memeorandum: Robot kills worker at Volkswagen plant in Germany (Guardian)

2:25 PM ET, July 2, 2015

Top Items:

Mike Allen / Politico:

HILLARY'S OMNIPRESENT HUMA emerges as own power center - DEMS WANT BILL to rai$e for HRC super PAC; fears she'll lag Jeb - PERRY speech courts African Americans - RAND banks on Nev. — By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; mallen@politico.com), and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; dlippman@politico.com)

Discussion: Associated Press, Outside the Beltway, BostonGlobe.com and Bloomberg Business

New York Times:

Scott Walker's Hard Right Turn in Iowa May Hurt Him Elsewhere — Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin spent months persuading influential Republicans that he alone had the impressive conservative achievements and mainstream American appeal needed to not only win the party's nomination but also to recapture the White House.

Discussion: Latest from Crooks and Liars, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, US News, Politico, CNN and Bloomberg Business

Annie Karni / Politico:

Hillary's shadow — After years as the former secretary of state's loyal assistant, Huma Abedin is emerging as a campaign power center of her own. — Hillary Clinton had just wrapped a campaign event in the warehouse of the Smuttynose Brewery in New Hampshire in May, when the crowd began crushing in …

Discussion: New York Times

Nick Gass / Politico:
Scott Walker to announce White House run on July 13

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Week

NBC News:

First Read: Is the GOP the Party of Big Business No More? — People hold signs in front of Macy's Herald Square flagship store, Wednesday, July 1, 2015, in New York. Macy's became the latest company to end its relationship with presidential candidate Donald Trump after his remarks about Mexican immigrants.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and The Reaction

Elliot Smilowitz / The Hill:
Sanders draws massive crowd in Wisconsin

Discussion: Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, RedState and The Last Refuge

Ben Brody / Bloomberg Business:
Bernie Sanders Gains on Hillary Clinton in Iowa, Quinnipiac Poll Says

Discussion: Politico

John DiStaso / WMUR: New Hampshire Primary Source: Texas governor now sending ‘love’ letters to NH businesses

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:
Soros helps pro-Clinton Super PACs to $20 million haul

Discussion: Bloomberg Business

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

George Takei: Justice Thomas ‘a clown in blackface’ — Actor and gay rights advocate George Takei is slamming Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after his dissent to last week's decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide claimed that the government can neither give nor take away human dignity.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Twitchy, The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

Miranda Blue / Right Wing Watch:
Steve King: Impeach Ginsburg & Kagan Over Gay Marriage Decision

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mock Paper Scissors

Matt Volz / Associated Press:
Polygamous Montana Trio Applies for Wedding License

Discussion: Hit & Run, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Associated Press and ABC News

Claire Boston / Bloomberg Business:

Serta Will Stop Selling Donald Trump Mattress Line in Latest Defection — The move comes after the presidential candidate made disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants. — Serta, the largest U.S. mattress manufacturer, will end its business relationship with Donald Trump …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Gawker, Business Insider, Mediaite, Mashable, New York's PIX11 and Hinterland Gazette

Eugene Scott / CNN:

Trump defends inflammatory comments, asks ‘Who is doing the raping?’ — Washington (CNN)Businessman Donald Trump continued his verbal attack against illegal immigrants on Wednesday, in an exclusive interview set to air at 10 p.m. on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.

Discussion: Washington Post, BREITBART.COM, Gawker, The Daily Caller, Political Wire, FOX News Radio, New York Magazine, RedState, Balloon Juice, Mediaite, Slantpoint and Business Insider

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

As Donald Trump surges in polls, Democrats cheer — For Democrats, Donald Trump amounts to a kind of divine intervention. — With the Republican Party on an urgent mission to woo Latino voters, one of its leading presidential candidates has been enmeshed for two weeks in a nasty feud …

Discussion: US News, Business Insider, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, Bloomberg Business, CNN, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg View, Hinterland Gazette, Daily Mail and Outside the Beltway

Loretta Chao / Wall Street Journal:

Revamped Bubble Wrap Loses Its Pop — Sealed Air, maker of the iconic packaging material, is rolling out a new flat version to cut down on the high costs of shipping air — Sealed Air Corp. has revamped its iconic Bubble Wrap. The new product dubbed iBubble Wrap looks …

Discussion: The Week, Mashable, CBS Boston, Business Insider and The Huffington Post

PR Newswire:

New Bipartisan Poll Finds Grateful Dead Popular Across Political Party Lines, All Age Groups — Favorable/Unfavorable Rating by Party: Republicans 32/15, Democrats 31/6, Independents 26/9 — WASHINGTON, June 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is being released by Strategic Media, Inc.:

Discussion: Washington Monthly

William Leitch / Bloomberg Business: Why Republicans and Millennials Love the Grateful Dead All the Same

Bloomberg Business:

Jobs Report Disappoints, Participation Rate Falls to Lowest Since 1977 … An increase in June payrolls followed smaller gains in the prior two months and wages were little changed as U.S. job market reflected a more moderate pace of economic growth. — The addition of 223,000 jobs followed …

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air, Weekly Standard, Associated Press, Politico, NPR, The Reformed Broker, 89.3 KPCC and Patterico's Pontifications

Nelson D. Schwartz / New York Times:
Data Show Healthy Job Growth but Also Signs of Weakness

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Washington Monthly

NBC News:

Gunman Killed Trying to Rob Ex-Reporters Lynne Russell and Chuck de Caro in Albuquerque — Two journalists got their hands on a crime story up close and personal this week. — Former CNN and Headline News anchor Lynne Russell and her husband, former CNN reporter Chuck de Caro …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and The Daily Caller

Con Coughlin / Telegraph:

US blocks attempts by Arab allies to fly heavy weapons directly to Kurds to fight Islamic State — Middle East allies accuse Barack Obama and David Cameron of failing to show strategic leadership in fight against Isil, as MPs could be given vote on whether to bomb Syria

Discussion: The Jawa Report, American Spectator and The Gateway Pundit

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Democrats Regain Edge in Party Affiliation — Story Highlights — PRINCETON, N.J. — In the second quarter of 2015, Democrats regained an advantage over Republicans in terms of Americans' party affiliation. A total of 46% of Americans identified as Democrats (30%) or said they are independents …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, National Journal and Democratic Strategist

Monica Potts / Washington Monthly:

The Post-Ownership Society — Five and a half years ago, when I first moved to Washington, D.C., for a magazine job, I rented a basement apartment in a neighborhood called Bloomingdale. The area was full of Victorian-era homes that had once been occupied by mostly middle-class black families …

David Catalfamo / t.e2ma.net:

GOVERNOR GEORGE PATAKI — 132 East 43rd Street # 614 New York, NY 10017 — Dear Fellow Republican candidates for president, — “And some, I assume, are good people.” — The last week of news coverage over the language used by Donald Trump to describe Mexicans has left me and a lot …

Discussion: Fox News and Slantpoint

Shane Simmons / WQAD-TV:

Monmouth College grad charged for allegedly stomping puppy to death — More than a dozen protesters convened outside of the Warren County Courthouse on Tuesday, June 30, with one objective: “Justice for Cash.” — Cash was a pit bull puppy who was allegedly kicked and stomped to death …

Discussion: KTLA and New York's PIX11

Guardian:

Robot kills worker at Volkswagen plant in Germany — Contractor was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate at the plant in Baunatal — A robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen's production plants in Germany, the automaker has said.

Discussion: Washington Post

Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star Rips TV Land for Dropping Show: “Can't We All Just Watch TV?” — “Are people who grew up watching the show now suddenly racists?” John Schneider asks. — John Schneider is blasting TV Land for its decision to erase from its schedule — due its depiction of the Confederate flag …