Politics

Florida Politics reports: During remarks in Eagle Pass, Texas, the Florida Governor doubled down on his assertion that the newly rechristened Fort Liberty should have its name changed back to honor Braxton Bragg, whose legacy as a rebel commander was undistinguished even by the markers of the rebel army. “Here’s what I said with respect to Fort Bragg is, that’s …

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Louisiana’s appeal seeking to prevent the state’s congressional map from being redrawn over claims that it unlawfully dilutes the influence of Black voters. The move via a brief unsigned order was expected after the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 8 that buttressed a key part of the landmark Voting Rights Act …

Delaware Online reports: State Sen. Sarah McBride, the country’s highest-ranking transgender elected official, announced her candidacy Monday to become Delaware’s next sole congresswoman. McBride, if elected, would become the first trans person elected to federal office, catapulting the already nationally known politician to an even bigger stage. She would also be the youngest elected official Delaware has sent to Washington …

Florida Politics reports: The war on “woke” takes center stage in the latest ad from a super PAC backing Ron DeSantis’ bid for President. Never Back Down’s new 30-second spot depicts the Governor as an uncompromising fighter in this battle, using rally footage, a stentorian male voiceover and DeSantis’ own words to make its point. “‘Woke’ is an existential threat …

The Daily Beast reports: Jeffrey Ross Gunter’s year-and-a-half tenure as U.S. ambassador to Iceland under Donald Trump was, by many accounts, a chaotic mess. The wealthy dermatologist and GOP donor—who’d never been to Iceland before being confirmed to the post—churned through staff, lashed out at employees, demanded a gun and armed security guards in the world’s safest country, and tried …

The Telegraph reports: Russian intelligence services threatened to harm the families of Wagner leaders before Yevgeny Prigozhin called off his advance on Moscow, according to UK security sources. It has also been assessed that the mercenary force had only 8,000 fighters rather than the 25,000 claimed and faced likely defeat in any attempt to take the Russian capital. Vladimir Putin …

Reuters reports: Russia has faced “a challenge to its stability” and must remain united behind President Vladimir Putin, its prime minister said on Monday, after mercenaries briefly occupied a strategic command centre for its Ukraine war and marched on Moscow. The armed mutiny over the weekend by the powerful Wagner Group and its abrupt ending with no apparent penalties for …

“What? Like he’s some Adonis? Please. I don’t know what his point is. You know what it is? It’s like a child. It’s a bully on the schoolyard who teases you and makes fun of you. But here’s my message to him: I don’t care what he says about me. I don’t care what he thinks about me. And he …

The Hill reports: Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, said on Sunday that he doesn’t think a dozen candidates is too many for the 2024 Republican presidential primary field. “I don’t think a dozen candidates is too many. Competition is great for America. It’s great for any industry, and it’s great for the Republican Party. It’s …

NBC News reports: Former President Donald Trump has expanded his lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the rest of the Republican presidential field since Trump’s latest indictment on federal criminal charges, according to a new national NBC News poll. Still, the survey finds half of Republican primary voters say they would consider another leader besides Trump — which suggests …

Florida Politics reports: New polling shows Disney’s favorability ratings have remained steady since last year’s controversy over Florida’s parental rights bill, while the Governor’s rating has dropped significantly. The data from left-leaning outlet Navigator shows Disney at a +31 favorability rating, almost identical to the +32 for the company in May 2022. DeSantis, meanwhile, sat at -4 in May 2022, …

Politico reports: Conservative Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale is plotting a Senate comeback bid — a move that’s bound to revive the GOP’s long-running battle over electability in key battleground races. Rosendale has told lawmakers in both chambers that he plans to run for the nomination to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) next year. His timeline is unclear, but any …

The New York Times reports: The outlines of a deal that appeared to defuse a rapidly evolving Russian security crisis began to come into focus late Saturday, as the Kremlin announced that a Russian mercenary leader, who for nearly 24 hours led an armed uprising against the country’s military leadership, would flee to Belarus and his fighters would escape repercussions. …

The Washington Post reports: Mercenaries are halting their travel toward Moscow and turning back from the city, Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin said in an audio message Saturday. After a day of mounting tension in Russia as Prigozhin’s forces advanced in the direction of the capital, his statement appeared to signal a possible end to the immediate crisis. Prigozhin said …

Deutsche Welle reports: Moscow’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has issued a statement telling residents in the capital to avoid unnecessary travel and also declared that Monday would not be a working day for most people — except for core services, security services, the military and so forth. “In order to minimize risks, I, within the framework of the operational headquarters, decided …

The New York Times reports: Despite years of creeping Kremlin control over the internet, the mercenary tycoon Yevgeny V. Prigozhin continued to comment live on Saturday through videos, audio recordings and statements posted on the messaging app Telegram. His remarkable continued access to a public platform amid a crisis demonstrated both the limits of official restrictions and the rise of …

Reuters reports: Russian military helicopters opened fire on Saturday afternoon on a convoy of rebel mercenaries already more than half way towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing a southern city overnight. President Vladimir Putin vowed to crush an armed mutiny he compared to Russia’s Civil War a century ago. Fighters from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s [photo] private Wagner militia were …

The New York Times reports: President Vladimir V. Putin vowed “decisive actions” early Saturday to quell what he called an armed rebellion by the outspoken mercenary tycoon Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, whose forces had claimed control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were threatening to march to Moscow. In a five-minute address to the nation, Mr. Putin called the …

Florida Politics reports: The super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis attacked Florida Politics as a media outlet being “backed by groomers.” The reasoning? Publisher Peter Schorsch posted pictures from aboard a Disney cruise. Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis’ presidential ambitions, leveled its attack on Twitter. A volley of criticism started after Never Back Down shared a clip of …

CNN reports: Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who announced his 2024 Republican presidential campaign earlier Thursday with an anti-Donald Trump message, said he won’t sign the Republican National Committee’s pledge to back the party’s ultimate nominee in order to participate in primary debates. “I won’t be signing any kind of pledges, and I don’t think parties should be trying to …