Politics

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is ready to escalate tensions with China should he get elected President. In comments in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the Republican candidate said “hard power” and an increased U.S. presence in the region was necessary to check Beijing’s ambitions. “I’d like to do more to invest more in our military. I think we need to …

The New York Times reports: Republicans on Friday rammed through the House a deeply partisan defense bill that would limit abortion access, transgender care and diversity training for military personnel, setting up a showdown in the Senate that could imperil the crucial annual measure to provide a pay raise for troops, set defense policy to counter U.S. adversaries and sustain …

Mediaite reports: Chris Christie joined Piers Morgan for an interview that aired on Thursday, during which Morgan addressed him with the unusual question. “Talking of fighting, if you and Trump got in the ring — he loves his UFC and stuff like that, right — if you got in the octagon, you and him, who would win?” he asked. “Come …

Spectrum News reports: President Joe Biden’s campaign announced that it raised more than $72 million from April to June with the Democratic National Committee and its joint fundraising committees, giving the Democrat’s reelection effort a major boost as the 2024 contest approaches. The campaign also reported in a release that is has $77 million in cash on hand, the highest …

Florida Politics reports: Ukraine to NATO is a no-go for Florida’s Governor. In Ron DeSantis’ latest show of neutrality amidst Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, he said that adding Ukraine to the security alliance would be a “non-starter” for him. “To say that we should be adding countries like Ukraine into NATO, that’s a non-starter for me because all you’re …

CNN reports: Investigators from the House Ethics Committee have begun reaching out to witnesses as part of a recently revived investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, focused on allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use or other misconduct. At least one witness in Florida told CNN they have spoken to investigators about the Republican …

ABC News reports: A government office in Hungary on Thursday levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors. The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary’s second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12 million forints ($35,930) for placing the popular “Heartstopper” by British …

The Hill reports: “AI Francis Suarez here. I’ll cut to the chase. SOS America PAC is giving away a free year of college. Seriously. You can enter now for a chance to win a free year of college,” an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Suarez says in a video shared by the pro-Suarez super PAC to supporters on Twitter. “Higher …

Via press release from the Secret Service: On the evening of July 2, officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division found an unknown substance inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House. The substance was located inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to …

The New York Times reports: A New York appeals court on Thursday ordered the state’s congressional map to be redrawn, siding with Democrats in a case that could give the party a fresh chance to tilt one of the nation’s most contested House battlegrounds leftward. Wading into a long-simmering legal dispute, the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in …

The Hill reports: Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide who testified before the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, has signed a deal to release a book in September. The book, entitled “Enough,” will be published by Simon & Schuster and share Hutchinson’s experiences leading up to her time in the national spotlight testifying …

The Associated Press reports: After an anemic showing in the midterms, Republicans have virtually no cushion in their quest to retain control of the House, which was made all the more complicated by a surprise U.S. Supreme Court decision last month that will likely bring two new safely Democratic districts. Democrats need to pick up just five seats to control …

The Guardian reports: The leader of Thailand’s pro-reform party, which won the most seats in May’s election, has been blocked from taking power by a parliamentary vote that includes military-appointed senators, a move likely to provoke street protests. Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Move Forward, a progressive party that has a strong youth support base, won the most votes and most …

Bloomberg News reports: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said Wednesday night that he’d met the Republican Party’s criteria for the first presidential debate in August, giving him the opportunity to take his campaign against Donald Trump directly to the former president — if he shows up. Christie’s entry into the 40,000-donor club would make him the sixth candidate — …

Florida Politics reports: While another insurance company bids the Sunshine State farewell, Ron DeSantis is urging patience for those homeowners stuck in what he calls a “challenging market.” “I think what’s going to happen is because we did those reforms, it now is more economical for companies to come in. I think they’re going to wait through this hurricane season …

The Guardian reports: Several lawyers who have had business before the Supreme Court, including one who successfully argued to end race-conscious admissions at universities, paid money to a top aide to Justice Clarence Thomas, according to the aide’s Venmo transactions. The payments appear to have been made in connection to Thomas’s 2019 Christmas party. The payments to Rajan Vasisht, who …

The right wing Daily Caller reports: Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took to the Senate floor Tuesday to push for his bipartisan legislation mandating companies disclose whether household appliances are spying on people. Cruz delivered a speech on the Senate floor requesting unanimous consent to pass the Informing Consumers about the Smart Devices Act, a bill he introduced with Democratic …

The Colorado Sun reports: The Colorado GOP’s state central committee is scheduled next month to consider a change to the party’s bylaws that would make it easier for Republicans to block unaffiliated voters from participating in their primaries, a major objective of the far right. A GOP effort to block unaffiliated voters from the 2022 primaries was soundly rejected by …

The Hill reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday defended not conceding the 2020 presidential election until after Congress certified Electoral College the results in January 2021, pointing to the Trump campaign’s ongoing lawsuits challenging the results. “The reality is I wanted to respect the process. I wanted to make it clear that I was going to do my …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor is looking to a former California Governor as an antecedent for his current presidential run. During an interview on Wisconsin’s Mark Belling Show, Ron DeSantis suggested his candidacy could be the modern version of the 1980 election that saw Ronald Reagan defeat Democrat Jimmy Carter. “What I would just tell folks out there listening is …