressional Baseball Game, one of my favorite events of the year, is happening tonight at National’s Park. But there are threats of protests from environmental activists. Here’s what’s happening today:

• President Biden left for Italy for his second major international event in the past week.
• Usher is on Capitol Hill this morning, and if you follow any D.C.-based journalists on social media, you are probably already acutely aware of this. Lol.
• Remember the infamous Hunter Biden laptop story of 2020? Well, that laptop was part of the reason he was convicted.

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

President Biden left for Italy this morning to meet with world leaders at the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit, marking his second European trek in as many weeks.

This year’s expected themes: The Ukraine-Russia war, the Israel-Hamas war, the global economy and climate change.

On the sidelines: Biden is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Italy. This will be his second meeting with Zelensky in the past week(!) As part of their meeting, Biden is expected to announce new sanctions and export control actions against Russia.

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels break down five things to watch:

1. “Biden trip coincides with far-right election wins”
2. “Fraught conflict in the Middle East”
3. “A second Zelensky meeting”
4. “Global economy improving, powered by US”
5. “Domestic issues facing Biden.”

Prices remained steady in May, according to new data released by the Labor Department, which means inflation has plateaued.

Timing: At 2:30 p.m. today, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference to announce whether interest rates will be adjusted. 💻 Watch Powell’s 2:30 p.m. presser

Experts think there is less demand at the moment, according to the AP.

The New York Post reported in 2020 that there was a laptop with incriminating evidence against Hunter Biden and his father, then-candidate Joe Biden. It became a conservative talking point and battle cry of malfeasance, while many news outlets questioned the claim’s legitimacy.

Well, The New York Times has an article today explaining that while the laptop has not proven corruption in connection with the president it did incriminate and “haunt” the younger Biden.

How the laptop tied into Biden’s trial: “The laptop and some of its contents played a visible role in federal prosecutors’ case against the president’s son, who was charged with lying on a firearm application in 2018 by not disclosing his drug use. A prosecutor briefly held up the laptop before the jury in Delaware, and an F.B.I. agent later testified that messages and photos on it and in personal data that Mr. Biden had saved in cloud computing servers had made his drug use clear.”

Read the full NYT report: ‘Hunter Biden’s Laptop, Revealed by New York Post, Comes Back to Haunt Him’

• ‘President Biden has grown more resigned and afraid about his son’s future, according to people close to them.’: The New York Times
• ‘Hunter Biden guilty verdict could take personal toll on president’: The Washington Post
• ‘Convictions of Biden’s Son and Trump Put the Justice System on Trial’: The New York Times

R&B superstar Usher is on Capitol Hill this morning, just a few days after rapper 50 Cent’s meetings with lawmakers. He’s gonna make laws on this hill, on this hill. 🎵

Why he is here: To discuss diabetes and insulin, per The Hill’s Judy Kurtz.

Wait, are we sure he was here? I haven’t seen enough photos:

• 📸 Usher on the Senate subway — I can’t get over this pose.
  
• 📸 Usher getting off the subway
  
• 📸 Usher walking through the basement
  

• 📸 Usher chatting with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)

•  

• CNN’s Annie Grayer posted: “I asked Usher what he’s doing at the Capitol today and he tells me ‘this place is like Rome. It looks different every time you see it.’”

A judge has allowed ex-Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) to travel to the Poconos this summer while awaiting his federal fraud trial this fall.

Keep in mind: Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal felony counts of wire fraud, identity theft and campaign finance charges. He has pleaded not guilty. He was expelled from Congress last year.

A lighter tidbit in the story: AP reporter Jake Offenhartz texted Santos, asking him about his trips to the Poconos. Santos gave a snarky response and posted a screenshot of the conversation. It ends with, “Bye Jake.” It’s my favorite thing I’ve read today. Read the texts

“Tensions in Rudy Giuliani’s bankruptcy case are coming to a head, with his creditors hoping for the drastic remedy of having a third party take control of the former New York City mayor’s finances,” reports The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld.

What’s happening?: “Since Giuliani filed for bankruptcy protection, spurred by a $148 million defamation verdict, his creditors have accused him of hiding assets and a coffee deal, spending egregiously, and failing to timely file required paperwork. They have now had enough. On Monday, lawyers representing Giuliani’s creditors will return to bankruptcy court in New York, hoping to convince a judge that the time has come for a trustee to step in.” Read Schonfeld’s full report

🍪 Celebrate: Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

🌭 The talk of social media: “Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will not compete in the annual Fourth of July event next month, Major League Eating announced Tuesday.” Why?: He reportedly agreed to a sponsorship with the plant-based meat brand Impossible Foods. (ESPN)

🐶 Speaking of hot dogs: Watch this ~hot~ dog eat a hot dog. Thanks, MLB, for this video.

✔️ I love a good ‘find out what type of xx you are’ quiz: The Wall Street Journal published a quiz to tell you what kind of voter you are. 📝 Take the quiz

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is on his way to Italy for the Group of Seven (G7) summit. Vice President Harris is in Charlotte, N.C. (all times Eastern)

• Today: Former President George H.W. Bush would have turned 100 years old. His granddaughter, NBC’s Jenna Bush Hager, told stories about him and shared a letter to him on the “Today” show. 💻 Watch the segment

• 12:30 p.m.: Harris speaks at a stop on her Economic Opportunity Tour.

• 2:15 p.m.: Two Senate confirmation votes. 📆 Today’s agenda

• 3:30 p.m.: Harris returns to Washington.

• 3:30 p.m.: Last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda

• 5:20 p.m.: Biden arrives in Fasano, Italy.

Let’s leave this on an adorable note. Watch this guy’s first day at the zoo.

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